CBS partners with Amazon

Instapundit is pointing to the story at Ratherbiased.com. CBS is confirming that they have created a partnership with Amazon.

In an interview, CBSNews.com sales director David Ghiraldini verified the existence of the relationship but declined to discuss the partnership or its ethical ramifications for a news organization profiting from the sale of controversial political books, especially since CBS News isn't known for being particularly friendly with conservative authors.

Somehow I think that ethics never entered into their thought process when they set this up. The other day, I was listening to WBBM news radio in the car, a Chicago CBS radio affiliate. I must say I was taken aback when they announced they would be airing excerpts from Bill Clinton's book all week long. Apparently I am not the only one who has issues with this turn of events.

Besides its controversial vending of the books of authors featured on its news programming and its unprecedented decision to devote an entire 60 Minutes episode to Dan Rather's dialogues with former president Bill Clinton, CBS has also come under fire for forcing all of its radio affiliates to carry a live townhall meeting featuring Clinton tomorrow.

"It's going to be like one big commercial for the book! Why didn't Mr. Clinton's publisher just buy an hour," a CBS Radio News affiliate exec told Matt Drudge last week. "This is not news, this is marketing. I already feel dirty!"

Well, it's nice to know that some of the people running these news operations actually have qualms about these things. I would like to know what their opinion is of airing excerpts from the book during their broadcast day. Even if the spots are paid for - it looks and feels like CBS News promoting Clinton's book.

I think they should change the titles of their various *cough*news*cough* entities to reflect the change in their direction. How about... CBS Radio Opinion, 60 Minutes : An Opinion Magazine, and last but not least CBS Evening Opinion with Dan Rather.