The vice presidential debate Wednesday night drew 57.9 million viewers, up 56% from 37.2 million viewers in 2016, according to Nielsen.

Nielsen said that 18 networks aired live or tape delayed coverage from about 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET and that overall, the debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence generated a 33.7 household rating, up 41% from 2016.

Four years ago, when Pence debated Tim Kaine, it drew a 23.5 rating.

Related: Viewership Insights for the First Presidential Debate

The first presidential debate on Sept. 29 drew 73.1 million people, according to Nielsen.

For the VP debate, Fox News had the most total viewers with 11.5 million people tuning in.

ABC had 9.4 million viewers, CNN had 7.3 million, MSNBC had 6.7 million, NBC had 6.6 million, CBS had 5.2 million and Fox had 4.1 million.

Vice President Mike Pence, in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baer, said unequivocally that Chinese Telecom Huawei is a national security threat, but also that it could be part of trade talks with China.

When pressed by Baer on The President's suggestion that Huawei might be a "chess piece" in ongoing talks with China about trade and tariffs, and might be on the table as a way to get China back to the table, despite the Chinese telecom's threat to U.S. national security, Pence was firm, but still suggested there was some "play" in that firm.

Related: Sen. Hawley Targets Tech Exports to China

The Commerce Department last month announced it had put Huawei on a suspect company list that leaves its future in the U.S. very much in doubt and the President at the same time issued an executive order blocking deals for suspect tech, like that of Huawei's.

The President also sent a letter to Congress saying that he was declaring a national emergency "to deal with the threat posed by the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries." Huawei would seem to fit that bill.

Pence said Monday (June 10) that "the position of the United States of America is that Huawei, which the Communist party of China and their government have complete access to, all of the data they collect, represents a fundamental compromise of our national security and of the national security of our allies and we will continue to stand firm in that regard."

But then he said he thought what the President was communicating was "all of these issues were open to discussion." He then said what the President had made clear to China's president and the G20 is that "things have to change, including the theft of intellectual property and a return to adherence to historic rules governing international trade "for generations."

But trying to reconcile the President being open to discussion on Huawei and Huawei being declared a national security threat and technology to be avoided and even expunged, Baer asked whether the Vice President saw the disconnect. "Isn't it one or the other."

"Pence essentially repeated that it was a fundamental threat but that the President "wanted to get people to the table" so he would be willing to talk about "everything."

The Trump Administration has levied 

Comedy Central’s late night series The President Show debuted Thursday with more than 600,000 viewers, the network reported Friday.

The series, in which creator Anthony Atamanuik stars as President Donald Trump hosting his own late night show, averaged 639,000 viewers in its 11:30 time slot, up 121% versus the prior four-week time period average, according to network officials.

The weekly series, which also features Peter Grosz as Trump sidekick Vice President Mike Pence, is produced by Clone Wolf Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Comedy Central will launch a new late night series later this month based on President Donald Trump, the network said Monday.

The series, The President Show, debuts April 27 at 11:30 pm and stars series creator Anthony Atamanuik, who portrays President Trump as he hosts his own late night series, said network officials. According to Comedy Central, the series features the President as he bypasses the “crooked media” by hosting a late-night show directly from the Oval Office. The series also stars actor Peter Grosz, who plays Trump’s sidekick Vice President Mike Pence.

The President Show is executive produced by Atamanuik, Peter Grosz, Adam Pally (Making History, The Mindy Project), and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Olivia Gerke, Josh Lieberman, and Greg Walter.

According to sources, Washington, D.C.-based NCTA: The Internet & Television Association is looking at April 27 for the event it signaled could be in the offing after the trade group pulled the plug on INTX, its annual trade show, which was to have been held in April in the capital.

April 27 would be the day after the Cable Hall of Fame ceremony in Washington, which features top cable executives from NBCUniversal, Discovery Communications, Cox Communications, HBO, Liberty Global and Scripps Networks Interactive, and those in town to honor them, so it would make sense to capitalize on that concentration of industry executive muscle. The event will be by invitation only, sources said, and NCTA targeted “very high level” guests, which sadly might rule The Wire out.

NCTA had signaled the event would not be a downsized version of INTX, so no convention center or display floor. An NCTA spokesperson had no comment at press time.

The source said NCTA appears to be looking at a mix of speakers and tech demonstrations — as well as a lunch — at a half-day, afternoon conference to be held at the event space at Union Market, which bills itself as a “unique warehouse event venue” with 22-foot tall ceilings and exposed concrete floors. Holding it in the afternoon could be an accommodation to Cable Hall afterparty revelers. This year, the Hall isn’t competing against other INTX-related events, so the afterparty, possibly including cast members from inductee The Sopranos, could be more popular than usual.

A cable-industry source who confirmed the date said it appeared to be targeted primarily at D.C. policymakers. That would certainly make sense for a trade group run by a technology and policy uber-wonk, Michael Powell, whose resume includes commissioner and chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Given the Washington location, and the current industry interest in what the Trump administration and new FCC chair will do about net neutrality, broadband subsidies, privacy, business data services and more, a policy-centric conference would be a good fit.

Assuming the venue is correct — and we have it from multiple well-informed sources — then the conference will be held “directly above the artisanal marketplace, which houses over 30 of the top food producers in the region.”
Count us in, and pass the focaccia.

Google Assistant Wasn’t Much Help At YouTube TV’s Launch Event
Google-owned YouTube put on a technologically glitzy presentation for the media introducing its new YouTube TV streaming service that will at launch offer 40 channels of live cable networks for $35 a month. The March 1 event, held in Los Angeles but simulcast to offices in San Francisco and New York, gave a detailed look at what You- Tube director of product management Christian Oestlien dubbed “a chance to reimagine television for the YouTube generation.”

After successfully showing gathered reporters the various technological features of YouTube TV — including simple search options, ease of recording to the service’s unlimited DVR and the ability to cast YouTube TV to a large screen through Chromecast-enabled devices — executives had less success with a Google Home-driven, voice-based innovation that is expected to debut a few months after the actual YouTube TV launch.

In theory, the Google Home integration will allow consumers to control every aspect of YouTube TV through voice commands, from recording favorite shows to changing channels, Oestlien said. But several attempts to use the feature during the press conference failed, ending with the computerized Google Assistant voice cryptically saying that “something went wrong” or “there was a glitch.”

Attendees politely giggled at the flub, but The Wire suspects YouTube will make sure that feature is purring at launch.
— R. Thomas Umstead

Split in the Ticket? Trump, Pence Differ On Anonymous Sources
The Trump administration has a bifurcated view of journalists and unnamed sources.

President Donald Trump, addressing a conservative conference in Washington, said journalists should not be allowed to use sources unless they name them.

But interestingly, that came while White House officials were planning to brief reporters on the president’s budget on the condition that they be identified as unnamed sources.

Then there is the source-protecting history of Vice President Mike Pence.

As a member of Congress, and as a former radio talk show host, Pence was a strong supporter of a federal shield law to protect reporters against government attempts to make them name unnamed sources.

It may have been an exercise in wishful thinking, but shield law backer Sen. Dick Durbin (DIll.) talked up the Pence connection in a speech to broadcasters in town to lobby the Hill and the Federal Communications Commission.

“Maybe Vice President Pence can persuade President Trump to work with us to finally pass a federal shield law that protects reporters’ sources in all 50 states,” he said.

As we said, wishful thinking.
— John Eggerton

The Trump transition team is raising money to pay for salaries and "experts" to provide policy advice and briefings.

President-elect Donald Trump will be the first President with no previous government experience on any level and has been meeting at Trump Tower in New York with a host of folks, from Bill Gates to Kanye West, seeking their input.

"In total, we have 4,100 appointed positions we must fill and only 33 days until inauguration to get it done." said Vice President-elect Mike Pence  and transition team leader in an e-mail solicitation sent out Saturday (Dec. 17).

To ensure that they have "the best and brightest from every corner" of the America he says they will "put first" and "make great again," he says: "Please make a contribution of $100, $65, $50, $35, $25 or $10 to help fund our TRUMP (sic) Transition Team."

Among the folks they will have to find are at least two seats on the FCC and a new chairman, though he may come from the ranks of current Republican  commissioners.

Despite the soul-searching and disbelief that has informed the liberal reaction to his stunning election-day victory, President-elect Donald J. Trump has had no negative impact on the stock market, so far.

As for what he would do to the media business that had been the target of much of the Republican candidate’s disdain during his campaign, most observers believe it is too soon to call.

While gloomy predictions of plunging markets were made in the wake of Trump’s surprise victory, the Dow Jones Industrial Average actually rose 256 points on Nov. 9, while media stocks rose a slight 1% to 2%. The Dow closed Nov. 10 up more than 200 points.

While the investment community is showing early optimism, media-industry analysts and executives are taking a cautious approach to what could come in a Trump administration, with many writing off some of the former reality TV star’s criticism as playing to his audience.

AT&T-TW RIPPLES

Trump had repeatedly called out media bias as the reason for missteps during the campaign, so it was no surprise that he turned his bluster box up to 11 in October, shortly after AT&T announced its $108.7 billion deal to purchase Time Warner Inc. Trump, citing what he said was too heavy a concentration of power among too few media companies, vowed to block the mega-merger, adding if he had his druthers, Comcast’s 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal would be unwound for the same reasons.

While his ultimate stance on big media and mergers will depend on his picks to head key regulatory agencies like the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, Dish Network chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen said that position could change with time.

“You always have to take it seriously what someone who is running for president says,” Ergen said during Dish’s earnings call. “Any candidate would reserve the right to change their mind if they had different facts. The regulatory process is probably as unknown as it was before the election.”

Related:Ergen: Trump Could Have Light Regulatory Hand

Whether Trump would be able to have any effect on those mergers is unclear, but most observers believe he would be out of his jurisdiction in having any direct impact on the deals.

AT&T and Time Warner have characterized their merger as an opportunity to change consumer behavior, using Time Warner content and AT&T distribution vehicles like its upcoming DirecTV Now to offer skinnier bundles, mobile and social media-exclusive content and low-cost video products supported by advertising.

What the combination doesn’t do is remove a competitor from the landscape — one of the chief concerns of any Justice Department review. The deal may not even attract scrutiny from the FCC because it would involve the transfer of just a handful of broadcast and satellite licenses. Time Warner owns one broadcast license, for TV station WPCH, the Atlanta-based holdover from the days of Superstation WTBS, and dozens of satellite licenses.

While the Trump administration’s options to lower the regulatory hammer on the deal are limited legally, it could heap conditions on the transaction. Those conditions could make a deal unattractive for both parties.

BACKSEAT FOR TELECOM

At least for now, most analysts believe Trump has other pressing issues — his pledges to abolish Obamacare, build a wall on the Mexico border and deport illegal aliens, to name a few — and might not devote much attention to telecom policy in his first months in office.

“The logical thought process is that a Republican-controlled executive branch and Congress would likely lead to far more laissez-faire policies, which would be good for consolidation and good for an environment with less regulation,” Pivotal Research Group CEO and senior media & communications analyst Jeff Wlodarczak said.

As far as Trump’s comments about AT&T-Time Warner, Wlodarczak wrote them off to “political hyperbole,” and said the deal most likely will pass. As far as Comcast-NBCU, the analyst believes Trump’s hands are tied.

“The Comcast-NBCU comment was, again, arguably hyperbole as he was mad at coverage of his campaign,” he said. “I don’t think he can do anything about Comcast-NBCU.”

AT&T was taking an optimistic approach to the new administration, with senior executive vice president and chief financial officer John Stephens pointing out their similar approaches at the Wells Fargo Technology, Media and Telecom conference last Wednesday.

“From a company perspective, we really look forward to working with President-elect Trump and his transition team,” Stephens said at the conference. “His policies and his discussions about infrastructure investment, economic development and American innovation all fit right in with AT&T’s goals. We’ve been the leading investor in this country for more than five years running, and our Time Warner transaction is all about innovation and economic development, consumer choice, and investment in infrastructure with regard to providing a great 5G mobile broadband experience. So we look forward with optimism to working with the leadership and providing benefits to consumers and to our shareholders.”

Time Warner declined to comment.

Some analysts warned the new commander-in-chief could have a chilling effect on future deals.

“It’s unclear; it’s hard to know where he [Trump] is on Fox these days,” Telsey Advisory Group media analyst Tom Eagan said. “He probably doesn’t like CNN. To the degree it increases the discount on the [AT&T-TW] deal, it could lower the zeal for more consolidation.”

Time Warner stock was down last Wednesday — it closed at to $86.44 per share, down 1.6% or $1.43 each — but the bigger news on the shares has been the discount to the price AT&T agreed to pay. When it announced the deal Oct. 22, AT&T said it would pay $107.50 per share in cash and AT&T stock for every Time Warner share. At the Nov. 9 close, Time Warner is trading at a nearly 20% discount to AT&T’s offering price. Most of that discount has been because investors aren’t sure it will receive regulatory approval.

Wlodarczak wasn’t so sure Trump alone could discourage further consolidation. He said the market will do that.

The chatter over more vertically integrated deals in the wake of AT&T-Time Warner was largely generated by the press, Wlodarczak said. Like other analysts, he doesn’t believe pairing content and distribution makes much sense, and he sees AT&T’s move as more of a diversification play.

Instead, Wlodarczak believes the markets will focus on the potential positives of a Trump regime.

“The ramifications for Trump should be less regulation, Obamacare disappears, tax rates decline, all of which is good for the backdrop for the sector,” Wlodarczak said. “I think it is reasonable to assume that a lot of what the current FCC has pushed on the industry will be thrown out, including most importantly Title II-led regulation on cable, which is fundamentally positive.”

SNAPPING UP WIRELESS

He also believes conditions will be more favorable to consolidation, adding that wireless carrier T-Mobile could be an attractive target for Sprint or a teamed up Comcast and Charter.

Sprint stock rose 12% on Nov. 9, to $7.11 per share, a twoyear high, while T-Mobile rose 5% to $53.01 each.

Ergen pointed to the Republican control of the House and Senate, which should help Trump push through his agenda.

“You’re probably going to see bipartisan support for infrastructure, a more rational tax code, particularly as it relates to corporate taxes and particularly as it relates to maybe bringing overseas money back, which can then pay for infrastructure,” Ergen said.

Fox News was the most watched cable network for the Oct. 4 Vice Presidential Debate, although viewership was far lower than for last month's Presidential debate.

Fox News averaged 6.1 million total viewers to lead all cable networks providing live coverage of the Mike Pence-Tim Kaine debate, according to Nielsen. CNN was second with 4.1 million viewers and MSNBC was third with 3.1 million watchers.

SEE MORE: Veep Debate Audience Half That of Palin-Biden's.

CNN topped all cable news nets in key demos including adults 25-54 (1.6 million viewers) and adults 18-34 (561,000 viewers), according to Nielsen.

Overall, 35.6 million viewers watched the debate across eight broadcast and cable channels, according to Nielsen. Those numbers fell well short of the 84 million viewers that tuned into the Sept. 26 Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. 

Most Watched Shows On Cable For Oct. 4

Show                                                   Network                                 Total viewers

VP Debate                                          Fox News                                6.1 million

VP Debate Analysis                           Fox News                                5.2 million

MLB Wild Card (Balt/Tor)                   TBS                                         4.1 million

VP Debate                                          CNN                                        4.1 million

The Kelly File                                     Fox News                                3.2 million

VP Debate                                          MSNBC                                   3.1 million

The O’Reilly Factor                            Fox News                                3.0 million

Debate Night In America                   CNN                                        3.0 million

WWE SmackDown                           USA Network                           2.3 million

MSNBC Debate Analysis                  MSNBC                                   2.2 million

Source: Nielsen                     

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his party have taken his attack on the media to a whole new level.

Last week, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which comprises Trump’s presidential campaign committee and the Republican National Committee, sent an email alert to supporters proclaiming, “We’re not just fighting against [Democratic presidential nominee] Hillary Clinton … We are running against the very dishonest and totally biased media!” and attempting to collect data to back up that opinion.

The email said Trump was looking for his own poll to offer up in media interviews to support his loud and repeated claims of media bias — the New York real estate developer/television personality-turned-politician has pulled credentials from outlets whose stories anger him.

The survey targeted cable news outlets — CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel — with individual questions, but not network news operations or local news outlets.

“It’s time to hold the media accountable for trying to rig this election against us,” the email said over Trump’s signature, asking supporters to take a “Mainstream Media Accountability Survey.”

“All too often I’m asked about a ‘poll’ put out by a liberal organization that says the American people disagree with our common-sense reforms to fix our country,” the email said. “Well, with your help today, the next time I’m being interviewed, I will have my own poll that shows that the American people disagree with the dishonest media!”

Among the — in some cases leading — questions the Republicans want “yes” or “no” answers on include:

1. “Hillary Clinton still gets a free pass from the media as she continues to lie about sending classified information on her secret server.”

2. “The mainstream media needs to do more to expose the shady donations to the Clinton Foundation.”

3. “The RNC was right to drop CNBC as a partner after they failed to fairly moderate the October debate.”

4. “More time is spent covering fake ‘scandals’ involving Trump than real scandals involving Hillary and our national security.”

5. “The media purposely tries to divide Republicans against each other in order to help elect Democrats.”

The survey launch followed a barrage of antimedia Twitter posts from Trump after the embattled candidate took heat for comments about President Obama being co-founder of ISIS and about gun-rights activists maybe being able to do something to stop Clinton.

Conservative Indiana Governor Mike Pence, who is presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump's pick for vice president, is well known in communications circles as a big opponent of the FCC's fairness doctrine -- a sentiment he shares with the National Association of Broadcasters -- and a big proponent of a federal shield law, sharing that sentiment with network and local news outlets around the country.

Pence is familiar to broadcasters as the former syndicated radio talk show host who, while an Indiana congressman (2000-2012), teamed up with Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), currently the chair of the House Communications Subcommittee, to block what they saw as a potential return of the "fairness doctrine."

The doctrine, which the FCC scrapped as unconstitutional in 1987 and finally, officially took off the books in 2011, required broadcasters to air both sides of issues of public importance. Its demise helped spur the rise of conservative talk radio stars like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

But Pence is also familiar in media circles for his support for journalists, which would put him somewhat at odds with the top of the ticket.

Trump has made a habit of hammering journalists and news outlets for unfavorable stories. He has signaled he might like to see libel laws opened up so he could more easily sue media outlets, pulled The Washington Post's convention coverage credentials over a headline and story he didn't like, and has called journalists dishonest, sleazy and much more.

Unlike Trump, Pence has been effusive in his praise of journalists and the need to tell truth to the powerful.

“As a conservative who believes in limited government, I believe the only check on government power in real time is a free and independent press," he said in a 2009 speech celebrating World Freedom Day. "A free press ensures the flow of information to the public, and let me say, during a time when the role of government in our lives and in our enterprises seems to grow every day – both at home and abroad – ensuring the vitality of a free and independent press is more important than ever."

Pence also spearheaded a House bill, opposed by the Obama Administration, that would have established a federal shield law, the Free Flow of Information Act, which would have granted a qualified privilege to reporters to prevent them from being compelled to testify or to give up confidential sources to federal investigators.

The then-congressman also co-sponsored the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act to expand the State Department's examination of international press freedom in its annual human rights report.