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Greedy Bastards met Crooks and Liars as MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan returned to Washington courtesy of The Week magazine. Politicos and media mavens watched the heated discussion Dylan Ratigan moderated between Senator Bernie Sanders and GOP Rep. David Schweikert. Bill Falk, editor-in-chief of The Week introduced Ratigan to the enthusiastic crowd. Ratigan’s book, Greedy Bastards, is already a New York Times bestseller and Ratigan is fearlessly flacking changes to the American system of elections and the way or economy works.

Check out photos from the event below:

WHC Insider News Media Bernie Sanders, David Schweikert, Dirty Bastards, Dylan Ratigan, MSNBC

Mark Halperin (far right) with the Game Change crew: director Jay Roach and writer Danny Strong at the WHCD BLoomberg|Vanity Fair Afterparty

Washington’s “Gang of 600″ (500 + web crowd) watched the return of Mark Halperin on MSNBC who coined the phrase “Gang of 500,” to explain the movers and shakers in politics. Halperin was suspended earlier this year for his comments on the President.  MSNBC explained their decision to bring back Halperin after one month at the Television Association Critics summer tour.   Click here for The Washington Post’s coverage by Lisa DeMoraes and watch Halperin’s return in the video below:

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WHC Insider News Media Mark Halperin, Morning Joe, MSNBC

Chris Licht, Vice President of Programming for CBS News and former Executive Producer of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, will be celebrating the release of his new book What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life tonight at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC.  The reception was hosted by Constance Milstein, Jon Meacham, Kevin Sheekey and Tammy Haddad.

Here are some photos if you missed the live stream of the event:

WHC Insider Washington Events Book Party, Chris Licht, Constance Milstein, Joe Scarborough, Jon Meacham, Kevin Sheekey, Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC, Tammy Haddad, The Jefferson Hotel

Chris Licht, former “Morning Joe” Executive Producer, returned to the familiar MSNBC set to talk about the near-fatal cerebral hemorrhage he suffered more than a year ago after a “particularly challenging morning” at work.

Licht wrote about the experience in the newly released book “What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life.”

The hard-charging producer told hosts and friends Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski about the “pop” he heard in his head while riding back to his Washington hotel that April morning. He was just 38 years old.

The married father of two says the experience helped him streamline and get rid of all the clutter, finding time for the things that matter in life. Licht admits that leaving “Morning Joe” for his new gig as VP of Programming at CBS News was part of the experience, learning it was time to take chances.

Check back to WHCInsider this Thursday at 7:00PM where you can watch Jon Meacham‘s interview with Chris Licht LIVE. To read an excerpt from the book click here and watch the “Morning Joe” interview below:

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WHC Insider News Media Blackberry, CBS News, Chris Licht, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Morning Joe, MSNBC

The Washington Press Corps is proud of Savannah Guthrie who is moving to New York, but sad that she will be leaving Washington.  Our hearts were lifted this morning with the news that Chuck Todd will continue to host “The Daily Rundown.”

Here is how our friends at TVNEWSER reported all the changes at NBC.

WHC Insider News Media Chuck Todd, MSNBC, Savannah Guthrie, The Daily Rundown

Looks like MSNBC will have plenty of vino flowing at their White House Correspondents’ Dinner After Party to be held this year at the Embassy of Italy.

Fishbowl DC’s Matt Dornic posted the invite from MSNBC President Phil Griffin, the first official one of the WHCD season.

Those attending will have a donation made in their name to DonorsChoose.org.

WHC Insider WHCD 2011, Washington Events Embassy of Italy, Fishbowl DC, Matt Dornic, MSNBC, Phil Griffin, WHCD

WHC Insider’s Tammy Haddad sat down with Ron Reagan to discuss his new memoir “MY FATHER AT 100.” The youngest son of President Ronald and Nancy Reagan wrote the book to commemorate what would have been his father’s 100th birthday on February 6, 2011.

Reagan candidly offers new insights on his parents’ relationship and the Reagan family dynamic; he also sets the record straight on what he actually wrote about his father and glimmers that he was not always “completely 100 percent” while in the White House.

Never one to shy away from political opinion, Reagan responds to comparisons between his father andPresident Obama. And as for those rumors about Joe Scarborough, Reagan’s former co-host on an MSNBC after-hours show, making a possible run for president or vice-president in 2012? Reagan says, “He’d be the only Republican candidate not on FOX.”

As for Keith Olbermann’s recent departure from MSNBC, Reagan said “Keith was a remarkable figure there. In many ways I think he made that network what it is today.”

You can read more and watch the two-part interview on POLITICO and for more information on the book go to www.ronreagan100.com.

WHC Insider Washington MSNBC, MY FATHER AT 100, Politico, Ron Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Tammy Haddad

Watch the Dylan Ratigan Show today at 4 pm for a special preview for tonight’s book party for Arianna Huffington’s Third World America.

And don’t forget to come back to WHC Insider at 6:30 pm est to catch the party live as it happens.

John Lichman Correspondents, DC, News Media Ariana Huffington, DC, Dylan Ratigan, MSNBC, TV

Fred Davis’ rise started with a giant rat named King Roy and continues today with Mourning in America. Not exactly the plot to a generic blockbuster but more about how ad-man Fred Davis, a GOP media consultant, grew his brand in grand part due to the Internet.

Read more…

John Lichman DC, Media Strategy, News Media Advertising, Fred Davis, Media, MSNBC, New Media, SocNets, Viral Video, YouTube

More changes at the top program on MSNBC as longtime producer Rich Stockwell replaces Izzy Povich as the “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” showrunner, effective immediately. Here is TVNewser’s take.

WHC Insider News Media Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Izzy Povich, Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, Rich Stockwell

Izzy Povich, Keith Olbermann’s longtime MSNBC producing partner, is moving over to helm the new Lawrence O’Donnell Show.  Povich, who spurned network offers to stay with Mr. Olbermann in 2006, will lead MSNBC’s battle to take back audience from Fox and CNN at 10pm.

Greta Van Susteren has dominated the 10pm audience since she arrived at Fox 8 1/2 years.  She recently signed a new contract with the cabler.

Here’s Izzy Povich at the 2007 White House Correspondents Brunch with MSNBC VP Bill Wolff and WHCInsider’s Tammy Haddad.

John Lichman Media Strategy, News Media Greta Van Susteren, Izzy Povich, Keith Olbermann, Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC

CNN may be celebrating its 30th anniversary, but that’s about all they have to be happy about these days.

According to the latest Nielsen Media Research, MSNBC beat CNN in primetime in the first half of 2010 among both total viewers and in the key adult demographic. MSNBC also beat CNN in primetime for second quarter of 2010. Year to date, MSNBC is on track to beat CNN for the second year in a row among Adults 25-54 and for the first time ever among total viewers.

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” is pacing to beat CNN for the year for the first time since 2000 in its time period. Meanwhile, CNN’s “Larry King Live” and “Campbell Brown” had their worst quarters ever among both Adults 25-54 and total viewers. This was CNN’s worst performance in primetime in nine years, since 2Q 2001.

CNN isn’t the only one losing viewers these days. Turns out all three major broadcast network evening news programs were down in 2Q 2010 compared to the same period last year.

WHC Insider News Media 2010, 2Q, ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, Nielsen, Primetime, ratings

Don’t know what to watch at 10 p.m. for the next two years? Well breathe easy, because Greta Van Susteren’s going to get you through it.

When not keeping up with a Kardashian (left, at the White House Correspondents’ Brunch,) Van Susteren’s has lead Fox News’ coveted 10 p.m. slot since 2002 with On The Record. The New York Times reports the host is keeping her spot for “several more years,” which quashes rumors of a Glenn Beck bump up.

Though Van Susteren may soon find a rival in Lawrence O’Donnell, who will host an as-yet-untitled 10 p.m. show for MSNBC and complete the Keith Olbermann Show Factory moving along. We can’t wait for D.C. to take sides in the Team Susteren/Team O’Donnell wars, if only because things are so boring now that Leno and Conan stopped fighting.

John Lichman Correspondents, DC, News Media, WHCD 2010 Guests Fox News, Greta Van Susteren, Lawrence O'Donnell, MSNBC

Guest mixologist Rachel Maddow serves David and Susan Axelrod

WHCInsider has the exclusive news: Party powerhouse MSNBC, coming off an already legendary 2009 Radio and TV Dinner after party, is taking on the Bloomberg | Vanity Fair juggernaut in 2010 for the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, May 1.

The White House Correspondents weekend is a time for the networks and their print counterparts to entertain their clients, show celebrity muscle, and bring Washington elites together. There is no more competitive time slot that weekend than the Saturday after party sweepstakes, dominated for years by Bloomberg.

Jason Binn’s Capitol File magazine began their own after party in 2008 to much success. With a breathtaking cover featuring new D.C. residents—Obama’s Valerie Jarrett and Desiree Rogers—Binn gathered top politicos in 2009, after hitting the dance floor in 2008.

MSNBC, which has enjoyed much ratings success and made itself a primary player in the Washington political media culture, will give everyone a run for their money this year.

MSNBC’s party will be created by top event producer, Philip Dufour, mastermind of the Radio and Television after party. If you are one of the lucky few to receive an invitation, we’ll see you at the Mellon auditorium.

MSNBC President Phil Griffin and MSNBC Star Ed Schultz

gtruong WHCD 2010 Guests, Washington Events Bloomberg, Capitol File, Desiree Rogers, Jason Binn, MSNBC, Phillip Dufour, Valerie Jarrett, Vanity Fair, White House Correspondents Dinner

A new Pew survey confirms what everybody already knows: Fox is a conservative channel. But CBS’s Charles Cooper discovered that a viewer’s opinion about channel bias depends on which side of the ideological couch the viewer sits on:

• 57% of liberals think Fox is conservative, but only 29% of them think MSNBC is liberal.
• 44% of conservatives think Fox is on their side, but 48% think MSNBC plays for the other team.

And proof that some people need to turn off their TV: 14% said Fox was “mostly liberal.”

Click here for the rest of “Coop’s Corner.”

gtruong News Media CBS, Charles Cooper, Fox News, MSNBC