• by June 2, 2006

The folks at MSNBC.com want to remind you of the one-year anniversary of its network news blog, http://www.dailynightly.msnbc.com.

"NBC Nightly News" Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams kicked off "The Daily Nightly" a year ago and offered news junkies a glimpse into the NBC network newscast and the editorial process at NBC. Apparently Williams enjoys blogging, as do correspondents Campbell Brown, David Gregory, John Seigenthaler, and other reporters and producers. Current page views average approximately 400,000 per month. Last fall, readers got the chance to interact and respond to posts, resulting in more than 10,000 unique reader comments. MSNBC.com folks say the most commented-on post to-date came from Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory, recounting his tough questioning of press secretary Scott McClellan. More than 500 readers reacted.

And during Hurricane Katrina, "The Daily Nightly" played a major part in NBC News' coverage of the story. During the week of Aug. 29-Sept. 4, the blog received more than 350,000 page views, its most ever.

"The Daily Nightly" has also offered a unique perspective on major political events over the last year. During the Samuel Alito Supreme Court confirmation hearings, MSNBC.com's Tom Curry and NBC News' Kevin Courke blogged live from inside the Senate Hart Office Building. The posts, which offered on-the-scene observations and analysis, gave readers a look at what was happening inside the hearings in real time. The posts received more than 100 unique user comments throughout the hearings.

This here Minute doesn't access the posts regularly but we have to say we like that the voice-of-God anchors (OK, that notion has gone the way of the cuckoo) and globe-trotting correspondents actually take the time to write. This is important.

With Katie Couric headed to CBS this fall, we have to think she'll be blogging too...Hey, if one network blogs, the others have to, too. Think of it as another way she can earn her $15 million a year...