MSNBC should end its “penny pinching ways”?
The Wrap’s Josef Adalian looks at MSNBC’s reliance on doc blocks on the weekend and suggests they’re retarding the network’s mojo…
Now that newsies (especially those with left-leaning tendencies) have adopted MSNBC as their own, there’s growing frustration among the network’s fans over MSNBC’s erratic coverage.
As one newshound tweeted over the weekend, out of frustration over MSNBC being MIA: “Don’t make me watch Fox News!”
So why is MSNBC seemingly oblivious to the complaints? In a word, money.
In a quest to improve bottom line profits for parent company GE, MSNBC’s ultimate boss, Jeff Zucker, years ago decided to add more longform programming to MSNBC’s lineup, thus cutting back on live news.
After all, it’s far cheaper to repurpose old “Dateline” episodes or snap up a cheesy prison special than to keep a newsroom staffed with actual reporters/anchors.
This might have made sense back when MSNBC was struggling. But post-2008, the network is back in the game — if not as a threat to Fox News than as a viable rival to CNN.
It’s time for NBC to stop pinching pennies when it comes to MSNBC. There’s nothing wrong with including long-form specials in the programming mix, even the sleazy, sensational ones like “Lockup.”
Inside Cable News 
December 30, 2009 at 6:32 am
Really excellent article that makes a number of good suggestions.
I,m a big Lawrence O’Donnell fan but I don’t think he’s ready, just yet, to host a prime time show. He still needs a lot of help to overcome his stiffness & his teleprompter reading needs work. He also lacks humor; which is what makes Rachael Maddow’s show so good.
One of the shows I really miss on MSNBC is the weekend interviews that Tim Russert used to do with political & foreign affairs guests. That show was as close to Fareed Zakaria’s GPS as any I’ve seen. A show in that style would suit Andrea Mitchell much better than her current effort. It could also be a good format for Lawrence O’Donnell to get better at interviewing guests.
December 30, 2009 at 7:02 am
It’ll be interesting to see if MSNBC weekend programming changes with the Comcast 51% acquisition of NBCU. Or is the focus solely on getting the vast Comcast media aired onto USA TV, etc…
Is MSNBC an merely an after-thought (Comcast perspective) and/or will there be a continued effort to use MSNBC as a weekend revenue generator.
It’s difficult to believe that MSNBC is “The Place For Politics” when it’s weekend & holiday programming schedule is sub-standard.
December 31, 2009 at 10:28 am
Nobody has a vision for MSNBC. Perhaps when Comcast comes in they will survey their holdings and look at the business plan -format for MSNBC, and make appropriate changes so the network can thrive.
You can’t attract A list talent, and in turn the “eye balls” who watch them, if you have the reputation as not being a particularly happy place to work. Change the working environment shake up the management stop with making the on air personalities resort to on air baiting…the equivalent of troll baiting on the internet.