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By Scott Conroy - April 12, 2012, Real Clear Politics

DOVER, Del. -- During a meeting with 18 Delaware Tea Party leaders here on Wednesday, Newt Gingrich lambasted FOX News Channel, accusing the cable network of having been in the tank for Mitt Romney from the beginning of the Republican presidential fight. An employee himself of the news outlet as recently as last year, he also cited former colleagues for attacking him out of what he characterized as personal jealousy.

“I think FOX has been for Romney all the way through,” Gingrich said during the private meeting -- to which RealClearPolitics was granted access -- at Wesley College. “In our experience, Callista and I both believe CNN is less biased than FOX this year. We are more likely to get neutral coverage out of CNN than we are of FOX, and we’re more likely to get distortion out of FOX. That’s just a fact.”

Gingrich did not pull his punches in accusing Rupert Murdoch -- the chairman and CEO of News Corp., FOX News’ parent company -- of pushing for Romney behind the scenes.

“I assume it’s because Murdoch at some point [who] said, ‘I want Romney,’ and so ‘fair and balanced’ became ‘Romney,’ ” Gingrich said. “And there’s no question that Fox had a lot to do with stopping my campaign because such a high percentage of our base watches FOX.” READ....

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By IND Web Design

By Tony Hicks, Contra Costa Times, April 05, 2012

Keith Olbermann sued his former employer, cable channel Current TV on Thursday, claiming breach of contract, sabotage, and disparagement following his firing last week, according to TMZ.

Olbermann contends the network owes him up to $70 million in cash and equity compensation. He was fired from Current TV last Friday, just one year into his five year $50 million contract.

Does Current TV actually have that much money?

Olbermann cited a list of complaints in the lawsuit including the network broadcasting ads containing his image without his permission, refusing to invest resources in the show, and disclosing confidential terms of his contract.

He also didn't like the little cocktail weenies they served at the holiday party.

The Huffington Post reported that network co-founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt released a statement announcing Olbermann's firing, saying their relationship with him no longer reflected their core values of "respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty." They also announced Olbermann's immediate replacement, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Olbermann's firing comes 14 months after his stormy exit from MSNBC. Following his MSNBC departure, Olbermann quickly signed on with Current TV and brought his signature show "Countdown" to the network. It wasn't long before news of Olbermann's clashes with management surfaced. READ....

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By IND Web Design

March 13, 2012, Los Angeles Times

Attacking or intimidating journalists in Mexico would become a federal crime under a constitutional reform approved Tuesday by Mexican lawmakers.

The measure, approved unanimously by the Senate, is seen as a way to bolster protection for journalists, who have been targeted frequently as drug violence across the country has soared during the last 5 1/2 years.

More than 40 journalists have disappeared or been killed since 2006, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, a global watchdog group. In many volatile areas, journalists avoid covering crime news or omit facts that might anger drug lords. READ....

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By IND Web Design

By Deborah Netburn, March 9, 2012, Los Angeles Times

Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and coordinator of Barack Obama's online efforts during the 2008 presidential election, is entering the "old media" fray as publisher and editor-in-chief of the New Republic, the publication announced Friday.

Initial response? Journalists who do not write for the New Republic are seething with envy, and wonder if perhaps another Silicon Valley millionaire/billionaire would like to come and inject an infusion of new-media money into their publication too.

But it's not just the money, it's also what Hughes is saying about the state of journalism today that is drawing attention. After helping Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskowitz start Facebook in 2004, Hughes joined Obama's presidential campaign in 2007. READ....

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By IND Web Design

By Brendan Sasso,   Marcg 03, 2012,  The Hill

 Sponsored link: Recondition Old Batteries And Save Money

A group of broadcast television stations on Thursday sued Aereo, a startup company that plans to allow New York City customers to stream local channels over the Internet.

The lawsuit, filed by Fox, Univision, PBS and local New York City affiliates, accuses Aereo of planning to stream copyrighted material without permission.

"Aereo has not licensed this television programming from those who own it. Nor has it sought or received consent from the television signal owners," the stations charge in their suit. "Thus, for $12 a month, Aereo will provide unlimited streams of Plaintiffs' television broadcasts over the Internet in direct competition with Plaintiffs."

"Innovations in technology over time, from digital signals to Digital Video Recorders ('DVRs'), have made access to television easier and better for consumers. Aereo provides technology that enables consumers to use their cloud DVR and their remote antenna to record and watch the broadcast television signal to which they are entitled anywhere they are, whether on a phone, a tablet, a television or a laptop. Aereo looks forward to its upcoming product launch as well as a prompt resolution of these cases."  READ FULL STORY.....

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By IND Web Design