In Depth

Novak Blazed the Trail for Cable's Outspoken Pundits

By Elizabeth Jensen

When Robert D. Novak died Aug. 18 at the age of 78 from a malignant brain tumor, his rueful prediction came true: The journalistic uproar he unleashed late in his career by disclosing the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson dominated his obituaries.

The 2003 controversy — which brought down I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff — overshadowed other aspects of Novak’s career, including his pioneering role in cable television.

The syndicated newspaper columnist appeared on CNN — with his longtime writing partner, Rowland Evans — from the cable network’s first week in 1980. Perfecting in subsequent years the role of in-your-face TV punditry, Novak helped spawn a genre that was well suited to cable networks with unlimited air time trying to grab viewers’ attentions.

He became a co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire” in 1985, and founded CNN’s “The Capital Gang” in 1988 after a falling out with John McLaughlin, host of the similar broadcast TV shout-fest, “The McLaughlin Group.” (His feuds were legendary: Fellow TV pundit Mort Kondracke once called Novak “the troll under the bridge of American journalism.”)

Born in Joliet, Ill., in 1931, Novak began his professional journalism career at the Associated Press, eventually landing in Washington, D.C. He jumped to the Wall Street Journal then joined forces in 1963 with New York Herald Tribune correspondent Evans, who was as cool and collected as Novak was contentious. Their widely distributed column, “Inside Report,” broke news. When CNN launched, “Evans and Novak” (later, “Evans, Novak, Hunt and Shields”) became a fixture.

Evans retired in 1993, and died in 2001.

Novak, conservative and contrarian, proudly wore his nickname “The Prince of Darkness,” which he appropriated for the title of his 2007 memoir. But his outrageousness got the better of him: In 2005, under pressure from his Plame disclosure, he got in a verbal fight on CNN’s “Inside Politics” with Democratic strategist James Carville, uttered an expletive and stormed off the set. He never appeared on CNN again, and later became a Fox News Channel contributor.

In August 2008, Novak disclosed the brain tumor. He is survived by Geraldine, his wife; a son; and a daughter.

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Sorry for the huge review, but I'm really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it's the right choice for you.

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Posted November 25, 2010 4:13 AM

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Sorry for the huge review, but I'm really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it's the right choice for you.

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Posted November 25, 2010 4:19 AM

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Between me and my husband we've owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I've settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.

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Posted November 25, 2010 4:30 AM

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The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it'll do even better in those areas, but for now it's a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod's strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.

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Posted November 25, 2010 4:34 AM

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If you're still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you'll know which is right for you.

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Posted November 25, 2010 4:35 AM

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This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like 'Mixview' that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you're listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of "neighbors" will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune "Social" is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.

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Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass' favor.

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I'll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)

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