Carlos Watson (Host MSNBC 11AM hour) has been canned.

[kristopher]

I really like Carlos. IMO he is on the same level as Rachel in regard to intelligence and integrity, although she seems to have the edge on acquired knowledge of policy.
I thought he was on vacation last week but when he didn't show up today I googled it and got a confirmation from a right wing media site. That site (which I refuse to advertise by even naming) says it is a ratings issue.
Not sure I believe that but whatever the reason it is a loss for the cause of responsible journalism.

[Ian David]

1. Did they stop to think it's because the show leading in to him sucks? n/t

[kristopher]

4. Apparently the ratings

of the hard right leaning show before him and the moderate right leaning show after him both had severe ratings problems also. I think he was just to good at getting to the heart of issues for the corporate masters.

[librechik]

2. never mind--wrong guy

[old mark]

3. Well, now there is no reason at all to watch MSNBC till late afternoon.

Too many Republicans from "Way Too Early" till after lunch.
Carlos, you will do very well anywhere you go - all the best.

mark

[ShortnFiery]

5. I second that! eom

[alfredo]

9. Ratigan is tough to pin down, sometimes he seems right wing, but sometimes

he seems sane. Look at his Michael Moore interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RDR1TUo8n4

[kristopher]

12. Yes that's true.

He is on a mission to bring regulation to the financial system, but he fits with Scarborough like a hand fits a glove. My take is that his show is more of a back-door way of being critical of Obama. A reasonable person has trouble denying the chaos that following the tenets of modern conservatism has brought to this country. In order to win the confidence of those reasonable people Scarborough and Ratigan are trying to repackage the SOS.

[alfredo]

18. I have little complaint about moderate Republicans, I just don't like their

policies.

I don't mind them being critical of Obama, just as long as the criticism is based on fact.

[old mark]

20. I don't want to hear or see Republicans in my home - I turn to something else

when they are featured.
I have no use for, say, Pat Buchanan's "thoughts".


mark

[alfredo]

24. He's not a moderate. I do listen to what Republicans say, so I know their

arguments well enough to refute them.

[old mark]

28. Certainly your right to do so, just not for me.

I think trying to change a Republican's "mind" is like trying to argue with a drunk - nobody wins, and everybody gets pissed off.
But again, that's just me.
Good luck.
mark

[alfredo]

29. If you come back with a verifiable response and demand a verifiable response

from them, it may not shut them up, but it plants seeds of doubt.

[old mark]

31. Good luck - sincerely. I really don't have tne stomach to be around too

many of them.
I worked with very right wingers almost exclusively for years and you are welcome to my share.

All the best.

mark

[alfredo]

33. I am retired so I don't have to get along with others.

[old mark]

35. So am I - and I find I like dogs better than a lot of people I used to

have to associate with. I mainly hang out at home, play my guitars and do my other enjoyable things.
I finally found a little peace and realize that I like it very much.

Becoming an old fart isn't as bad as I thought it would be.


mark

[alfredo]

36. I worked with the public much of my life, I've had my fill. I like the term

"being put out to stud" over being retired. It's not so much a sexual term, it means I might be too old and disabled to work, but I am not useless.

[rurallib]

16. I am still trying to pin Tweety down

Some days hes red, some days he's blue, some days he makes no sense at all but won't shut up and let a guest answer.
I wish they would re-run Ed instead of Hardball.

[alfredo]

19. Tweety is just being Tweety. Either red or blue, he's entertaining.

[old mark]

23. His problem is simple - he LOVES politicians and politics, and sometimes

this overshadows his sense of right and wrong - he gets caught up in the game of it all. When he does get outrageg, he really lste people know it, and it's usually someone on the right who faces his anger.

But he loves them all anyway.

mark

[alfredo]

26. Then he is in the perfect job.

[old mark]

27. Rather him than me - I'd have a hard time controlling myself around

some of those people.

mark

[alfredo]

30. There's some that need to experience lying through a busted lip.

[old mark]

32. Amen, brother,

Amen.

mark

[alfredo]

34. In my younger, stronger years I could have backed up that first hit.

[maddezmom]

6. that stinks

I liked him quite a bit.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. I saw it infrequently but I liked what I saw of him.

I would have pegged him as a rising star. I thought he had real credibility. I recall reading that he had quite an impressive background.

[grantcart]

8. His show was never officially a part of the line up

The two other morning shows are hemoragging bad


http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/09/03/with-dylan-ratigan-and-dr-nancy-a-change-didnt-do-msnbc-good/26133

Watson continues to be a adviser

[kristopher]

10. The link doesn't directly support your post...

Well, it does about the other shows, but it doesn't say anything about Watson at all. Are you inferring by the absence that Watson wasn't "officially" part of the line up or did you read that elsewhere? I mean, it sure seemed to be a show directed by him as opposed to just more of the standard daytime coverage.

In any case it is a shame he is no longer doing the show - officially or not.

[grantcart]

11. discussed in more depth here

The overall point is that I don't think that it was aimed at Watson but a larger problem that MSNBC is having.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/carlos-watson-loses-anchor-slot-at-msnbc/

Upshot: Watson was never announced as permanent anchor nor was given much of a push — but he did have a website with a well-covered launch, and was permitted to use feature ideas from that on his show (i.e. his “C-Note” segment). So, presumably it was his to make work, or on with the next person.

[kristopher]

14. Thanks.

I appreciate the link. But I see it differently. Forget "official" for a moment and look at the fact that three shows are in trouble and the only one they can is the intelligent liberal.

[KharmaTrain]

15. He Was Doing An "On Air Audition"

Watson was put in that hour more-or-less because the network didn't have anyone else available to handle the role. Nothing was ever formalized and he was never promoted as a "host" or with his name attached to a specific program.

Seems the new morning line-up on MSNBC isn't working that well. Ratigan's performances have been erratic and the show really hasn't found a stride. Dr. Nancy just doesn't cut it with people more interested in news and politics than an hour about illness and vanity. She and they would do better with short segments inside of other shows rather than an hour each day.

All said, sorry to see Watson being demoted...I liked him on CNN and hope he finds a worthy position on some network in the near future. These are rough days working in any broadcasting biz...downscaling and cutting payroll trump all else.

[alsame]

13. That's too bad, he was good at countering right wing spin and he

didn't back down. I thought he was just on vacation too...they really didn't give his show much of a chance, did they? I think he was only on a couple of months.

[maglatinavi]

17. watson

which one was he? was he the black guy ??? I usually watch the channel, but never get the names of the journalist except mika mouse, joe joke, dylan... not sure of dylan ... the dr nancy show is really a drag, maybe it should be cut to half hour length to give meaningful health info. ... :kick: :shrug:

[dogknob]

21. Just wait till Comcast gets their way...

... and wins their battle with the FCC, allowing them to buy up most of the cable service in the US and do what they are already doing: dropping MSNBC from their basic service while keeping FOX.

MSNBC is conspicuously not reporting on this because their owner, GE, doesn't want them to. Once the ratings drop enough because low-income people can't get MSNBC and can't leave a big fat deposit for satellite, goodbye Rachel, Keith, Tweety & Ed.

[TexasObserver]

22. He's probably too smart and articulate to have on the day shift.

They're not all bad, but some of the day time talent on MSNBC is really lacking. Carlos did a decent job, though.

[SOS]

25. Cable news employs shrill, screaming idiots

Carlos is thoughtful, calm and intelligent.
He doesn't fit in.

[blogslut]

37. He wasn't canned

His show was dropped but he is still employed by the network:

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/the_revolving_door/msnbc_cancels_carlos_watson_at_11am_130376.asp

IMHO, MSNBC is having a hard time figuring out just how to program daytime. Chances are, in three months, the line-up from 9:00AM EST-5:00PM EST will be completely different.

[ecstatic]

38. Uggh...

I admit I didn't watch his show much (don't watch MSNBC that much anymore), but MSNBC really needs some more diversity in their line up. CNN has them beat in that department.