An MSNBC double standard?

Mediaite’s Colby Hall pens an interesting article on the David Shuster situation…

However, the fact is that David Shuster was somehow in hot water with MSNBC because he shot a pilot for CNN (about a possible future gig) not only highlights the old-school relationships between networks and talent, but seems remarkably unfair. Mind you, had a test tape, audition or pilot been for air, of course, Shuster should have been toast in the eyes of MSNBC. But as far as we know, that didn’t happen.

Every day anchors and reporters meet with other networks to vaguely assess future opportunities. Same with their bosses. Of course they aren’t formally permitted to negotiate a deal until the end of their contract. But no one has yet suggested that Shuster, or his agent, actually negotiated a deal. Further, if that sort of clause were actually enforced? Well, there would suddenly be hoards of agents doing a whole lot of nothing. Instead, Shuster may have just been protecting himself. Looking at the way the network was responding to him, MSNBC very well might not have renewed his contract. And he would have been left unemployed (although, he may find himself there anyway.)

Update: Do read the comments for that story as Mediaite’s Rachel Sklar and Colby Hall do a back and forth about this story…