Les Moonves, the chief executive of CBS Corporation, cheered on Donald Trump during an investor presentation Monday.
Speaking about the expected flood of campaign advertising dollars, which he described as “phenomenal,” Moonves said that he is glad to have so many Republicans competing for the nomination.
“The more they spend, the better it is for us and: Go Donald! Keep getting out there!” Moonves said. “And, you know, this is fun, watching this, let them spend money on us, and we love having them in there. We’re looking forward to a very exciting political year in ’16.”
The call took place right around the same time Trump announced his intention to bar Muslims immigrants from entering the United States, suggesting the CBS chief didn’t know about that yet.
Still, Moonves’ remarks came after months of similar rhetoric from Trump, including claims that the Mexican government is sending rapists into the U.S. and statements supporting a registration system for Muslim Americans.
As we’ve previously reported, major broadcasting companies have celebrated the triumph of big money in American elections, largely because that money is mostly spent on television, internet and radio advertising. Experts say the 2016 presidential election alone could cost as much as $5 billion.
Trump in particular has formed a symbiotic relationship with the media. Although he hasn’t paid for many ads yet, the real estate mogul’s bombastic comments and hateful rhetoric have provided record-shattering ratings for news networks, which have in turn provided non-stop coverage for his campaign.
Moonves made his comments during a presentation in New York sponsored by the investment bank UBS. Listen to his remarks below:
Executives from the Tribune Company, Media General, CBS, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett, and other broadcasters have similarly informed investors that they expect a wave of political advertising next year.
Moonves, who memorably said in 2012 that “Super PACs may be bad for America, but they’re very good for CBS,” has been even more bullish. On a call with investors in February, he said, “Looking ahead, the 2016 presidential election is right around the corner and, thank God, the rancor has already begun.”
Notably, though media companies have cast themselves as neutral observers of the election process, they have quietly lobbied to keep the floodgates of big money open. The National Association of Broadcasters, a lobby group for the media industry, has worked to block bipartisan campaign finance reform proposals.
Earlier this week, television broadcasting companies began a public relations campaign, according to the Associated Press, that encourages candidates to spend even more money on television advertising.
Top photo: Les Moonves
Center for American Progress
Fear, Inc.
The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America
By Wajahat Ali, Eli Clifton, Matthew Duss, Lee Fang [:-) Scott Keyes, Faiz Shakir | Friday, August 26, 2011
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/religion/report/2011/08/26/10165/fear-inc/
These wars were started by the elder Bush H.W in 91, he just wanted to fill the pockets of his cronies in the war and oil industry. They couldn’t envision a world without wars, once the Soviets collapsed in 89. He tricked Sadam to invade Kuwait in 91 then bombed the Iraqis and angered the regional jihadists. The mess of hornets from that war is unfolding accordingly. With the 93 and 9/11 attacks in the US. Invasions, drones and 15 yr wars all over the world are the norm.
The candidates are ethically corrupt and so is the media. Their effect on the American people breeds are lack of trust in either. The almighty dollar rules, not what is right for America. How will we ever find a leader that can turn this ugly machine around?
I’ll tell you how, Paul. We take our votes away from the two ruling parties. This election, we need to vote third party. It doesn’t matter which third party as long as we don’t vote one of the two main parties.
This is voting as protest. This is not voting *for* someone, it’s voting *against* the status quo. This is telling the Republicans and Democrats, You have given us 16 (at least) disastrous years; we no longer have faith in either of you to lead, so we are going to put our votes elsewhere.
Taking our votes away from the R&D will not immediately get us the leadership we want, but it will send the message that the American people are on to them and we’re not going to prop them up with our votes any more.
Trumps Base right there. Pure Profiteering. Money first, who cares about ethics, integrity, responsibilities, all those nagging details… Instead ; arrogance, ignorance, and greed.
Ewwwww Another good reason to avoid network tv
This is just the sort of thing the The Broadcast Laws of 1934 wanted to guard against when the FCC was established.
After years of Republican-led weakening of sensible FCC restrictions and intimidation of the top people there, the FCC is not worth much in terms of promoting truth in broadcasting or an unbiased media. I wish somebody in Europe or somewhere would start a Radio Free America for us. The GOPpropaganda
…machine is slowly pushing out every other viewpoint. Isn’t it their goal to get rid of this agency by “starving the beast” and claiming we can’t afford it? Oh, yes, we need smaller government; it gets in the way of profit.
If the FBI can set up innocent people as patsy’s in stings conducted with impunity, then i say it is fair game for Greenpeace to set up the guilty in stings of their own.
Wow… seems like the only game in town.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/12/11/abc-cbs-nbc-news-intentional-decision-ignore-bernie-sanders.html
Report: ABC World News Tonight Has Devoted 81 Minutes To Trump, One Minute To Sanders
Blog ››› December 11, 2015 9:40 AM EST ››› ERIC BOEHLERT
Any way you look at it, 81:1 is a ratio that means there’s something very wrong with the campaign coverage. ~ Eric Boehlert
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/12/11/abc-world-news-tonight-has-devoted-less-than-on/207428
trump & never the less are cut out of the same cloth. i never hear those clowns speak about doing the right thing for the american people, especially those folks on the lower end.
Fascism is not “fun”.
To hear the CBS CEO Moonves say, “this [Trump coverage] is fun” reveals both Moonves’ dangerous ignorance, absolute arrogance & most importantly, CBS’ abuse of the public’s right to responsible news broadcasting.
Once fascism infiltrates & contaminates Freedom of the Press, with the help of Moonves & his ilk, our democracy is surely on its way to total demise.
Bad Trump, bad, bad everywhere. Why not let the electorate decide who they want rather than the Media constantly trashing him. Media must destroy Trump –he’s becoming a viable threat to our Media darling, Hillary the next POTUS, even though she’s no leader & unfit for any high level security clearance.
Oh well- it’s the same process used to get the current failure.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2015/dec/11/the-exciting-adventures-of-president-trumps-hair-leader-of-the-free-world-and-the-moon
Just wait till he’s elected. You’ll have to address him as “Mein Hair” or “Hair Trump.”
Funny! Lmao, can hardly type!
This isn’t news at all. Especially considering the audience you have here at the intercept.
I have been following you guys from the beginning. And Salon is a vapid pit since Greenwald left. I have so much admiration for what is going on here.
At the same time, I find it so depressing that even the most progressive media has no place for Senator Bernie Sanders, and furthermore is a pulpit for Trump.
Trump’s following is 100% correlated to the media’s resounding obsession to him. Nothing else. It is terrifying that this holds true for a source as independent as The Intercept.
We all know that the “Mainstream Media” bogey monster is in the ratings game. Can we please get some much needed in depth coverage of the New York Times/WAPO/CNN/et al. blatant smear campaign on Sanders? Even if you guys don’t think he’s progressive enough, this is still a very important moment in the awaking of the democratic/independent constituency.
This is coming from a huge supporter of the work you guys do here, but really it is insanely frustrating. There is no defense for Sanders, not in the mainstream, and not in the progressive arena either. He is not perfect, but this moment is certainly never going to come again.
I can almost guarantee wether an R or D gets elected, first order of business will be passing some sneaky internet legislation (buried in the depths of some other sh*tty legislation passed in the midst of a “terror attack”) that makes it impossible for an organic, populist online movement to happen again.
Please continue to speak for those who aren’t spoken for. And thanks for all you do.
— Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.–
Great article Lee. I am hardly surprised to read about this endorsement. If one were to read FAIR’s(Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)publication Extra, they have uncovered all kinds of statements of the cozy relationship between corporations and the mainstream media. Noam Chomsky has been writing about this subject for years and has provided lots of examples of the corporate bias of mainstream media. This is all the reason sites like this are needed to provide some context in analyzing the information provided by the mainstream media.
Many of the comments at TI remind me of something the spiritual teacher Gurdjieff used to say. He said he liked to refer to human beings as “the lying animal” because whenever he tried to teach people anything they said they already knew it.
Hey, that’s okay, since the Media takes unsubstantiated accusations as Gospel Truth, we just start “rumors” about Sung Myung Moonves oh, ’round abouts January 21nd 2017 and President Trump will boot ‘im outta heah…It’s the American Way…durpee durpee dur…
Why is the so-called liberal media so offended by Trump’s refugee statements? All across the board, “Trump is a racist,” Trump is this, Trump is that. And then came the articles saying that even some Republicans are separating themselves from him. Isn’t this what the neocons want: more votes for Clinton (the neocons call this their degree corralling maneuver). Trump is Obama’s and Hillary’s greatest cheerleader. They, as neocon puppets, create the war, they, as neocon puppets, are the cause of the refugees, but the neocon controlled bluedog media pushes the anger at Trump and the true liberal media follows (is “true” past or still present). Orwellian? See you don’t have to be a teabagger to be neoconned. Has anyone read about “Divided we fall”. So much for a college degree. Neocon are saying: “Teabaggers, Bluedoggers, liberals what’s the diff?” I see the neocons as being more than one step ahead of us, don’t you?
We need to show that we’ve been walking with people of all faiths. ~ Barack Obama (February 18, 2015)
Parasites.
Same story now as when the TV had vacuum tubes. We were warned.
http://www.rtdna.org/content/edward_r_murrow_s_1958_wires_lights_in_a_box_speech
Two-edged sword here. We can see what mostly male WASP voters and elites think and how this has formed the basis for supporting the War on Terror, torture, surveillance, indifference to increasing poverrty, etc. but it also makes Jeb and Hillary look less like they support the very same kind of policies. Not sure it makes Ted Cruz look less crazy through. He just doesn’t seem to get the same kind of press for his brand of cuckoo.
Additionally, what I think I see is Trump is suggesting there’s actually an easy way out of the War on Terror. There likely isn’t, but the others want more of what people know has already failed. Trump is saying, “Screw all that: Just kick ’em out and be done with it.” One can kind of see why that has appeal while recognizing it doesn’t really reflect any kind of reality.
Finally, seems like we are in denial about how out of our control our government and private partners have become {torture, assassination, war crimes, slave labor in prisons, deferred prosecution of corporations, militarization/fusion centering of police, domestic drones, fake vaccinations that lead to getting aid workers killed, secret donations to politicians under NATSEC disclosure exception, war crimes like blowing up hospitals, trade deals that prevent organized labor, corporate welfare, Wall Street/politicians raiding gov worker pensions…the list is endless}. We already have a “Hitler”: It’s just a system and not an individual.
Thanks Chris, for being an American who has realised.
On the inside it must be pretty crazy and very difficult for a lot of people to face up to, but from the outside it looks insane, dangerous, and the worst part is that it seems to be only just getting started. It is like watching a carnival of horrors that you know will morph into a tsunami of greed-driven hateful violence that will flood over the world, a Deluge of Filth.
It is disgusting to witness.
I sit and read and research historical and mythological topics for most of my time and I fear the USA is heading towards becoming something history will remember as the most shameful and repugnant nation on Earth.
I feel that many people will end up dead stopping them.
BUT!
One of my favourite things I do once a year is a Dead Nazi-Fest. And it is very satisfying because they are ALL DEAD and very much hated by all sane people. Every dismal cloud has a silver lining!
I have some Americans arriving tomorrow, will be interesting to hear their choice of conversation topics as we speed across a glittering sea.
There are 2 kinds of fascism. The Hitler kind where the government runs the corporations and our kind where the corporations run the government. In either case, there is extreme militarization (if not for nukes we would have had a real war long ago); the corporations make out like bandits. Doubt this, read some of Mussolini’s speeches where he refers to corporations. Lots of great “the people” rhetoric as their unions are destroyed and they get propaganda and distraction. Bread and circuses have been around a very long time and they still work. The suckers were building pyramids for the kings and the workers are still building castles and biz jets for the elites and the priest class is still here as are the banksters, just with better disguises. We are made up of sociopathic parasites and their officer class and the suckers otherwise known as workers and soldiers.
Ding ding. Great comment.
I used to think that farce and fraud, Dan Rather, non-newsy professional teleprompter reader was pathetic, but do you realize who the grandfather of Scott Pelley was???
CBS, always true to form . . .
No I don’t know who his granddad was, but why does it matter? Unless like Prescott Bush who was GW’s Grandfather, he was also involved in a plot to overthrow the US Government.
What I happen to see is the Trumpster wining the “game” of entertainment. Like his popular show he sells, it doesn’t matter what it is, like junk politics now, he sells ads on TV. He’s winning because he’s not spending anyone else’s money, his advertising is his bluster and so he gets “free” publicity. It’s capitalism with a big C. Everybody wins..unless you count the deluded American people…as usual.
well Ol’ Hippy, i wish it were only the deluded American people that this did impact.
… however, out here – in the Empire colonies – we’re mighty disappointed with the decisions of the deluded American public
… and the shit-storm their delusion is going to unleash on the rest of the world.
if you could conjure up a way to keep it all nicely contained in the good ol’ USA, that will suit the rest of us just fine.
I live here and am very worried about the “shit-storm” of delusion. What is one person to do in the storm? Where is the shelter from these a##holes? Turning off TV and Internet provides some relief. aaaaaaaaahh.
See AD WEEK. Election years are always huge money makers. This is what news is. Always follow the money. They will focus on money always. Our MSM loves Donald. Lets face it we lost a long time ago. Corporations rule the planet.
CBS and the rest of the corporate media giving Trump and his opponents 24/7 coverage for free leads to the millions of dollars from his foes being spent on the endless commercials we see in every battleground market. This is a disservice to the process of democratically selecting the best candidates for office and results in the corporate puppeteers dictating who dances and how they dance to their tune.
And that’s why it’s called cBS.
What a sc*mb*g.
‘Speculative hearsay’: Federal judge rejects 2nd Texas request to block Syrian refugees [Published time: 10 Dec, 2015 05:00]
[Excerpts]
“The Court finds that the evidence before it is largely speculative hearsay,” US District Judge David Godbey wrote in the two-page ruling. “The commission has failed to show by competent evidence that any terrorists actually have infiltrated the refugee program, much less that these particular refugees are terrorists’ intent on causing harm.”
(…)
According to the Dallas Morning News, Attorney General Paxton cited evidence that consisted of statements made by US Rep. Mike McCaul, the House Homeland Security Committee and “security concern” by the Texas Department of Public Safety Deputy Director of Homeland Security.
Nonetheless, Judge Godbey stressed that “the Court does not downplay the risks that terrorism, as a general matter, may pose.”
The request had been filed a day before a family of eight Syrian refugees was set to arrive in Houston. According to the Justice Department, the refugees scheduled toarrive in Texas “consist of displaced Syrian families – children, their parents, and in one case their grandparents – and a single woman who seeks to be reunited with her mother.”
(cont.)
https://www.rt.com/usa/325299-court-texas-syrian-refugees/
Federal Judge Denies Texas TRO Request Re: Syrian Refugees | US District Judge David Godbey [Dec 9, 2015]
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS DALLAS DIVISION
TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN § SERVICES COMMISSION, §§ Plaintiff, §§ v. § Civil Action No. 3:15-CV-3851-N § UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
et al. ,§§ Defendants. §
ORDER
Note 3
The fact that this Court is required to assess the risk posed by a group of Syrian refugees illustrates one of the problems with this case. The Court has no institutional competency in assessing the risk posed by refugees. That is precisely the sort of question that is, as a general matter, committed to the discretion of the executive branch of the federal government, not to a district court.
http://ru.scribd.com/mobile/doc/292823351/Federal-Judge-Denies-Texas-TRO-Request-Re-Syrian-Refugees
Donald Trump is – at best – an entertainer (‘carnival barker’). As such he is much like any other a product. Naturally CBS’ CEO, and its shareholders; no doubt, are literally laughing all the way to the proverbial bank. The entertainer (their product) IS PAYING THEM to perform live and via nauseating, repeat, rehashed sound bites. His potential to incite riots and unrest is neither here nor there to the network TV swine. They could care less. It’s all about their media ratings, their bonus packages ($$$), and their stock values.
Not really news, Lee.
Of course the head of a business that lives on attracting eyeballs and selling them to advertisers is enthusiastic about a situation that promises to help achieve those goals in a big way.
If Lady Gaga were leading the pack in one party or another, holding campaign rallies attired in meat dresses, Moonves would be yelling, “Go, Gaga!”
TI can come up with better filler than this.
Politics is show business, so it’s only natural for the media to cheer for Trump. But he may not be unalloyed good news for them. His effective use of social media makes him less dependant than duller candidates, such as Jeb Bush, on using paid advertisements to spread his message. He’s what the media wished for, but they – like many others – may be disappointed by reality.
Is this the new ‘business model’ FBI Director Comey recommends?
https://theintercept.com/2015/12/09/comey-calls-on-tech-companies-offering-end-to-end-encryption-to-reconsider-their-business-model/
This is disappointing, Intercept. This light read is alarmingly clickbait-y. Please don’t let this be a sign of what’s to come from you.
Exactly.
I avoid most of corporate television, but the other day
I saw an advertisement for the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show”
which will be aired on CBS.
If Mr. Moonves could combine all of the political campaigns and
Victoria’s Secret’s “fashions,”
that might be considered as objective journalism.
Since titillating, distracting, and controversial programs are
of primary importance to pimps like Mr. Moonves and
the other corporate programmers, perhaps
they could also insist that the fake news anchors appear
dressed only in Victoria’s Secret’s most provocative lingerie.
It might make them more credible.
The mental image I now have of folks like Trump and/or other candidates and media mouthpieces dressed in thongs and bejeweled push-up bras is an image too far. It’s like the ultimate train wreck – don’t want to looks but find yourself horribly compelled to peek between your fingers.
The only potentially redeeming quality might be the amusement factor inherent in the rampant display of moobs and dimpled man-thighs. ;-}
Ho, hum. What else should one expect? Arms sellers cheering for war, news outlets cheering for sensationalist politicians. This is not really news. I suppose it is useful somehow, in case someone from the mainstream or who is just returning from an extended vacation on Mars happens to drop in on the site, but otherwise, really. A waste of bits.
Better that you report on how the big polluters are shutting out the third world countries from the COP21, or doing a piece contrasting the treatment of the two state cops in LA who killed a white boy with that of white cops in (pick your location) who killed a black/latino/other non-WASP young person, or on how TPP is being not dealt with by Congress, or the latest developments in TTIP, about which we are hearing nothing (which is bad). Need any more story ideas? I’m sure other followers of TI will be happy to provide!
“Go Donald! Keep getting out there!” Moonves said. “And, you know, this is fun, watching this..”
Oh yeah, it’s fucking awesome.
Beating of Muslim Store Owner in Astoria Investigated As Hate Crime
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/muslim-beating-in-astoria-probed-as-hate-crime.html
From a severed pig’s head to a bullet-riddled Koran, attacks on Muslims are rising
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-muslim-attacks-20151208-story.html
US Muslims experience rise in Islamophobia
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/12/9/us-muslims-experience-surge-in-islamophobic-attacks.html
What do you expect from the MSM, other than appealing to the lowest instincts of the population. H.L. Mencken comes to mind. Also, the difference between the MSM TV news and the MSM newspapers is that you can’t even use the TV news to wrap garbage in.
H.L. Mencken was a critic of the Babbittry of his day, but, yes, he saw it. P.T. Barnum may be the huckster you have in mind.
Actually, I was thinking of “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public”, but your Q&A is just dandy, and I’ll add it to my repertoire.
“Trump in particular has formed a symbiotic relationship with the media.” ?
Please. I expect much better from the likes of you, Lee Fang.