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http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/165329p-144782c.html.... In the short term, Kaplan is sticking with the lineup of Keith Olbermann, Deborah Norville and Joe Scarborough in prime time.
Their shows have seen an uptick in ratings in recent months, thanks to the 7 p.m. "Hardball With Chris Matthews," whose audience has grown during the political season. But they are still a distant third behind Fox News and CNN.
So far this year, MSNBC is averaging 373,000 viewers in prime time, compared with CNN's 927,000 and Fox News' 1.6 million. "Hardball" is the channel's highest-rated show, with an average of 436,000 viewers. ....
The last time MSNBC was competitive was in the final, heated weeks of the 2000 presidential campaign and its extraordinary aftermath. ....
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0402180274feb18,1,6068318.story.... Kaplan, a native of Rogers Park who most recently has been a senior vice president at ABC News, has a reputation of being an imperious boss and a gifted television producer. He led CNN for a tumultuous four years, from 1997 to 2000, during which he attempted to transform the network from a predominantly live news outlet to one featuring slick, highly packaged programs like those he had produced earlier in his career for ABC News. ....
Those who have worked with him say MSNBC is in for a wake-up call. "It's going to change, change, change," said Tom Yellin, a former ABC News producer who has worked with Kaplan. His advice to MSNBCers: "Wake up--come to work, and pay attention."
"He is volatile, but brilliant," said Frank Sesno, CNN's Washington bureau chief during Kaplan's tenure there. "He is capable of electrifying a room, and people will work their butts off for this guy." ....
Kaplan dismisses the notion of a grudge match against the company that fired him. "News and journalism has never been a football game to me," he said. "It's not about knocking the other guy down."
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