CEA Takes Away CNET's Role In Picking CES Best In Show; Awards Dish Hopper 'Best In Show'

from the ouch dept

Thu, Jan 31st 2013 1:55pm — Mike Masnick

The saga of CBS's braindead decision to interfere with CNET editorial and order reporters to take Dish's Hopper DVR out of the running for "best in show" (after they'd already given it the award) continues to have fallout. Beyond having one of its top reporters resign in protest, while having morale falling and, of course, handing Dish a perfect marketing opportunity, now it has pissed off the Consumer Electronics Association as well.

You see, CNET's "Best in Show" award wasn't just for CNET itself, but for the official CES show. Part of CNET's deal with CEA was that its picks for "Best of CES" were the official awards for CES. Until now. CEA boss Gary Shapiro first slammed CBS in an editorial, and then CEA followed that up by officially ending CNET's position as the official picker of the "Best in Show" for CES. In trying to save face, someone from CBS told The Verge (in the link above) that it "had already determined it would not attempt to partner with CES for the awards again." Yeah, sure.

Oh yeah. CES also has now officially named the Dish Hopper with Sling as "Best of Show" saying it's now the "co-winner" with the Razer Edge gaming tablet that CNET chose after CBS suits stepped in and decimated their editorial independence.

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Filed Under: awards, best in show, ces, cnet, independence, journalism
Companies: cbs, cea, cnet, dish

28 Comments

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silverscarcat (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 1:06pm

As is said often on the Simpsons...
Haw haw!
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 6:21pm
  
  Re: As is said often on the Simpsons...
  I bet almost every person that read your post did so in the voice of Nelson Muntz.
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Glen, 31 Jan 2013 @ 1:57pm

Stick a fork in CNET.
They are done.
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- harbingerofdoom (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:02pm
  
  Re: Stick a fork in CNET.
  pretty much... they have been sliding downhill for some times now and this was pretty much the packet that broke the ethernet strand in my mind.
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- Haywood (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:32pm
  
  Re: Stick a fork in CNET. (slightly off topic)
  Very much so, I even reported them to Badware for including a pup installer in a piece of freeware hosted on their site, no opt out, just a silent install that took the better part of an afternoon to cleanup.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:03pm

Good for CEA. Can't wait for the next Dish ad. Wonder if they have plans to run one during the Superbowl and if they are scurrying to get this tidbit into the production. THAT would be awesome if they do and can make it. Wouldn't it?
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:05pm
  
  Re:
  Especially since the Superbowl is airing on CBS. :)
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Former CNet reader, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:03pm

Wow! They actually did it.

Leave it to CBS to destroy an 11 year relationship in the blink of stupidity not to mention any credibility that C|Net had left.
And the cherry - Dish gets their Best of Show!

Leslie Moonves probably is having an aneurysm right about now.
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:22pm
  
  HUBS
  Poor Leslie M is afflicted with (HUBS) "Head-Up-Butt-Syndrome".
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  - Oliver Wendell Jones, 1 Feb 2013 @ 6:36am
    
    Re: HUBS
    It takes a tremendous amount of flexibility to insert one's foot into one's mouth while simultaneously keeping one's head up one's ass... I think that's from Confucious...
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Some Guy, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:06pm

Way to play the "I quit *before* they fired me" card!
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Lowestofthekeys (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:07pm

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3r5sue/
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- S. T. Stone, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:22pm
  
  Re:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:26pm

Official winner: Dish Hopper with Sling/ Razer Edge Gaming Tablet

Official losers: CNET and CBS

Remember there is no such thing as bad publicity...
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streetlight (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:34pm

CNET now has no creds at all
Will anyone ever again respect any CNET review? Seems like they should fold up shop and go away.
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- Skeptical Cynic (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:53pm
  
  Re: CNET now has no creds at all
  CNET reviews have for over 10 years been a sponsored joke among us that know better. Sure they get it close to right every now and then, but most times they are just nodding in the direction of their biggest advertiser.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Jan 2013 @ 2:35pm

Best in Show
Excuse me if this off the subject a little bit, but just take a guess at how much I can bench press. Come on, what do you think? Take a guess. 315 pounds, at the top of my game, maxing out at 500!
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- Alana (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 11:39pm
  
  Re: Best in Show
  bro do you even lift
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- That Anonymous Coward (profile), 1 Feb 2013 @ 12:23am
  
  Re: Best in Show
  Mr. Moonves, really that has nothing to do with the topic of the asinine move your company committed.
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That Crazy Freetard (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:21pm

"had already determined it would not attempt to partner with CES for the awards again."
Once, just once, could one of these giants show one shred of humility instead of resorting to this petulance? CBS just made themselves look like they're run by a bunch of middle schoolers.
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- Marge Bouvier, 1 Feb 2013 @ 4:41am
  
  Re: middle schoolers
  "CBS ... looks like they're run by a bunch of middle schoolers"
  On behalf of my two middle school kids, I reject the comparison! They are way more fair-minded and mature than this.
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  - Anonymous Monkey (profile), 1 Feb 2013 @ 8:46am
    
    Re: Re: middle schoolers
    I'd say CBS is as smart as a box of rocks ... but then I'd be insulting the rocks....
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shane (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:21pm

Why All Our Junks Sucks
As an American, if you are not overpaying for crappy service, you are of no use to our corporate/state.
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dave blevins (profile), 31 Jan 2013 @ 3:31pm

CNET and CBS
Bye, bye CNET.
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Hephaestus (profile), 1 Feb 2013 @ 9:42am

I wonder if they breed big content executives to be prone to shooting themselves in the feet, or is it a part of the job criteria?
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Gregg, 1 Feb 2013 @ 11:25am

Yep
No surprise here
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btr1701 (profile), 1 Feb 2013 @ 1:53pm

> it's now the "co-winner" with the Razer
> Edge gaming tablet that CNET chose after
> CBS suits stepped in and decimated their
> editorial independence.

CBS did a lot more than decimate CNET's editorial independence. A decimation would be a reduction of 10%, leaving 90% intact. Seems like CBS did a lot more harm than that.
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Gear Guy, 25 Sep 2013 @ 10:28am

I like Cnet, they give pretty neutral reviews. It is typical of CBS though.
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