GoreTV: An Eyewitness Account

Wonkette's cable operative writes with an account of today's press conference by Al Gore:

1. New cable network honcho Al Gore spent the day at the cable industry's national conference, being held this week in New Orleans. He and business partner Hyatt briefly walked the Show floor, made their announcement at a press conference and then set up shop for the afternoon in a nearby interview room. Some Show staffers seemed a trifle star-struck, while other cable industry veterans scoffed, proclaiming that Gore was merely another programmer now.

1. Given Gore's regulatory background with cable (He helped pass the 1992 Telecommunications Act, which clamped down on cable, but he was also a big proponent of broadband, which has been a winner for the industry), it seemed unclear whether Gore's entry into cable would be bad or good for the business.

   At least one veteran trade journalist expressed public skepticism over whether the existing Worldnews -- currently profitable, with 17 million subscribers on satellite and cable and news content produced by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation -- will remain so once Gore and Hyatt start turning the network into their new vision of a cross between MTV and CNN.

Yes, with Al's luck, it'll have the programming savvy of CNN and the political incisiveness of MTV. . .