Too Much TV: About Last Night

As it turns out, I am not the only viewer unhappy with what they sometimes see on cable TV news.

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, June 25th 2025:

ABOUT LAST NIGHT
I write five 2,000-word newsletters a week and they cover a wide range of topics - from an in-depth look at South Korean rom-coms to insider reporting on the business of streaming. I don't generally have a clear idea of what I am going to write about on any particular day. My newsletter is a reflection of the day's events and the topics I happen to find most compelling at the time. What that often means is that I'm never quite sure what will resonate the strongest with my readers, who are often just along for the ride.

But last night's newsletter was one of those that quickly found an audience beyond my normal readership. I currently have about 120,000 free subscribers and looking at the latest internal stats, last night's newsletter has been viewed by more than 300,000 people. It was highlighted a number of places, including Brian Stelter's Reliable Sources newsletter. I added about 700 free subscribers this morning, along with some paid subscribers. I had several reporters reaching out for interviews. And I heard from a number of people who currently or had previously worked at one of the three major cable TV news outlets. In other words, last night's primary topic - The tendency of cable news channels to rely on established, insider voices - apparently hit a nerve with a lot of people.

Given all of that, I wanted to address some questions I received from readers and talk a bit more of what I would like to see more of on cable television news (in no particular order):

* A few people asked me a version of the question "Okay, smart guy. Who do YOU think is doing a good job on cable television?" I don't watch all three networks 24/7, so I am sure I missed plenty of great examples. But two recent segments stuck out to me. I've mentioned before that I really like what MSNBC's Chris Hayes is doing and last night's show was a perfect example of why. The first 10 minutes of his A-block were a near perfect mix of breaking news, snark, context and a point of view that is opinionated yet still reality based.

Earlier this evening, I caught a segment on The Beat With Ari Melber which was also quite good. He spent some time discussing all of the ways in which the Democratic Party establishment had attempted to stop Zohran Mamdani, then brought on New York City Public Advocate Jumanne Williams to talk about the campaign. Williams was passionate and focused and was able to articulate a vision for the Democratic Party you seldom hear on cable news. He talked about a moment in the 2016 Presidential debate in which Donald Trump accused Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party of being beholden to corporate and big money interests. Williams noted Trump was right and that Democrats have never refuted that framing. He also repeated one of my current favorite catchphrases: "Today's fight is not yesterday's fight." On one level, I understand why Williams isn't used more frequently on cable TV news - he has Tourette's syndrome and that means he may twitch unexpectedly at times. But he is a great messenger for the party and offers a fresh vision of America.

On the other hand, tonight's edition of the MSNBC panel show The Weeknight handled the same story by highlighting a tweet by Tim Miller - who is on television more than any Progressive Insurance commercial - and then brought in Basil Smikle, who besides being an MSNBC political analyst is the former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party. I am not going to waste space talking about the conversation. But it painfully illustrates the dangers of relying on political insiders to parse the importance on any one event.

* I am going to do an interview tomorrow for an overseas radio network and the show's producer sent me some questions. Including the loaded one "What would you do if you were hired to run CNN or MSNBC?" As it turns out, I wrote a bit about the very subject last fall, when I suggested that CNN should lean into populism (although MSNBC could certainly move in that direction as well).

* I heard from several booking people, who noted that one of the challenges of booking unfamiliar voices - especially on the fly - is that booking guests is tough and until you've seen someone on the air, you're not quite sure how they will do under pressure. Which is why a lot of the same voices tend to pop up on a regular basis.

That's a fair point and given how many interviews I do over the course of a year, I understand the challenges of finding a coherent guest who has something interesting to say. Especially when reacting to breaking news. But it is certainly possible to take at least a baby step towards widening the diversity of opinion. Even if means only adding one new voice a month into the regular guest rotation.

* Several people reacted by attacking me, most often along the lines of "Why don't you try running a cable news network and then get back to me!" or "What do you know about cable news?" And that is a somewhat fair point. I've never worked in cable news. But I have been a hard news reporter for decades, along with spending a couple of years as a financial reporter. I was the managing editor for the web site of an NBC Q&Q, which won a Regional Murrow for breaking news while I was there. And I have written about the media - including cable news - for a couple of decades. In fact, my first big national news exclusive was writing about the exit of Phil Donahue back in 2003. So I do have a bit of expertise in this subject.

And now we're all caught up. But if you have anything to add to the conversation, email me confidentially at rick@allyourscreens.com

ODDS AND SODS
* The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a mediator has proposed that President Trump and Paramount Global settle his lawsuit over a CBS News 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris for $20 million:

The proposal would include a $17 million donation to Trump’s presidential foundation or museum, the people said. It would also include millions more in legal fees and public service announcements on Paramount-owned networks to fight antisemitism, the people said.

Trump’s team has said it wants an apology—something Paramount isn’t prepared to do, according to people familiar with the situation. It couldn’t be learned whether Trump’s team is still seeking an apology.

And in related news, Puck's Dylan Byers is reporting that Larry Ellison has had multiple private meetings with Trump, including in the Oval Office. Who would have leaked that news? My suspicion is someone on the Trump side, looking to embarrass and put pressure on Ellison.

* The three-episode true crime docuseries Amy Bradley Is Missing premieres Wednesday, July 16th. Here is a first look at video from the special. And here is the official logline: "On March 23, 1998, 23-year-old Amy Bradley disappears without a trace from the cruise ship she and her family were vacationing on. Despite thorough searches of the ship, Amy is nowhere to be found and the cruise has already docked in their next port, Curaçao, opening the door for 2400 passengers to explore the island and allowing Amy to potentially disappear into the crowd. Hours later, Amy is still nowhere to be found and fear sets in that Amy may have fallen overboard before port. But a body is never discovered. The search for Amy expands as the FBI and local authorities launch an investigation where everyone becomes a potential suspect. As the years pass by, possible sightings of Amy pop up in various locations from multiple people. Is it really her? Was this a tragic accident or a crime? - anything is possible. But for Amy’s family - only one thing matters: bringing their daughter home alive."

* Season ten of Love & Marriage: Huntsville will premiere Saturday, July 19the on OWN.

* DC Eater suggests that observers might be able to predict events such as the bombing of Iran by tracking the orders from pizza places surrounding the Pentagon.

* The safest thing to do is just post this without comment: actor Kevin Spacey has said he forgives “those who rushed to judgment” before the results of his legal cases, but won’t work with those people in future.

* The film Train Dreams will premiere in select theaters in November and Friday, November 21st on Netflix. Here is the official logline: "Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century."

* Stop The Presses has a helpful list of 8 things for journalists to keep in mind as they cover Trump’s military moves.

* Season three of Perfect Match will premiere Friday, August 1st on Netflix. Here is the official logline: "Perfect Match brings together the most famously single stars of Netflix’s unscripted series to a tropical paradise in an attempt to find love. For the first time in the series history, singles from the Netflix Reality Universe will be joined by icons from Bachelor Nation, Love Island, and other fan-favorite shows. As they compete to form relationships, the most compatible couples will play matchmaker, breaking up other couples and sending them on dates with brand-new singles they’ll invite to the house. Will they create better matches, or will they create chaos? In this over-the-top journey of strategy and dating hosted by Nick Lachey, only one couple will be crowned the Perfect Match."

TWEET OF THE DAY

WHAT'S NEW TONIGHT AND TOMORROW

THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH:
* Butchers Of L.A. (Sundance)
* CMA Fest (ABC)
* Nelly And Ashanti: We Belong Together Series Premiere (Peacock)
* Police 24/7 Season Two Finale (The CW)
* Secrets Of The Bunny Ranch Season One Finale (A&E)
* The Good Ship Murder (BritBox)
* The Wrong Marriage (LMN)
* Welcome To Wrexham Season Four Finale (Hulu)

FRIDAY, JUNE 27TH:
* American Masters: Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny (PBS)
* Marry My Husband Series Premiere (Prime Video)
* My Boyfriend's Wife Is Dead (LMN)
* My Mom Jayne (HBO)
* Please Don't Feed The Children (Tubi)
* Pokémon Horizons: The Search For Laqua (Netflix)
* Smoke Series Premiere (Apple TV+)
* Squid Game Season Three Premiere (Netflix)

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY!