Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Soledad O'Brien Out at CNN; Cable Personality former KRON Tonsil

Soledad O'Brien is reportedly out at CNN where her star power apparently hasn't morphed into ratings nirvana in the morning. (She's being replaced by Erin Burnett, another attractive news reader that's the latest flavor of the day by new boss, Jeff Zucker.)

Many people here may have forgot that O'Brien spent three years in the early 90's at KRON. She was popular, smart and a good reporter, but nothing out of the ordinary. Few people in the biz could predict that she would eventually work her way into one of the more prominent news personality's on both network and cable TV news outlets.

Of course it doesn't hurt that O'Brien, (and conversely, Burnett too), has the added benefit of having movie star looks. But in a business that is about as results-driven as the fiercely-competitive cable battles are in the morning, O'Brien hasn't driven enough viewers over to CNN.

The good news: Bet that O'Brien will be picked up by another outlet, perhaps even a network looking for a name personality. O'Brien, with solid news credentials and certified cachet in the biz will land on her feet.

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70 comments:

  1. Rich, why the focus on looks? You mention it twice re O'Brien and then again re her replacement.
    If male would you say the same?

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    1. You're right...but the reality is that TV is a VISUAL medium and yes, it helps to look beautiful. Particularly if your a woman over 40. Just the facts.

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    2. you're...not "your"
      It must really annoy you, Rich, that the most successful and watched anchor in the country is not only female,but a quarter of a century older that 40.
      Soledad O'Brien is much more than a "tonsil" or newsreader. She is an able interlocutor who has appropriately unhinged numerous guests on her show. She has a cutting edge intellect, and that's a good thing.

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    3. Christine: I love Dianne Sawyer and told Mike Nichols that if he ever left her, I'd be available for an interview. YOUR right.

      I didn't intend to insult by using "tonsil"--have uttered that label many times. Sincerely...the the male able interlocutor.

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    4. But Christine,Soledad isn't blond and blue eyed like Dianne or Leslie Stahl. Its like her niche in news? She grew out of it since it was narrow to start. I like her,but its the same old story.

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    5. Look at all the stuff thrown at Geraldo (aka Jerry Rivers) Howard Cosell, etc. Yul Brenner and Telly Savalas were unique in their time because they were bald. Lawrence Welk would not let bald men in the band till the end (same with blacks) Men have had appearance crap thrown at them as well, As for calling someone a tonsil? That stuff often came from the pages of Variety, that is Hollywood speak, the meat, the tonsil, feet, legs, the rug, and so on. Blame Luella Parsons, or Hedda Hopper, and the many female commontators who have been and are just as snotty and catty about personal appearance as any man. I remember you referred to Joe Montana once as the "balding Adonis" Tonsil, balding Andonis or remember you called a country star a "big fat dough-boy" so look in the mirror honey.

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    6. Lieberman: "the reality is that TV is a VISUAL medium..."

      You always robotically say that, but if it's what you truly believe then why do you never mention Frank Sommerville's looks? Or Ken Bastida's? The point is not that it's visual--everyone over 10 knows that. It's that you only seem to notice one gender.

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  2. She once had sex kitten looks. Now,she's looking her age. And that's why she's been bouncing the last few years. Looks got her in the door..and looks closed the door for her.

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  3. I dunno, 10:51...she's still looks pretty MILFy to me!

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  4. Good riddance! She is a complete embarrassment to the news industry.

    It was classic when she argued with a guest about critical race theory and showed her ignorance of the subject by repeating a Wikipedia definition verbatim fed to her by her producer.

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    1. Agreed. Her politics and race baiting made her impossible to watch.

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    2. and you know this 11:32 because you were directly privvy to what her producer was saying into her ear? really? what was the flaw specifically in her argument?or are you just a racist?

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    3. A virtual verbatim quotation of the Wikipedia definition might have just been random? Christine, I'm surprised you didn't know about this.

      http://rebelpundit.com/2012/03/was-soledad-obrien-bailed-out-by-producers-on-critical-race-theory-definition/

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    4. And now that your comment "or are you just a racist?" has sunk in... What in the world would make you say that about my comment about Soledad O'Brien being a joke of a journalist?

      I've never been accused of being a racist in my life and it certainly diminishes you in accusing me of that just because you didn't like what I stated about an embarrassment to the industry.

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    5. I have to agree, she's no journalist, just a little snide one-sided liberal. Cute sure, but a dim-witted left winger with zero objectivity.

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  5. The most successful human being in all television and broadcasting history is a morbidly obese woman with bulgy eyes. There is also the success of Greta van Susteren, a former defense lawyer, well-connected,with profound malocclusion of the jaw, on Fox news..so is it really just bleep-ability as analyzed by some males?

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    1. Pretty funny yet accurate!

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    2. >>The most successful human being in all television and broadcasting history is a morbidly obese woman with bulgy eyes.<< OK, I give up. Who are you talking about? The most successful person in broadcasting history was Walter Cronkite..

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    3. Christine -taking a crack at Garry Radnich again.

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  6. I was a big fan of Soledad from KRON days. However, when she started doing those being black in America shows, she started showing her personal prejudice. That turned me off especially when she got loder to make her point. Nothing wrong with doing those shows, as a host she needs to stay in the middle. Shows too much bias for OBAMA admin. Sorry I hope she gets another chance. Maybe come back to the bay area.

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  7. Soledad O'Brien has been an amazing asset for CNN. She is smart, personable and great interviewer. I hope she finds another gig where her talents will be more appreciated.

    As for "movie star looks," I'd rather talk about the sex appeal and gorgeous legs of Wolf Blitzer.

    The double standard lives and we are only 50 years away from the publication of "The Feminine Mystique." Betty must be rolling in her grave.

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  8. When it comes to female newscasters Rich listens with his eyes.

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  9. Soledad O'Brien is not to be taken seriously.
    She is more fit for a morning news program.
    Like a cooking show.

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  10. Christine you like to sue people. I got my hand burnt buy some coffee at McDonalds, think I should sue? Seriously this really happened, I even have an incident report with McDonald insurance carrier name on it. What do you think yay or nay? Even had to go to the doctor.

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    1. I'm not a personal injury lawyer. I sued one corporation once, personally. Most smart lawyers don't want to sue anyone, actually. Do you know why?
      Have you ever heard of this thing called a "settlement"?
      In any event, if your genitals had been parboiled like the elderly woman who famously sued McDonalds for serving coffee that was near boiling point temperature, I suggest that you get recommendations for a good PI lawyer to assist you.

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  11. She can't maintain control of her show. The guests start arguing and to regain control her voice gets louder and shriller. Ouch.

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  12. People, all of these teleprompter readers are mockingbird shills. Operation Mockingbird shills. look it up. Chris Mathews would be exhibit A of what one looks like, talks like, regurgitates state fed narratives like.

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  13. So...12:22....you prefer the GOP Bias of Fox News???

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  14. Ask the KRON insiders from back in the day. Soledad was a backstabbing, walk-all-over-you, get promoted by stepping-on-anyone-I-can B-----!

    At CNN she was noting but a race bating diva.

    That's sad, because she is smart and talented, but is meaner and more biased than Sam Donaldson. The bottom line, she makes people pick up the remote control and go "click."

    Who cares how she looks, or whether she's hot or not. Deliver the news, and keep your bias to to yourself. Be a professional, and maybe people might watch!


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    1. her show was not a pure "news" show by design. It incorporated debate and opinion ie: thinking.

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    2. Interesting story regarding O'Brien's days at KRON.
      It is something I have always suspected about her.
      What an ugly witch.

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  15. If Burnett is moving to mornings does that mean her ”Out Front” show is over? Burnett's face looks like she is smelling something foul 24/7. She is dumb as a rock, she attacked the Occupy Movement and then went after Julien Assange, in effect she condoned illegalities committed by the USA government. She is a lap dog for imperialism and since Kristine Krapht ”the leftist lawyer” wants Assange hanged she must be excited to see Burnett in the mornings.

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    1. I don't want Mr. Assange hanged, but rather hoisted on his own petard. That wouldn't make me a leftist, on the contrary. Erin Burnett isn't dumb and that's the problem. If you research her pedigree, it's pure Wall Street. I'm not a fan of hers, though I agree with her re: Assange.
      Were you pleased that the cables purloined by Bradley Manning, written by deceased ambassador Chris Stevens,and published by Assange may have led to Steven's death?
      As for television in the morning? never.

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    2. That's too much of a stretch Craft. That's like saying that your athletes' foot caused the embassador's murder. One has nothing to do with the other. Saying ” it may have caused it” is pure speculation. In fact not ONE single American death has been directly linked to WikiLeaks. People such as you who ascribe to the American exceptionalism myth just want to go after Assange because he exposed numerous illegalities committed by the USA.

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    3. Brunette and money honey Bartiromo got rides in corporate jets and boot licked Bank CEOs just as much as the male "business reporters" and let the financial meltdown story alone till it was too late.

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    4. Ah yes, the brave, brave, brave Mr Assannnnghe..who trembles at the thought of facing the music for two criminal sexual assaults. You'll have to excuse me here because I have neither athlete's foot, nor any clue as to what an "embassador" is.
      America used to be quite exceptional, actually.

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    5. Oh Christine stop acting like a dumb blonde. Assange is willing to cooperate with investigators any time, even in Sweden if they will guarantee that he will not be turned over to the USA. Why won't they make such a guarantee huh? Nice to know you don't have athlete's foot. It'll be nice when you answer legitimate questions rather than turning into a grammar queen. You've been caught with quiet a few spelling errors in the past honey.

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  16. Soledad was doing on her CNN show what reporters use to do before the 1980's. Which was call the interviewee out when they are giving her a line of bull. I used to watch Meet the Press when I was a kid and they would make the guests answer tough questions and keep on them if they were trying to avoid answering.

    The press now days is failing our democracy by not asking tough questions and not demanding sane non BS responses. Of course shes going to look partisan if she doesn't go with Republican Big Business party line like her replacement Erin Burnett does. They just BS more than the gutless Dems.

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  17. I worked with Soledad at KRON as one of her suffering writers. I can report without a doubt she's dumb as a post and rose up through the ranks through a combination of looks and ethnicity. Stupid doesn't begin to cover it, but worse, she has no idea, because everyone tells her she is marvelous, because that's what you do to someone who's 1) pretty and 2) ethnic, which is why TV is filled with attractive Latinas and (fewer) blacks and Asians who are dumber than chewing gum but who think they're the cat's meow.

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    1. wow,That leaves only Caucasian woman who are hired with REAL talent. And I bet the Caucasian woman with blue eye's are better then the ones with brown eyes...and the Caucasian woman of northern European are much better then the Mediterranean woman..and taller woman form northern Europe are better then shorter woman from northern Europe..and younger...who's left? The 1 percenters?.

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    2. Good insight at 1:40am.
      She (Soledad O'Brien)has always come across as someone who benefited mightly from affirmative action.
      But when push came to shove, she had no journalism credibility or acumen.

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  18. Christine: "She is an able interlocutor who has appropriately unhinged numerous guests on her show."

    No she isn't. She's in way over her head and has to be held by the hand constantly in the editing room. I know because when I worked at KRON I did it.

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    1. well you would have had, then, first hand experience in the editing room while working with this woman for local t.v. news. Were you also whispering clever polemics in her ear when she dismantled the bluster of numerous racists on CNN? How has she lived without you at the network?

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    2. Christine beat me to it. I think she might have learned something in 20 years. I just saw her on Wendy Williams. Yes, looks helped her. Who isn't helped by being beautiful?.

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    3. Soledad O'Brein makes OJ Simpson look inteligent.

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    4. Sorry @2:06, this wouldn't have been clever even if you had spelled her name right!

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    5. Christine: Were you also whispering clever polemics in her ear when she dismantled the bluster of numerous racists on CNN?

      I never whispered anything in her ear because she was too dumb to take other people's advice.

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  19. Wow, I am actually surprised that most of the comments on this are negative......and coming from the ultra left Bay Area region. Maybe people are starting to wake up to the fraud of media bias and the fraud of the current administration. Note to all, get your media from a wide variety of worldwide sources or you'll become a tool of one...lashing out and pointing fingers at the other.

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    1. "Maybe people are starting to wake up to the fraud of media bias and the fraud of the current administration"

      Or maybe a bunch of alienated, narrow-minded, complainers are drawn to this blog.

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    2. I like the way he makes one generalization, then another, and the two have nothing to do with each other but he connects them. George Bush won two terms by doing this.

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    3. God Almighty, the old George Bush crutch. Let's just hope that when the current occupant of Air Force One is gone that he has the same grace living out of the media..........doubt it.

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    4. @6:25 says nothing about a crutch. @6:25 is right, one unconnected generalization after the next. You are just cycling between your various angry arguments regardless of what is being discussed.

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    5. @5:45, the "crutch" is the standard fall back commentary on the Bush Administration. And there's no anger, just observation and comments....like yours.
      Reap what you sow, voters.

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  20. She should reconnect with Dev Null. He carried her on their show.

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  21. Good Riddance. Soledad is just as "left" biased as Sean Vanity is "right" biased. Never worth her salt.

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  22. She is really BORING.

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  23. Women like her give the news business a bad name. She was no professional, but then all you have to do is listen to the radio or watch TV these days and you see a lot of frauds who never would have been hired 'back in the day' when TV and radio stations actually hired (what an novel concept!!!) professionally training, credible news broadcasters.

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    1. You've got to be kidding? right? What are you a 15 year old that only watches Fox News? She was the type they hired "back in the day". She tries to get at the truth. Not the lies that the Parties, politicians, talking heads and Administrations put out and not do the research and ask questions to see if it is true.

      Almost nobody at Fox News would have been hired "back in the day". Repeating Frank Lutz, Karl Rove or Grover Norquists talking points is not reporting news! CNN is trying to become Fox News light.

      And for the person who says they worked with her back at KRON. And saying how horrible she was. You sound like you've never got over having gotten turned down for a date from her.

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  24. How did a post about Soledad O'Brien spawn a comment about CNN and the President being a fraud? Oh, yeah, because the people who think like that won't SHUT UP about it for five seconds.

    Soledad knows how to present herself on camera and looks good in a short skirt. She'll be hosting a daytime talk show filled with diet tips, vacation advice and low-fat, gluten-free dessert recipes within 10 months.

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  25. oh that Soledad...so darned uneducated. never mind the BA from Harvard, we are told here that she needed someone at KRON to help her write while holding her hand. Her first job in tv was as a producer and writer at WBZ. WBZ , a major television station in a market that is larger than San Francisco? How could that be, if she's so uneducated and so unprofessional?
    Well they must have had affirmative action programs for Cuban-Australians. Doesn't everyone?
    There is not now, nor has there ever been ANY professional requirement to get a job in TV news. Back in the so-called day, most who applied had at least gone to college, but it wasn't required. Most graduates of J-schools never got jobs in TV news,or any news.

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    1. There are plenty of people with BA's from Harvard who can't tie their shoes.

      I have a nephew who scored mediocrely in school and is now at a prestigious university on a full scholarship. He's a placekicker for the football team. Far smarter kids are going to state college, because they're not.

      Never assume you know why someone has graduated from an Ivy League school. I've worked with Soledad. I think I know her a little bit better than you. O

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    2. My wife doesn't even have a college degree. She came from a poor family and, frankly, because she was white and went to ordinary public schools in a "bad" town, couldn't get any scholarships. She got a temp job as a file clerk three days after HS graduation, was hired on by the company permanently by the end of the week, and 20 years later she's the CFO. Soledad went to Harvard, probably on a minority scholarship. Big whoop. Here's a scoop: the best pictures don't always win all the Academy Awards, either.

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  26. Yes, they have this whole angry person agenda and just vent about the same old stuff regardless of the topic. Hate Soledad O'Brien, hate Obama, hate Obamacare, socialist agenda, phoney birth certificate, blah, blah, blah...

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  27. Ms. O'Brien started at WBZ..then was hired by NBC network and worked as a producer on several significant NBC news programs with much larger audiences than KRON could ever dream to reach. I don't know how she did it without the KRON writer/editor who reports her that she was so dumb that she needed him to hold her hand when she finally landed at KRON, after all the BZ and network experience.
    She apparently had such low expectations, having come from a family with four siblings, all of whom went to Harvard. One sibling is a corporate lawyer, one a law professor, the other two are physicians,such under-achievers! I'm sure her siblings got extra affirmative action points when they took their licensing exams. What? there is no such affirmative action on professional licensing exams? who knew?

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    1. > What? there is no such affirmative action on
      > professional licensing exams? who knew?

      No, there's affirmative action in the hiring. The exam-taking is easy. I passed the bar exam. I did not go to law school to do it. It's not hard.

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    2. Huh?? What's her siblings have to do with it? I never worked with her Siblings and know nothing about them.

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  28. Wow! Who is this Soledad O'Brien? I always thought she was a pleasant-looking gal with a soft voice. I had no idea she really pissed off so many people enough to generate 60+ responses. Good grief!

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    1. She was just the platform for the leftist haters to spout off about Bush and Fox News. They always have to work those themes in. That's why there are over 60 responses.

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  29. The sad truth is that Soledad O'Brien has never embraced her ethnic heritiage. She is embarrased to admit her ethnicity.
    What a fraud!

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  30. 415 Media seems to be a gathering place for people to make ridiculous unfounded claims like the above:

    Soledad O'Brien is embarrassed to admit her ethnicity... and a fraud

    Ridiculous!!!!

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