Now Poehler, after a "pursuit" that NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman describes the way others might the bagging of a white rhino, has agreed to star in her own Thursday night sitcom, to be written by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, producers of "The Office."

Silverman yesterday offered up little in the way of details about the so-far-untitled Poehler sitcom, which probably won't air until March, the pregnant Poehler already being pledged to the "SNL" anchor desk for the duration of the presidential campaign season or until her baby is born, whichever comes sooner. (Poehler, who co-starred with Fey in the movie, "Baby Mama," also co-created a Saturday morning cartoon show on Nickelodeon called "The Mighty B!" for which she voices the main character, and though Silverman seemed surprised to learn of it, he said nothing in her sitcom deal would affect her "previous commitments.")

He did say that Poehler's show would not be "The Office" spin-off he announced with much fanfare - and even fewer details - last spring. He insisted there would still at some point be a spin-off of that show (on which he's an executive producer, courtesy of his previous job as the head of the production company Reveille).

"This show is not set up to emanate directly from 'The Office,' the way 'The Jeffersons' did" from "All in the Family," said Silverman, who clearly prefers references from his '70s childhood to mentions of, say, "Joey."

Switching hats

So naturally a contingent of NBC News people here was asked about Fox News Channel anchor Chris Wallace's remark here last week that there's a "double standard" when it comes to MSNBC, which can have Keith Olbermann "delivering 10-minute screeds against President Bush, telling him to shut the hell up, telling Hillary Clinton to get out of the campaign" on some nights and on other nights having him anchor coverage of the debates or primaries.

It's a tricky issue, particularly in a room full of journalists who increasingly are being asked to be both critics and reporters, crossing a fine line that may not always be clear to their readers.

NBC News president Steve Capus defended using Olbermann and Chris Matthews, whose "Hardball" also features plenty of opinion, as news anchors. "This is not a new strategy," he said. "The audience understands what we're doing and they're coming to us in record numbers."

Ratings, of course, measure the people who've chosen to watch, and it's reasonable to think that cable-news viewers who agree with Olbermann and Matthews the rest of the week might not be noticing - or caring - that their presence on the straight-news sends a mixed message, any more than a Fox News viewer who agrees with Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity is likely to question their occasional filling in for anchors on primary nights (something Olbermann said he's noticed them doing).

But if no one really cares - and, hey, maybe they don't anymore - then why, I asked Olbermann afterward, does NBC News anchor Brian Williams still try so hard to keep his opinions to himself?

"Brian, as I've said before, meaning it in a totally complimentary way, often looks as if his buttons are going to burst out, he's trying so hard, and yet he is attacked" from all sides, Olbermann said. Nevertheless, "there is . . . a higher bar at the broadcast network, and I think that's a reality."

Not easy being green

So while it was fun riding the solar-powered Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier during the Fox party, it probably didn't offset the carbon costs involved in moving several hundred people there. And all of the tote bags this year seem to be made of either recycled or organic materials, but there are still a lot of tote bags.

But no one's yet beaten USA in the Stupid Green Tricks division. To promote "The Starter Wife," the series the network's spun off from last summer's successful miniseries with Debra Messing, the network gave reporters little boxes stamped Gucci.

Tucked inside: a drawstring bag containing a Gucci keychain, attached to a flash drive. Flash drives, which have largely replaced binders filled with press material, may save trees, but since this one merely played a "Starter Wife" clip - one we'd just been shown - I'm guessing the planet's in no better shape as a result.

Fortunately, flash drives can be wiped and reused. *

Ellen Gray is attending the Television Critics Association's summer meetings. Read more at go.philly.com/ellengray or send e-mail to graye@phillynews.com.