Negotiations between Conan O’Brien and NBC recently hit a snag over Tonight Show staff compensation, as the $40 million or so NBC is reportedly paying Conan not to do The Tonight Show apparently has the network a bit reluctant to shell out anything more. However, even if and when the two sides work that issue out, another complication, referenced by O’Brien on last night’s show, looms – intellectual property.

Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, had on the former anchor of NBC Nightly News Tom Brokaw, as his guest last night. While the two were discussing the highs and lows of the previous decade, Colbert shared his opinion on the both the current state of civility in public discourse, and what those who disagree with him can do with his “man-sack”.

NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw was involved in a three car accident on Friday. Though Brokaw and his wife Meredith were not injured, the driver of the second car was killed after being thrown from her vehicle. The Brokaws released a statement, available inside, in which they explain the circumstances of the crash and pass on their condolences.

Tonight NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams marked his five-year anniversary in the anchor chair after taking over from Tom Brokaw in 2004. Since then he’s covered Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, the Tsunami, and a hugely historic presidential election — all through probably the most tumultuous time in media since Chet Huntley and David Brinkley wished each other goodnight.

After Harry Potter’s worldwide record-breaking weekend, we got to talking about certain parallels between the magical land of Hogwarts and the equally magical land of headlines, bylines, cutlines, chyrons, blog pickup and declining ad pages. Turns out, the two have a lot in common!

On that note, for your edification and enjoyment, we present our own version – let’s call it “Harry Potter and the Media Muggles.”

A look at the Power Grid this week reveals a few fixtures that never waver. But just behind them in the rest of the top ten all it takes is a big scoop or scandal to send ripples through the rest of the rankings. Here are the big shake-ups from the past week and a look at what caused them:

Long before The Daily Show, long before The Colbert Report, Saturday Night Live was making fun of the news in a way that no one had ever seen before.
In honor of the premiere of Season 35, we’ve pulled together 35 of SNL‘s choicest news anchor spoofs and Weekend Updates, from Baba Wawa to Fred Armisen‘s Joy Behar to the infamous Couric/Palin interview.

Earlier today, we wondered if Keith Olbermann knew that footage of his show was being used in an ad by Change Congress, a political group, and brought up the issues that would be raised if he did. An MSNBC spokesperson tells Mediaite no permission had been given for the ad, and says that the network has demanded that Change Congress stop running it.

Beginning at 9amET this morning, and concluding at Noon, MSNBC looked like NBC from eight years ago.

As they have for the past four years, MSNBC replayed the heart-wrenching, raw broadcast of the extended Today show from September 11, 2001. Despite the emotions it surely will elicit, it’s a piece of history well worth watching.

Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw spoke at the memorial service for Walter Cronkite this morning, praising Cronkite and how he shared the news with the country. He also had words of praise for Cronkite’s longtime chief of staff, Marlene Adler, “who could teach Rahm Emanuel about being chief of staff” — a remark [...]

Remember when an anchor stepping down was a huge deal? Tom Brokaw. Dan Rather. Peter Jennings. These names were huge pillars of the news ecosystem, and their departures were big stories — as well as the fraught issue of who had the gravitas to step into their anchorly shoes.

Oh, how things have changed. Today, the news that Charlie Gibson is leaving ABC’s World News after only a few years in the top spot is definitely news, but is shaking no foundations. It’s also not at all surprising who is replacing him: Diane Sawyer. Well, except that she’s a woman.

For anyone whose political identity was formed during the poison years bracketed by Walter Cronkite‘s tenure as CBS evening anchor, the avuncular newsman was like the kindly, reassuring narrator of a political horror story.

If, as CBS News president Sean McManus mourns, that Cronkite’s status “will never be duplicated again,” it’s not only due to the modern fragmentation of the news audience — it’s also because, ideally, the country will never again go through such an extended trainwreck.

Once known as β€œthe most trusted man in America,” Walter Cronkite has died at the age of 92. He became a cultural icon and legend of journalism having anchored the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981. Many of noted that his death has signaled an end to a previous era and drawn a litany of praise from those currently following in his footsteps.