Banfield no longer ‘On Location’
MSNBC has rejiggered its lineup again, this time axing the low-rated (218,000 viewers) “Ashleigh Banfield On Location” at 10 p.m. and replacing it with “MSNBC Investigates.”
Ashleigh Banfield will alternate hosting duties on “MSNBC Investigates” with John Siegenthaler.
“By not having the enormous responsibility of a nightly 60-minute program, Ashleigh will be free to do even more reporting and to participate more on NBC News programs,” MSNBC chief Erik Sorenson told staffers via internal e-mail.
MSNBC is also borrowing “Dateline” executive editor Marc Rossenwasser from NBC News to temporarily supervise the network’s 7-11 p.m. programming block.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric – owner of NBC and MSNBC – was interviewed last Friday by Neil Cavuto on Fox News Channel’s “Your World with Neil Cavuto.”
“MSNBC’s ratings aren’t nearly where we’d like them to be, and we’re gonna take some actions to try to get ’em up there,” Immelt told Cavuto. “I told my guys to make it more interesting and more competitive.
“I want us to be able to take you [FNC] on. I think the standard right now is Fox and I want to be as interesting and edgy as you guys are. I think [Fox News] is the standard right now.”
Rashad is ABC’s new ‘Mole’ man for ’03
Ahmad Rashad has been signed to host the new edition of ABC’s “The Mole,” featuring celebrities this time around.
Rashad will replace Anderson Cooper, who hosted the first two editions of the show. Cooper is now at CNN.
Rashad inked his deal Friday to host the show, scheduled for a six-episode run sometime in the first quarter of 2003. “The Mole,” produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment, was ABC’s top-rated show last summer.
“Ahmad Rashad is a talented host and sportscaster,” said Scott A. Stone, executive producer of Stone Stanley.
“We believe his talents will blend perfectly as he guides our celebrity cast as they try to uncover who is the mole!”
Sweet! New opening for ‘Caroline’
“The Caroline Rhea Show” unveils a new look on tonight’s show (12:35 a.m./Ch. 7). The New York City-themed opening features Caroline Rhea taking in the sites and sounds of Gotham, backed by Neil Diamond’s tune, “Sweet Caroline,” redone by renowned tenor Russell Watson.
In the montage, Rhea visits Central Park, walks six dogs through city streets, visits FAO Schwartz and sneaks into the window at Henri Bendel over on Fifth Avenue.
This just in . . .
* Viacom VP Dennis Swanson will receive the John A. Reisenbach Foundation’s “Distinguished Citizen Award” on Dec. 10 – joining former AOL Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin as the only two people so honored in the foundation’s 11-year history.
* Sources say former E! anchor Steve Kmetko has met with officials from “Extra” about possibly working on some projects.
* Kelly Voight, niece of actor John Voight, has been hired as a guest anchor for Court TV’s daytime trial coverage.
* Eerie coincidence: “Get Christie Love” star Teresa Graves died last Thusday in a house fire. On that night’s “Larry Sanders Show” (10 p.m./Bravo), there was a reference to “Get Christie Love.” The “Sanders” episode was from 1993.
“The Starr Report” now runs on Sunday too!