The Billiken's Bluff

I watched MSNBC at 6:30am EST this morning. During commericial break they advertised for tonight's 9:00pm edition of Scarborough Country. Surprising no one, the topic will be Hurricaine Katrina.

9:00PM Tonight - Survivors of Hurricane Katrina tell their emotional stories.

Isn't it premature to be speaking of survivors at 6:30 AM EST (5:30 AM Central) when the hurricane is still hovering over coastal Louisiana/Mississippi? What survivors? I mean think about how much more emotional Scarborough Country can get by 9:00pm. Think how much more specific and captivating this Scarborough Country advertisement can be by say 3:00pm this afternoon.

9:00 PM Tonight - Hurricane Katrina has already claimed the lives of 8 people, with dozens injured and thousands left homeless. Survivor, Mary Beaumont, tells her heartbreaking story.

Talk about Must See MSNBC. I realize that you simply have to start advertising a ratings grabber like an emotional Scarborough Country devoted to hurricane survivor stories a full 12 hours before the episode is scheduled to air.

I will give MSNBC the benefit of the doubt. They have been there before (or is that CNN?). So based on experience garnered from years of covering hurricanes, and both natural and unnatural disasters, I am sure they are able to predict a certain percentage of emotion and project a certain number of survivors that will be available for interview on Scarborough Country by 9:00pm EST.

If nothing else there should be ten of thousands of survivors ready to be interviewed at the Louisiana Superdome - that is if there is still a roof on the stadium by day's end.




I think I sound too bitter maybe I have a case of the Mondays.