MSNBC Cable replaces president

[dArKeR]

NEW YORK - Veteran ABC executive and former CNN chief Rick Kaplan will replace Erik Sorenson as the head of MSNBC’s cable television channel. The announcement was made Tuesday by NBC News President Neal Shapiro and is effective immediately. 

An award-winning producer at ABC News, Kaplan headed CNN’s domestic operations from 1997 to 2000. After teaching for a time at Harvard, Kaplan returned to ABC News to help plan Iraq war coverage and remained as a senior executive there.

"I worked with Rick for 13 years at ABC News and I know firsthand the energy and innovation that is his trademark," said Shapiro.  "He knows every aspect of the news business, from cable to broadcast, and brings an incomparable wealth of knowledge and experience to the position."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4285362/

Anybody know anything about the new MSGOP Head Whore?

[otohara]

1. Typical Media Templet -

Same dull wording, insert new name:

Can't tell you how many times I typed similar words in press releases for the "evil radio corp" everytime they made a change in management

He Will Take MSNBC To The Next Level

[pmbryant]

2. Eric Alterman thinks this is a very good move by MSNBC

From Eric Alterman's blog (at MSNBC.com, of all places):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3449870/ (scroll down a bit)

Stop the Presses: MSNBC-TV Does Soemthing Right: I generally try to avoid the subject of MSNBC TV here, except when they do something so "Savage" I can't live with myself if I don't mention it. I haven't been able to say anything positive about, really anything it's done, since I stopped working for it in 1998. I mean Joe Scarborough is a nice guy, but that's as far as I could go--which was OK, because not much there ever really lasted.

But hey, Rick Kaplan is the perfect choice to take it over and turn MSNBC into something in which everyone associated with the network can (finally) take pride. He helped build Nightline into the best news show on network television--(and the second best, and the third best) by hiring a crack staff and letting them do their jobs. He paid attention both to news values and to production values. And CNN made a great deal more sense under his watch than it has in the recent past, though it's fair to say, not as much as it might have. At Harvard and at ABC during the war, Kaplan has had time to rethink what works and what doesn't and apply it to a place that has too much of the latter and precious little of the former.

With MSNBC he's got a near clean slate and plenty of resources to work with. Not everything he tries will work, but I'm guessing the days of Faux-Fox are over. Congrats to Rick and to whoever it was at NBC with the good sense to make this appointment. Finally, it's a new day on cable. Let's see what it's turns out to be good for.

[lazarus]

3. Olbermann

So long as he keeps Olbermann, I'm happy. Just clean up the rest of the mess.

And I couldn't believe my eyes last night. I actually saw an ad for Hannity and Colmes in the middle of Countdown. :shrug:

[hedda_foil]

4. OMG! Rick's the son of my Dad's business partner.

He's very good. How about that!

[Shopaholic]

5. MSNBC

I'd just like to see someone do something to boost the ratings for both MSNBC & CNN--something that will slap FoxNews back to where they belong--ratings hell. Olbermann's Countdown is the best news show on any cable news network yet it gets killed by Fox. Sigh.

[Eric J in MN]

8. Ask him to offer Bill Clinton his own daily tv show.

I bet Bill Clinton could beat O'Reilly in the ratings.

Or if Bill Clinton were on in the time-slot after "Oprah," maybe people would change the channel to watch him then.

[SoCalDem]

6. Dear Rick.. Be bold.. Bring a hatchet..

Gone:

Scarborough..he needs to go hang out with his buddies at at Faux

Send the Pillsbury Doughboy packing (Frank Luntz) His schtick is getting tedious, and he's so obviously in love with GWB, he cannot even pretend to be unbiased.

Needs re-tooling:

Norville.. sure she's eye-candy, but she needs to be reminded of a few things.. she's not on Inside Edition anymore..She's never going to be Barbara Walters..

Abrams...less Abrams..more guest..better yet hire his Dad, and let him watch ..

Okay:

Lester Holt is ok, but tell the chickie-women to quit that incessant, annoying giggling. It's bad enough that they are just window dressing, but tell them to STFU..

Winners:

Kiss Donahue's ass and get him to come back.. 2 hours

Leave Olberman alone.. or give him even greater leeway

Bill Press needs his own show.. without a rightwing babysitter

Losers:

Headliners & Legends :puke:.. Those retreads were boring the first 50 times we saw them on Dateline and the Today show..

A network that bills itself as a "news" network, should be more focused on NEWS and less on trash journalism(sic)and tabloid garbage..

Lots of us are simply changing the channels every time we see:

Scott Peterson
Jacko, the Wacko
any abducted blonde girl
Martha's travails
Robert Blake
Phil Spector
any "famous or infamous trial"

The country is on a fulcrum right now, and it could go either way.. News stations should be bringing us the important things that we cannot get elsewhere..

We need interesting and worthwhile stories covered.. There are lots of shows that focus on the big casino on Wall Street, but there are millions of people who would really like some indepth coverage of the money worries of REAL people...the rich guys have plenty of places to turn to for information.. We DON'T..

Interview shows are fine, but please limit it to two guests, and LET THE GUESTS TALK.. No more screaming head shows... which brings me to Chris Matthews.. Tell that guy to listen more and talk less :)

How abut a "dump switch" so that when the "fast-talking-interruptors" try to talk over the other guests, they could just lose their feed..

There's probably more, but this will do for starters..

[Tank in Texas]

7. My two cents on the MSNBC Lineup

DARE I hope for a more Progressive bent on this net?


Scarborough.. seems a likable guy for a conservative. Keep him around for balance purposes.

Norville.. she's eye candy? Not to me. Give me back Ashleigh Banfield and those glasses! Fluff journalism, softball style. Axe.

Abrams...bleagh! Axe.

Lester Holt... agree,ok at best.

Donahue... best show I've seen on MSNBC. Wish to God we had him now when it might count. Watched every night, along with one or two others apparently.

Olberman... total piece of CRAP! Hated him on sports programming, even worse here. Not nearly as funny as he believes he is. Arrogant ass.

Bill Press... I'll agree here also.

[Shopaholic]

9. Countdown is the best thing MSNBC

has on. But I do think Olbermann is one of those "love him or hate him" kinda guys. I almost stroked out the other day when I heard Scarborough announce after watching an Edwards speech that he was ready to change party affiliations. I hate his show but like him as a commentator on Hardball's primary coverage.

[Eric J in MN]

10. Joe Scarborough is alright when he's being interviewed or interviewing

Joe Scarborough is alright when he's being interviewed or interviewing someone.

It's when Joe Scarborough talks to the camera by himself that he's obnoxious.