Quick, name a show on MSNBC. Easy, right? Now name a show on MSNBC that isn't either Hardball or Countdown.Not so easy, is it? That's because, besides Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, most people ignore the channel; it has consistently come in third among the cable news channels, behind Fox and CNN. And it's more than likely the reason why network president Rick Kaplan has stepped down from his job after two-and-a-half years. Because of Matthews and Olbermann, ratings for the channel have gone up, but some of Kaplan's programming decisions have been a bit questionable, such as the shows he created for Tucker Carlson and Rita Cosby.
Rumors are going around that one of Kaplan's last executive decisions was to force Carlson to get rid of his signature bow tie. Huh. With winners like those, no wonder why he had to step down.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-08-2006 @ 7:45PM
jordan said...
Welcome to yesterday, TVSquad.
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6-08-2006 @ 9:30PM
Jake said...
Is this the guy who put Rita Cosby on TV?? If so he should be put in jail. Everytime I hear her voice my ears bleed. Softball is a good show, and K.O. is great on countdown.
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6-09-2006 @ 1:21AM
Brent said...
Keith is great? I guess I am not whacked enough to believe that. He is out of touch. He interviews nobodies that believe his crackpot beliefs. He is just a disaster getting worse and worse obsessed about his competition instead of news. Why don't they just show all pedophile shows, all the time? It gets better ratings then Keith.
Every show is a disaster on MSNBC (except Imus). Maybe they should be the CNN of the 80s and report news all the time to distinguish itself. Remember MSNBC had that talking head voiced by Leo Laporte. Why don't they just use that talking animated figure to read AP news all the time at night? It is better than shitty repeats.
Though, MSNBC does distinguish itself as the pile of shit of cable news. Microsoft is smart to leave this disaster.
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6-09-2006 @ 3:31AM
Preston said...
I do watch MSNBC--have been for 2 years since summer 2004, even watched it in a hotel room while on vacation in Las Vegas that year. They do have some good shows. And I do know MSNBC shows like Hardball, Countdown, Scarborough Country, Rita Cosby, The Abrams Report, Imus in the Morning and the morning show with Randy Meier on it. I started watching MSNBC because some of the Fox shows were losing their edge. I think that Rick Kaplan didn't do enough to get the network out of 3rd place. And telling Tucker Carlson to take off his trademark bow tie? What, he thought that it looked too goofy on TV? Sometimes, the no-tie look doesn't work on everyone. I'll predict that Tucker will put back those bowties on now without Kaplan behind his back. And tell me this, how come Connected--Coast to Coast was canceled? I watched that show a lot at 12 noon last year, even ditched the local news just to watch it! It fit well for the Internet age, a very interactive show. In most cases MSNBC is better watched if Fox News or CNN have slow, sluggish news weeks. The thing is, Kaplan should have left some of the shows alone and let the hosts of the shows do what they want.
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6-09-2006 @ 11:22AM
Bob said...
MSNBC got one thing right - Countdown (which is beating Paula)- one of the very places that can brings news and cut out the BS - while CNN, FOX, and other PR programs that run in the guise of "news." Though even Countown has do fluffy items in the last 20 minutes of the program.
Their daytime news is fine. They just need something strong to follow Keith and have an identity which isn't helped with the clunky super corporate name MSNBC.
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6-09-2006 @ 11:52AM
Jake said...
Hey Brent - Go watch Fox news if it feels right for you. Olberman tells it like it is and cuts the B.S. The only criticism I would have of him are the stupid stories the producers make him cover, which he complains about candidly on ESPN radio with Dan Patrick.
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