MSNBC Reorders Prime-Time Lineup

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:49 AM EDT

Article Source: The New York Times

business, television, msnbc, rachel-maddow

Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the longtime host Dan Abrams — its onetime general manager — from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable network.

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Aine MacDermot's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Left of Center, Open Mic
Regions: New York

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7.8

{"commentId":2512400,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

Excellent choice! I'm glad to see she's finally getting the air-time she deserves. :)

{"commentId":2512400,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"aine"}

4 votes

#1 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:51 AM EDT

{"commentId":2512784,"authorDomain":"Conrad37"}

Conrad from San Antonio

Brilliant commentator, broad and deep knowledge of politics, surprising insights---MSNBC hits a home run.

{"commentId":2512784,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"Conrad37"}

4 votes

#2 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":2517444,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

Almost makes me wish I turned on my TV sometimes...or had cable. heh Almost.

{"commentId":2517444,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"miasma"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":2521949,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

Aine:

Let me tell you why I think this was a smart move irrespective of ideology and politics and it's something that's driven me nuts about MSNBC since its inception.

They kept trying to ape Fox News in content (right-leaning commentary) without looking at what Fox did structurally to build their audience, which was make their own stars. Bill O'Reilly was a tabloid nobody until Fox gave him a chance and let him build his own audeience. MSNBC kept just trying retreads or knockoffs without understanding the brilliance of Fox's strategy--develop their own voices and voices.

Seems like MSNBC finally got a clue.

{"commentId":2521949,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

3 votes

#3 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":2522160,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

Not entirely true, Jack... Geraldo Rivera was an incoming celebrity, for example, and Brit Hume had worked for ABC for 23 years before joining Fox News. Those are two exceptions I can think of, there may be more.

What Fox News did, and what I think MSNBC is trying to do now is, in baseball terms, like bringing up someone from a minor league A team. Several commentators at Fox News were hosts of very successful/popular talk radio shows. MSNBC finally seems to -get- that strategy although Maddow is simply the first such example that shows they Get It.

Maddow's show on Air America Radio was very popular among liberal talk radio listeners. She's not the only minor leaguer out there, though, and I'm hopeful they'll start to look at some of the others and give them some opportunities, as well. I'd love to, for example, see Amy Goodman (notoriously excellent investigative journalist) get a shot at it.

What also made this story good, imho, is that it shows they are willing to hire women with some intellectual ability. You don't know how tired I am of blabbermouths who yammer on and on about... nothing... it's just tiring to listen to and not worthy of my time and attention. Plus, it reinforces a negative stereotype about women that I'd prefer went away.

{"commentId":2522160,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#3.1 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:28 PM EDT

{"commentId":2522374,"authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

jfxgillis

Aine:

And Geraldo has pretty much bombed on Fox. Hume, on the other hand, is an intriguing story that that I think fits my rubric.

Hume was an objective, ostensibly "neutral" reporter (despite having done things like pen articles for the exceedingly right-wing American Spectator). What Fox gave him was a platform to give voice to his point-of-view rather simply be the news reader he was at ABC.

However, I think you got this spot on:

What Fox News did, and what I think MSNBC is trying to do now is, in baseball terms, like bringing up someone from a minor league A team

Instead of trying to get by on some journeyman veteran players who might keep you from embarrasing yourself but won't take you the championship, you bring up the promising rookies and see if they can make it in "The Show".

And you keep doing that until a couple of the young stars hit. If you have an eye for talent, you can contend for years with a fresh, vital and compelling team instead of limping along maybe not losing but not in the top tier, either.

I agree about Rachel as a tv personality and smart articulate woman. Amy Goodman always shines when she does C-Span Washington Journal but she's way to athentically subversive to get a shot an an MSM placement.

{"commentId":2522374,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"jfxgillis"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:55 PM EDT

{"commentId":2522589,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

True, Geraldo has pretty much bombed wherever he was. I actually used to like listening to/watching him up until that whole "Al Capone's safe" episode... hours and hours of build up, and then the damned thing was empty. Bleh. At that point, he became a laughingstock (to me).

{"commentId":2522589,"threadId":"335395","contentId":"1765094","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#3.3 - Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:18 PM EDT

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The Verdict at MSNBC: Maddow Gets Own Show	The Washington Post	Wed Aug 20	1
Maddow Gets Her Own MSNBC Show	The Washington Post	Tue Aug 19	15
Rachel Maddow gets her own show!	Daily Kos	Tue Aug 19	3

AINE MACDERMOT

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MSNBC Reorders Prime-Time Lineup

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