Team,
I’m writing to share a number of changes we’re making as we build a new daytime lineup with the best live, breaking news coverage on television.
As of this Friday, “The Cycle,” “Now with Alex Wagner” and “The Ed Show” will air their final shows.
Alex Wagner will stay with MSNBC and play a key role in our political coverage as we head into the 2016 election. And Ari Melber will continue in his role as Chief Legal Correspondent. But we will be parting ways with some friends – Ed Schultz, Krystal Ball, Abby Huntsman and Toure will be leaving MSNBC. Please join me in thanking them for their numerous contributions over the past several years, and in wishing them great success.
Beginning in a few weeks, Chuck Todd will bring his unmatched brand of political insight and analysis back to MSNBC with a daily one-hour program. That show will air weekdays at 5pm.
I know you read press reports last week speculating about these changes. I hope you can understand that we were not able to confirm at that point because we had not yet finalized many of the decisions I’m sharing with you today, and we hadn’t yet spoken directly with the people involved.
In the coming weeks, as we complete our plans to create a new look and flow for our dayside programming, our 3pm to 6pm hours will begin the pivot towards live, breaking news coverage – with interim hosts from among our very talented ranks. And then, in September, we’ll unveil a 9am to 5pm schedule driven by dynamic coverage of breaking news events that are shaping the day.
Change can be hard. There’s no doubt it’s been a difficult time, but we have exciting opportunities ahead.
Phil
Okay somebody needs to explain to me why Alex Wagner loses her spot but Al Sharpton retains his?
I mean I don't have anything against Sharpton, except of course for his constant mispronunciations and intermittent speech patterns, but Wagner is the far superior host.
As for The Cycle, I am surprised that crappy thing is still on the air, though I really do like Krystal Ball. (And if you are going for eye candy alone it is kind of hard to beat Abby Huntsman.)
However the truly disturbing part of this memo is the announcement that the despicable Chuck Todd is returning to the MSNBC lineup. His hosting of MTP has completely changed my Sunday morning TV watching routine, and I am far from happy to see his return to my favorite cable news network.
If Phil Griffin wants to get serious about saving this network he needs to swallow his pride and hire Keith Olbermann back. And while he's at it does Martin Bashir still need a job?
Boy wouldn't that piss off the conservatives?
what is going on IS the strategy – keep mixing it up…add more shit…
ReplyDeletewell unfortunately that has all been sifted thru – and DNA tests have confirmed linkage to a ‘trust fund baby’ in Alaska to the ME – particularly the Sunni tribe – then add Saladin bloodline…so you can understand the stories that keep surfacing…I knew this was familiar…they did this awhile back with another ‘trust fund baby’ and that one is being groomed for politics…if you all stand back and look at the whole pic…
you will see it is all money and sex – whom can breed with whom…
pay offs and ‘I was a vessel for you’ is the rhetoric usually…dang darn that technology…looks like it will find and expose a ‘trail’ of those ‘golden child’ aka another way to filter money into a country and invest it…they crucify those they cannot forget…that is a fact…and a shame…
Hey Intel, try to keep up with what the topic is! You want to be all clandestine, surreptitious, and play secret agent join the CIA. Go the fuck away. We don't want what you're selling. btw the topic is MSNBC on this thread.
DeleteLol!
DeleteIs Saladin an antecedent of the Czar Nicholas II of Russia?
DeleteNo. The Saladin the bowl is worth $400 billion in Alaska stocks in the Bushes.
DeletePeople should really just stick to pot. All those other hard drugs produce brain rot, hallucinations, all the things you're experiencing.
DeleteWhat you say? that be booze talking there? or some serious pharma..
DeleteOmg, this thread! I feel as if I smoked some serious shit.
DeleteI'm thinking it's that computer air duster stuff. I just watched an episode of Intervention, and one of the subjects was really fucked up on that stuff. He sounded just like this.
DeleteSharpton is the only one on MSNBC that drives me to listen to the first hour of Levin. Then back to Chris Chris Rachel and Lawrence. I don't ever want to hear the "reverend" say "I thank you boff" for being here.
ReplyDeleteRacist comment
DeleteOf course it's not racist for pointing out mispronunciation of a word. I point out many times the mistakes Palin makes, too. Because of words she is using that she is not accustomed to. There is no reason for a person who hosts a program on MSNBC to say "boff" instead of "both".
DeleteReplacing "th" with "ff" is a linguistic pattern as is replacing "sk" with "x" as in "ask" to "ax." This is not limited to African American speech alone. It is more common in the NE. Listen closely and you will hear the difference.
DeleteIt sounds more like bofe to me, more bofe than boff.
DeleteRacists United....linguistic excuses abound.
DeleteThat's not racist. Saying "bofe" instead of both is just incorrect and makes someone sound stupid. Plenty of white idiots say it, too. Spend some time in the South.
DeleteWhich is it, great linguistics experts? The South or the Northeast? LMAO at your sad excuses for bigotry. These posts must be from Alicia M. No one else could be this "special."
DeleteWhen a kid goes to school and learns letter sounds and reading, he or she learns how to pronounce things correctly. For example, in my school in the South, we learned that it would be correct to say "get" instead of the more common colloquial "git" that we all said. Some still say "git," but that's their choice. Do you think Rev. Sharpton learned in school that "th" makes the "ff" sound? No, he chooses to say it that way, and some folks choose to be annoyed.
DeleteI'm all for Martin Bashir replacing Sharpton, the good thing is when he comes on I immediately turn to Amy Goodman Democracy Now!
ReplyDeleteAmy has a great podcast site, I can listen to her any time of the day.
DeleteI'm gonna be sad to see Alex Wagner go. Ed too. Yeah, I wonder why we still have Sharpton, for fuck's sake.
ReplyDelete"Chuck Todd will bring his unmatched brand of political insight and analysis back to MSNBC "
ReplyDelete----------------------------
Oh, please. What a useless, incompetent, goateed turd. A potato with a microphone.
ha, ha, potato with a microphone! Or a turd with one.
DeleteCompletely agree with keeping Alex Wagner. I hate to see Krystal Ball leave. Bring back Olberman, leave Chuck Todd where he is. I think he's gone over to the other side.
ReplyDeleteChuck Todd gets another TV show?!? Why?????
ReplyDelete"..that despicable Chuck Todd": I agree completely. What are they thinking?! They put an airhead in the incredible Tim Russert's chair, he flops, they elevate, yes, that despicable (also smug, pompous, anti-obama and 100% annoying) Chuck Todd. And they're wondering why their ratings are in the dumpster?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you G. Bashir and Olbermann would be great.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is Chuck Toad must be spending most of his time under Phil's desk. Chuck the Toad and Joe Blow are by far the worst people on this network....how in the hell is this idiot allowed to run a network? Stewart leaving, Colbert gone...now all I have is Rachel...that's it. Her and the internet are the only places for truth. The gossip of Keith coming back, well we can only hope...but that means Phil is gone, which is what is needed. I miss Martin too...oh well. Ed can be a pain, but it can never be said he wasn't for the blue collar workers. I can hardly take Hardball, but at least he has David Corn on (one of my heroes). What are these assholes thinking????
ReplyDeleteChuck Todd is a GOP hack! Still waiting to see the lame duck President Obama he predicted. I have cancelled MSNBC off my TV, Griffin will be the only viewer left. They have insulted their viewers and has nothing new to bring to the nation.
ReplyDeleteI'm very surprised Alex won't be on at all. I did think that her hosting could be better, but I've always loved her as a guest on other MSNBC shows and especially during an election. I was bummed when Ed's show was backburnered a while back and glad when he returned, but soon after I stopped watching MSNBC as much as I once did. I used to have the channel on all evening and was one of those people who would also listen to the re-aired Hardball. I know I'll be watching more again when election time nears. Once W and the evil Cheney were out of the White House, and all that was left was watching that idiot orange man Boehner in place of them and between he and the frozen owl Mitch O'Connell nothing ever got done in DC, I started to watch less. But MSNBC still helps keep me sane--in this country where half the citizenry is completely uninformed and unable or unwilling to think beyond which shoe goes on which foot, and these people who have never had their lives improved by voting Republican just keep voting Republican, MSNBC is still good therapy.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that annoyed me about Alex is the kind of whine she uses. Other than that I liked her show.
DeleteAlex appeared to me to become more independent once her husband was no longer The Chef for the Obamas.
DeleteShe's OK - cute - but, I don't always agree with her. She kind of tries to start trouble at times and her guests typically don't fall for it.
Toure is sharp. I'll miss him.
ReplyDeleteI'd LOVE to watch $arah's head explode as they announce Martin Bashir's return.
ReplyDeleteAs for Olbermann. I totally agree with him politically, but he just sounds like a terribly nasty man to work with. If he toned down his diva behavior, I'd give him another chance
Turn off the TV Gryph.
ReplyDeleteIt is nothing but a bunch of forced slop fed to the consumer hogs based on market driven crap to suck people in anyways, and it has been for years.
I don't know how anyone can watch any of these 'news' (larf) programming channels, liberal or conservative, just a bunch of sold personalities flinging opinion and talk playing to emotions, as it is..... much less any other TV programming in general.
Trust me. Don't watch any TV (except maybe pbs) for a year. After that you won't be able to watch it ever again. You will be shocked at how dumbed down it has gotten once you have it totally out of your system. And you can always watch Family Guy on hulu.
I'll miss Ed the most of all - the only one to stand up against TPP, and for USPS, and the middle class!
ReplyDeleteI know. Sigh. He always made me feel like the little guy could win out over the big guy again. Of course Scott Walker won his seat again, the Koch brothers control too much, and there are three judges on SCOTUS who are completely undeserving of it, but Ed kept my hopes alive.
DeleteWell Martin Bashir or Keith Olbermann wouldn't be the kind of eye candy a faux liberal like you would be looking for, would they? You are a creepy misogynistic bastard of the highest order. FOAD.
ReplyDelete12:49 is having another self to self 'convo', 'obvi'.
DeleteI've enjoyed all tthree of these shows for some time. And Chuck Todd replacing Ed pisses mehoff. MSNBC is fucking up big time. Bashir returning would be great.
ReplyDeletehmmmmmm? Let us hope this is worth it, because so many good folks have left or are leaving? First martin, and Dylan and my cycle, and ed? and jon stewart? and and and ? oh my gosh !!!!!!!!!!! gotta be something really good brewing or .(
ReplyDeleteNo one I know watches this crap. If they do it is back ground noise.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone told you how special you are? You are so smart. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteGo watch your brainwashing programs 1:55.
DeleteOk. I will. I think Hannity is on.
DeleteThis makes me angry. I am disgusted. The praises for Chuck Todd is for shit. The only positive words I have for Todd is he is a lazy and ignorant buffoon.
ReplyDeleteI dvr and watch Ed everyday. I do the same with each evenings shows. every night, without fail.
MSNBC needs to ditch their prison programming, especially if they want to focus on cutting news. But cutting news really isn't what's behind this. It's to eliminate truth spoken by liberal voices.
I heard that ratings are down .. well, duh. when you don't finance the tools the station needs to provide quality programming, or don't market your station well, then don't blame the hosts, producers and crew for your cheapness.
I am so sick of cable focusing a straight 24 hour, over several days sometimes on a single news story. There was a time where NBC News was the top in its field. Then they drastically cut their budget. MSNBC can't even tap into them - except they gave them marginal Chuck Todd They say news doesn't generate money like the entertainment side does.
I'm pissed. Despite Al Sharpton's inarticulations, I do like his focus on crime, especially giving a voice to civil rights.
Denise
I agree! MSNBC and their jail shows harmed themselves!
DeleteThey really started losing their viewers and Rachel Maddow even made it funny in saying "OK, it's time to go to prison!" - at the closing of her shows!
MSNBC is as dead as The Sarah Palin Channel.
ReplyDeleteMSNBC has been losing advertising revenue and market share for years. Cable news is an aging demographic. Fox owns this segment. CNN has deliberately targeted a younger and more progressive viewership and is cleaning MSNBC's clock. MSNBC lost 23%r of their total viewers and 39% of their demo viewers in primetime in the last ratings. This is a for profit business. Bringing back failed or unpopular talent will not help them. Although nothing likely will halt the bleeding, they need to do something to force younger viewers to put down their phones and tablets and watch TV.
ReplyDeleteCNN as well will go by the wayside soon because younger people don't watch TV on the schedule served up by the networks, they choose TV programs they want to watch online, or on phones or iPads. No one under age 50 sits and watches news programming.
DeleteOne can find MSNBC on the internet, live, but it is difficult. Also there are audio feeds, neither of which are legal. When are these outfits going to realize that many of us without TVs still want to enjoy the news shows?
DeleteI don't watch CNN either - nothing much there when I have - they repeat, repeat and repeat and wear a subject to death. Boring!!!
DeleteAbsolutely 2:07. None of our kids have cable- they have Netflix and/or Hulu and watch what they want when they want. And they save a lot of cash doing so.
DeleteGee, Chuck Todd's "brand of unmatched political insight and analysis." Hmmm. Seems to me that his "brand" is pure GOP talking points.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Yep - why I don't watch him.
DeleteHe is difficult to listen to and has the personality of a dead fish.
DeletePlus, I find him physically unattractive to watch - especially with his gross hair on his face. Looks like pubic hair!
DeleteEd Schultz spoke truth to the corporations so he gets canned. I wanted to see him on his last show but Ed probably told Phil Griffin to shove it up his ass and he didn't show up to do his last show. Sharpton is so horrible he can't even read the cue cards but gotta keep him on. Chris Hayes is too wonky. Chris Matthews talks over his guests but I do like who his guests are. Republicans now control everything.
ReplyDeleteglad i don't watch teevee ..
ReplyDeleteAmen brother (or sister). It is the worst.
DeleteCauses brain rot.
A buddy of mine's dad, who also happened to be a fairly well known west coast mafia associate, who got his start in the old school New York Italian neighborhoods, used to call television... "The electric Jew"...
DeleteZappa made a song called 'I'm The Slime. Check it out.
DeleteI think when he sees his changes having a negative result, he'll be making changes again. Hopefully for the better.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be nice to have Olbermann back.
I, too, would love to see Keith Olbermann on TV again.
DeleteThe demographic of MSNBC is younger and doesn't watch live television but picks and chooses from Netflix or HBOGo or OnDemand. Fox News only keeps going because the olds still watch live television but they too will soon feel the burn when their demographic dies off. Live TV is a thing of the past, just as DVD players are a thing of the past. Technology moves forward and I hope that MSNBC will realize that they need to get on the technology bandwagon if they want to keep any viewers.
ReplyDeleteI am pissed. I listened to Ed on my way home from work and learned a lot. Chuck Todd is a corporate ass kisser. MSNBC viewers that like Alex, Ed, Chris, and Rachel are not going to tune in for him. They need to fire Griffin and get someone in there that understands that.
ReplyDeleteMSNBC has lost me completely except for Rachel Maddow and sometimes perhaps Chris Matthews.
DeleteBut, NEVER as to Chuck Todd. Barf!
Live TV is pure crap now a days. They play repeats constantly (to save money, I'm guessing) and lots of reality stuff which is pure crap too! It's going bye-bye as to the consumer due to being so damned uninteresting!
DeleteGlad to see that moron Krystal Ball leaving - what a stripper name! And oblivious to that prank caller regarding the Ukrainian jet crash.
ReplyDeleteSo MSNBC has now lost me for most of the day, switched from Morning Jerk to CBS Morning Show & now this. Not quite sure where this is going but at this time it might come to done to taping Rachel! UGGGGH!
ReplyDeleteO/T. Pretty great take-down of The Donald at the National Review...it's a conservative site, so view at own risk, some odious articles about our President, etc:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nationalreview.com/article/420084/donald-trump-puts-camp-campaign
It is disturbing how pervasive and influential TV and glorified personalities are to so many people here.
ReplyDeleteFolks, turn it off! You are being programmed and you gladly welcome it!
More Olbermann and John Stewart types. I am for women
ReplyDeletegetting ahead , but their voices drive me nuts, and I am
female! Also, keep the camera on the person who is talking.
My husband watches CBS Morning News show with
Charlie Rose . While the guest is talking, the camera bounces
around from the two female regulars and back to Charlie
over and over. So rude ! They need to keep Charlie and
have a with it, young , male reporter working with him.
The two regulars do pretty up the set and do well.
They are not young ,but are good at reading and smiling.
Yes MSNBC, Intense, reporting needed, and put in some
fearless young! I do like Chris Matthews.
I'm even finding Charlie Rose non interesting! Stopped watching him too!
DeleteI agree with you, Griffen. Would love to see Keith and Martin back on the air. As for expanded coverage of "breaking news", MSNBC already does that across it's entire program list. I like Alex Wagner, don't care much for "The Cycle", but think the format would work better with different hosts, a "Point, Counterpoint" type show, I get a lot of my news on netflicks, HBONow, and other streaming services along with DVR and the internet.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Chuck Todd goes, He completed ruining MTP. I don't see him as any better a host than Alex Wagner, The Cycle, Alex Witt, Andrea Mitchell, or Ed. At least I can hear Ed Schultz on his radio station, he's always been on the working man's side.
The ones I don't like get to stay. Chris Matthews, Morning Joe, Alex Witt, and Al Sharpton. But I don't own MSNBC and all they're looking at is competing with CNN and Fox for ratings.
Andrea Mitchell isn't someone I enjoy watching and usually turn the channel when I see her on. She has a monotone voice, no expression, bland and I find her not to be enticing at all.
DeleteCNN offers nothing but repeat, repeat and more repeats on stories they select to broadcast. (Airplane crashes, etc.)
TV watching is really pretty worthless anymore. Far more interesting to get your daily input from the internet.
I have read that Phil is a conservative. He is trying to ruin MSNBC. Olbermann and Bashir were by far the best. That bitch Palin got Bashir fired for no reason. Bring them back if you want to save the network or just flush it Phil Graham, you stupid idiot.
ReplyDeleteAlex Wagner is great, smart and engaging all around. Ed is an absolute idiot. Sharpton is unwatchable. Chuck Todd is a moron. Olbermann is okay but too strident and annoying, much like Lawrence O'donnell. Maddow is interesting but can be quite annoying. If Ezra Klein had a show I would never miss it.
ReplyDeleteEzra Klein is an idiot.
DeleteI agree with you on Ezra. I also like Ari Melber.
DeleteDenise
Changes at MSNBC are warranted, perhaps, by the slide in ratings, but the things they decided to change are part of what's best on the station. I really liked Joy Reid and her recent remote reporting has been excellent, she could return in the 3:00 slot. Alex Wagner is great, but I don't know how they will use her in the meantime. I can't stand Chris Matthews (he has moments of brilliance, but more often is obnoxious and hectoring), Morning Joe & Mika, Chuck Todd (shiver) and I can take or leave Sharpton and O'Donnell. They say they want to change to a breaking news station, which is ridiculous on its face; they already break into the planned schedule to cover it and the hosts have done a great job of segueing to news anchors. Where the news surfeit is is on the weekends. Mostly, I'll switch to CNN, but I don't like them much either. (Don Lemon was a fave, but he's turned into a corporate shill). I'd love to see Martin Bashir come back. As to Olbermann, I'm kind of over him. Move on and find somebody new. Glad they're keeping Ari Melber, but they should also keep Toure who's very smart and provides a much different perspective, which I've found valuable. Someone mentioned Ezra Klein. I thought for a long time he deserved a show, but apparently he was busy starting his Vox site (which is excellent, by the way) and doesn't aspire to being a full-time TV guy. I'm glad they still have him on occasionally as a guest.
ReplyDeleteThe millenials can DVR cable TV and time shift the content as desired, but if they forego pay-cable entirely, the networks will need to make their shows available on Hulu or Netflix on a short turnaround time.
Ack. All this bitching has put me in a bad mood. Good night IMers. Let's see what happens tomorrow..
Steve Kornacki hasn't been mentioned. He is fantastic. Alex Wagner same thing. I hope things improve. I would like to say that I took an RV road trip across country. There was only one campground that offered access to MSNBC while we were gone. Always Fox. That probably is the reason he ratings are so low for MSNBC. It is not available most places at all.
ReplyDelete66 gardeners
Steve Kornacki always has good content, but is very boring to watch. He always reminds me of the nerds in high school - smart, but doesn't have much personality for TV.
ReplyDeleteNothing makes me change channels more than seeing Chuck Todd. I can't watch him. Nails on a chalkboard level.
ReplyDelete