Tucker Carlson set to sign deal with MSNBC to replace Deborah Norville

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/archive/2004_12_19_archive.asp#110340763503874844

Exclusive: MSNBC's Talking To Tucker: CNN's Carlson Set To Sign Deal & Replace Norville At 9pm

Only on TVNewser: MSNBC is close to signing a deal with CNN's Tucker Carlson, paving the way for the conservative Crossfire co-host to fill the 9:00pm primetime position soon to be vacated by Deborah Norville.

MSNBC staffers have been buzzing about the possibility in recent days, three sources told TVNewser. One insider speculated that Carlson's program would attract new viewers to the network, but more importantly, "it shows that MSNBC is a priority and folks are trying their darndest to make it work." Carlson feels that CNN hasn't treated him well, a source said. MSNBC executives, on the other hand, are thrilled by the guy in the bow tie.

In mid-November, the Washington Post reported that Carlson's CNN contract would run out on Dec. 1, and that "he has been negotiating elsewhere." When the paper asked Carlson about it, he dodged the question: "I don't know. I like living here." It sounds like he'll be hosting the show from North Capitol Street.

Carlson has been talking to MSNBC executives about the opportunity for several weeks. Friday's announcement of Norville's mid-January sign-off suggests MSNBC executives are confident about moving forward with Carlson's show.

more...

[Sparkle]

1. So I wonder who will replace Tucker on Crossfire?

[banjoman]

15. tucker carlson

i want to see that mr haney guy from green acres. he's not much brighter, but at least we'd have arnold ziffle as a regular contributor for the intellectual side of the discussion.

[quinnox]

2. yet another reason to not watch msnbc

like there aren't enough already. Who's next, a Coulter hard news show?

[AmerDem]

3. This guy is going to fall on his face

and I can't wait. WTF, was Kaplan thinking having so many conservative programs on 1 network? With the exception of Olberman ( who doesn't where the tag "liberal" on his lapel) what other shows qualify to be considered "liberal"? As far as I know, none!

[FrenchieCat]

4. I won't be watching....

This kinda does it for me and television in general. I knew they were stupid....just didn't know how stupid!

Screw them all!

[Mist]

12. I don't think he can carry an hour-long show on his own

He's such a freakin' lightweight!

[AmerDem]

13. exactly

This guys made a name for himself in a few minute segments. After 10 or 15 minutes people want to give him a wedgie. I haven't personally seen the stats but a few here have said his PBS show is doing very bad.

[liveoaktx]

5. I watch Countdown and will have to explicitly program the tv to

change channels immediately after it ends to something, anything else-I don't want to accidentally see his smirky mug on my tv.

[noel711]

6. Something about Tucker Carlson....

makes me want to smack his face.

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

10. Could it be the condescending sneer that he

casts on those that he disagrees with, mixed with the Coulter/Hannity/O'Reilly method of getting in a verbal cheap shot as a last word..

Or is it the stupid freaking bow-tie...

My, what a manly guy he is...Enough to make one vomit...

But that's me...

[andyhappy]

7. damn that liberal media!

whats next!

Ralph Reed taking over for Dan Rather?

[FrenchieCat]

8. Why not?

When you have Bush as president....might as well just bring in a shitload of lightweights.

**NEWS ALERT**

Mickey Mouse to replace Fucker Carlson on Crossfire!

[andyhappy]

9. crossfire - bert vs ernie

maybe throw kermit on ernies side and miss piggy over there with bert?

[LiviaOlivia]

11. "Tucker Carlson.. to host a nightly hour of noise signifying nothing"

Another Reason Not to Watch MSNBC
Posted by James Wolcott
12-19-04

Using a pair of sanitized tweezers, MSNBC plucks Tucker Carlson out of a laboratory jar to host a nightly hour of noise signifying nothing. I love this blind quote about this non-exciting acquisition:

"The courting of Carlson is MSNBC president Rick Kaplan's first opportunity to create a new primetime show on MSNBC. 'It's going to surprise a lot of Kaplan's critics,' a source said recently, because conservatives have criticized Kaplan for being liberal (due in part to his relationship with former President Bill Clinton)."

Isn't just too-too perfect how a perceived liberal like Kaplan confounds his critics by hiring a conservative as a lead-in into a show hosted by another conservative? (Joe Scarborough, that is, whose back troubles have him MIA from Scarborough Country, with Pat Buchanan filling in). Media liberals almost never surprise anyone by having the balls and spinal conviction to actually do something liberal; no, they always feel obliged to do the cute counterintuitive thing. No one expects Roger Ailes to surprise his critics by hiring Al Franken to host a nightly show on Fox; he earns his plaudits by sticking to his toy guns and hiring Yellin' Zell Miller for an occasional round of hog callin'.

It's a dumb decision. Tucker Carlson is a terrible hire not only because he's a conservative yakker in a medium where there's a superabundance of conservative yakkers, but because he's a truly inept TV performer--flighty, stammering, laughing at his own lame quips and then repeating them as if repetition makes them even swiftier, waving his hands around as if trying to throw them away, slamming the table in phony indignation ("That's outRAGEous!"), tucking his little smirk in at the end of each segment...he's unbearable. He's as amateurish now as when he started....Carlson can't carry that dinky show he's doing on PBS now each week, never mind an hour a night. He's another McEnroe waiting to happen.

<snip>

http://www.jameswolcott.com/

[Dr Ron]

17. At least Buchanan is sometimes worth listening to

Other than for the fact that Tucker doesn't get along with the conservatives at Fox, there's little worth watching with Tucker.

At least Buchanan, for all his many faults, has had two positive attributes in the past year:

1) He has been attacking Bush on Iraq

2) While on the wrong side, he did warn us before the election. He has been ranting that their is a culture war in America. While the "morality" issue was overblown following the election, there is still an element of truth to this, and perhaps we should have listened to Buchanan on this and have been better prepared to deal with this before the election.

[banjoman]

14. tucker carlson

maybe he can bring both of the remaining "crotchfire" viewers with him and double msnbc's rating. this is like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. bring on jerry springer if you really want viewership to rise.

[Poiuyt]

16. Damn liberal media

Tucker Carlson at 9:00 followed by Joe Scarborough at 10:00. It's getting to the point where Fox will be the most liberal channel on the air.