Ex-NPR chief lands at NBC

Vivian Schiller, who was forced out in January as president and CEO of NPR, will become chief digital officer for NBC News and MSNBC. From the press release:

...Schiller will lead the digital strategy for both NBC News and MSNBC to ensure future growth and innovation. Her responsibilities include strategic oversight of the network’s digital extensions on the web and in mobile, interaction with the Joint Venture that oversees the msnbc.com digital network, as well as providing direction to the network’s new emerging properties such as EducationNation.com and theGrio.com.

Schiller came to NPR from the New York Times, where she headed digital efforts there. Her departure from NPR came amid growing political pressures sparked by a series of management missteps, including the clumsy firing of commentator Juan Williams for insensitive remarks he made about Muslims. The NBC News job is considered by some to be a big step up for Schiller - perhaps proving the point that it's best to get fired in the public square.

Spare news

Local television news has been in decline for some time, but recently announced cutbacks at ABC and CBS news divisions shows an industry in decline. And, as with newspapers, industry leaders are telling themselves the same lies about how less is more. From the Wall Street Journal:

ABC has been experimenting with smaller newsgathering teams in far-flung locations. On late-night show "Nightline," staff sometimes shoot and edit their own material, a practice [ABC News president David] Westin cited in announcing his cuts.

"Maintaining the quality, or enhancing the quality, but for much less money—I think that is a very viable business model," Mr. Westin said.

NBC News also makes use of several "backpack" reporters. But NBC has no immediate plans to change its mix of traditional- and digital-reporting techniques, Mr. Capus said: "You have to pick your spots."

Awkward!

John McCain and Sarah Palin sat down together for an interview with Brian Williams today that will be serialized over the next couple days.

Having watched the interaction of the two, NBC News political analyst Chuck Todd said the two seemed, well, uncomfortable with each other. That doesn't surprise me. Here's what I said about the Palin pick on Aug. 30:

...all of this works only if Palin has McCain's respect. The choice has echoes of the trophy wife/young assistant storyline. Older man picks younger companion to show he is still in the game, still "with it" culturally and socially. But that's also a choice meant to leave the older man in control. It's a relationship in which he wants to give as little of himself as possible and still get what he wants in return. Republicans should worry the two will end up at odds. Will he resent her for trying to lay claim to her rightful place on the ticket? She is clearly ambitious. How will McCain respond when she tells him how to shape policy or steer the campaign? Will he accept her counsel gladly? Or bristle at being told what to do? This tension has a male-female dynamic and an insider-outsider dynamic as well.

McCain is a maverick and he wants to go it alone. He has a few close advisers he will listen to. The question now is whether he has the fortitude necessary to forge a believable-looking partnership with someone young, relatively inexperienced and highly ambitious. Because he clearly despises Obama for exhibiting these same qualities.