Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Source: New York Times

By JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: November 6, 2007

Riding a ratings wave from “Countdown With Keith Olbermann,” a program that takes strong issue with the Bush administration, MSNBC is increasingly seeking to showcase its nighttime lineup as a welcome haven for viewers of a similar mind.

Lest there be any doubt that the cable channel believes there is ratings gold in shows that criticize the administration with the same vigor with which Fox News’s hosts often champion it, two NBC executives acknowledged yesterday that they were talking to Rosie O’Donnell about a prime-time show on MSNBC.

During the nine months she spent on “The View” before departing abruptly last spring, Ms. O’Donnell raised viewership notably. She did so while lamenting the unabated casualties of the Iraq war and advocating the right to gay marriage, among other positions.

Under one option, Ms. O’Donnell would take the 9 p.m. slot each weeknight on MSNBC, pitting her against “Larry King Live” on CNN and “Hannity & Colmes” on Fox News.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/business/media/06msnb.html?ref=business

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If they get rid of Tucker and replace him with Rachel Maddow. MSNBC would be perfect!

[Teaser]

1. Not Rosie...

oh god, there are so many better liberals to host a show...

[Brrrp]

20. Not everyone can do what Keith does and get away with it.

Keith is a gentleman. So he can deliver strongly worded rants against Bush without being written off. Rosie is a crude, rude screamer. So a rant against Bush will just be another one of her ubiquitous screamfests. Putting her on MSNBC as a house liberal will only make liberals look ridiculous.

[shireen]

2. Rosie is fun but ...

i prefer to see Rachel Maddow get her own show. She's a class act!

[RamboLiberal]

3. I'm with you on Rachel Maddow

Hey, can't hurt to drop a line to MSNBC.

[Maraya1969]

11. What about a Rosie and Rachel show? Two atheist lesbians - can't get

better than that!

[AlCzervik]

12. i agree, i really enjoy watching Rachael, she handles herself so well.

and she does her homework.

[kskiska]

4. They gave Phil Donahue the boot

but want to hire Rose???
:shrug:

[last_texas_dem]

10. That's what I was thinking

I remember how much they screwed around with the Donahue program; first trying to turn it into an "entertainment" program and then dropping it even though it was their highest-rated prime-time program. Of course, that was back in '02, when all of the cable channels had their lips glued to Shrub's ass. I guess they're just being forced to change with the political climate, whether the powers-that-be at the network really want to or not.

(If they keep moving left, though, I might have to stop calling them MSRNC. haha)

[napi21]

5. I thought they might be thinking of Rachel Maddow because she's

done so well as a guest on several of their shows, and quite a few times too! I think Rachel would be a GREAT show host!

If they really want Rosie, how about replacing Tucker with her????

[DemBones DemBones]

6. No, no, no, what are they thinking? Rosie pisses people off

and we don't need people being pissed off at the left.

Wait, maybe that's the plan. Put Rosie on to piss off the people Olberman was winning over. :grr:

[RamboLiberal]

7. About time the stupid execs figure out there's a half of the viewer

pie out there not being served instead of trying to cut in to the same stupid wingnut portion of the pie already being served by the Faux Noise Machine.

[ooglymoogly]

8. this will be great...I love Rosie

and it means I can leave the Tube on for two hrs instead of just the one for Keith. I can't wait. Are they finally figuring it out. The whole of the Reich wing has no clothes.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

9. I AM REC 5 AND I SUGGEST BILL MOYERS

HE IS LEST BECAUSE THE CENTER IS LEFT
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[CatholicEdHead]

13. They should have Ed Schultz host a show

Base it out of the KVLY 11/KXJB 4 studios in Fargo.

[Gelliebeans]

14. I agree with your suggestion on Maddow

I just love her. She is just so likable and knows her stuff. :thumbsup:

[Kolesar]

15. But MSNBC forces Fat Buchanan on us on *two* different shows

....throughout the evening. He was on Hardball and he was on the show Dan Abrams hosted last night. He was chortling and laughing that nobody cares about global warming.

[LisaM]

16. RACHEL! Yes!

She would be perfect.

Or, how about Bill Press? He's fantastic. He always sounds so sane and reasonable, but he's wry and witty too.

[DavidMS]

21. Shure about that?

I can see Rachel being a good host, but not Bill Press. I listen to him in the morning untill he anoys me too much and he is too much inside the beltway and an apologist for some of the excesses of the system.

[LisaM]

22. Love Bill Press!

He just talks in a way I like, I guess.

[Acadia Blue]

17. She is really good. Sometimes I have seen her sub for Matthews.

[Acadia Blue]

18. Uh..excuse...thinking about other O'donnel...but I like Rosie too.

[DuaneBidoux]

19. Curious here: does anyone believe in leaning "thruthfully"? That would be good.