Howard Kurtz writes up the controversy over reporting that Comcast is partnering with RightNetwork:

The Huffington Post had reported that “a new conservative-leaning network is set to launch this summer, featuring a partnership with Comcast and promotion from one of Hollywood's most outspoken Republicans.”

Comcast, which is buying NBC, teaming up with the RightNetwork?

The report spread across the blogs, but then came this update:

“Comcast tells Politico that Crooks & Liars' headline -- 'Comcast partners with teabaggers to bring new right-wing broadcast network online' -- is misleading. Comcast tells me that it has received RightNetwork's pitch but has not made an official decision to partner up with them. 'We are not a partner, we don't have an investment with them and we don't have any plans to distribute the network at this time.' ”

Kinda embarrassing.

“Kinda embarrassing” to who? Based on Kurtz's account, you'd probably assume it is embarrassing to Crooks & Liars and Huffington Post, right? After all, in Kurtz's telling, they misreported the story.

But the Crooks & Liars post was based on RightNetwork promotional material that touted its partnership with Comcast, as Kurtz would know if he read the post. Here's a quote from the promotional material C&L used:

On television, through partners including Comcast, RightNetwork delivers programming on demand that enables our audience to watch what they want, when they want. Everything Right, at the click of a remote. the lineup focuses on entertainment with pro-America, pro-business, pro-military sensibilities - compelling content that inspires action, invites a response, and influences the national conversation.

So if anyone is embarrassed, it should be RightNetwork. Oh, and Howard Kurtz, for misreporting the controversy.

UPDATE: The Huffington Post article was also based on RightNetwork materials. Here's what HuffPo reported: “RightNetwork promotional materials say that the channel will be broadcast 'through partners including Comcast.'” Does Howard Kurtz actually read the news reports he writes about? Either way, he owes HuffPo and C&L an apology.