Is there reason to have hope for MSNBC?

[Stinky The Clown]

I posted a poll earlier today asking abut your choice of teevee newz sources. MSNBC fared the best of the whole sorry lot.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2732689

I suspect a good bit of this sentiment can be traced directly to one Keith Olberman. But there may be other factors. I don't think MSNBC has ever been as bad as FOX and FOXLite (CNN). While the yakkers are who they are, the actual reporters are maybe better than most. Yeah ... I know .... Norah O'Donnell is supposedly a reporter. But she's more than balanced by her not sister, Kelly O'Donnell. And who's better these days than David Gregory? Or David Schuster?

But what gives me hope is this: Jack Welch is the man who turned NBC and MSNBC to the hard right. And he's gone. I don't know who's left, but not many men can match ol' Jack for pure weight of personality. He's the one who turned Russert and Matthews. No doubt he ruled with an iron fist.

But since his departure, there's been a softer edge to MSNBC. And now that Dan Abrahms has been named General Manager, there's even more reason to think better times are ahead. You may not have liked his show about missing women and featuring shrill lawyers screeching at each other, but think of the guy himself. To me he never came off as a hard right guy. I actually can't even say which way he leans ... he's that neutral.

After he took over, he said he would make changes at MSNBC that would play up their strengths and play down their weaknesses. His first move was to cancel Rita Foghorn and move Tucker to an earlier slot. Tucker, however, fails almost as miserably as did Rita, so maybe that was just using what's on hand and hoping to hold until real change can be made. He also added Allison Stewart with a new show (still not a great show, but she has promise, I think .... I know she was the best Olberman sub ever).

Over the last year or three, MSNBC has picked up the contracts of various B-Team on-air correspondants let go by (mostly) CNN (in its race to the bottom) and (a few) from Fox. These people are by and large not household names, but are good, solid, ***honest*** fact speakers who say what's going on with breaking news stories. No spin, no analysis. Just facts. Ned Potter and Michael Okwu, for example. Same with their daytime bland anchors. Not too much spin.

And that's all good stuff.

Anyway ... we all know damn good and well that an honest, no bullshit/no spin news organization would play to a HUGE unmet need in the US. Could that be where MSNBC is heading?

Or am I mistaking one of the kids' stashes for my pipe tobacco?

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. MSNBC Is Best For Only ONE Reason

And his name is KEITH OLBERMANN.

Without him, you're left with Tweety, tucker, scarborough, rita, etc.

He is the only televised news source for me, because Daily Show & Colbert are comedy, not news.

[pooja]

3. sad that politicians make for such great jokes

[rurallib]

11. Amen to that. Too bad you don't get Democracy Now

Amy Goodman is probably bar none the best news person out there until Bill Moyers unretires. Olbermann damn good also. After that is picking from the bottom.

[pooja]

2. With MSNBC.. you know where the commentator stands.. there

is no hidden agenda... its right out there. We hail KO and crucify Tweety.. Joe and Tucker are no brainers... sometimes they are right on the money and others not. The best about these 2 are that they don't like the Bush and bash him well most nights. And that gives repugs reason to re-think Bush and his messes. Rita.. well her and the Whora both need to be shown the door... they suck!

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Very insightful ......

... and you're right that they all tend to bash bush ..... but I'm more concerned about how they treat various guests. Tweety tends to be dismissive of or hard on lefty typoes and sucks up to righty types. Regular Joe is more even handed. Tucker's just an asshole.

They still have Ron Reagen and Monica Crowley under contract, so something may brew up there, too. Crowley is hard right and pretty unlikeable. Ron, on the other hand, is a teevee natural.

[MADem]

4. Well, we know who Dan's deddy is, don't we!

He's one of the best goddamn First Amendment lawyers in the nation. He recently represented Dan Rather...

[Stinky The Clown]

6. That fact has never been lost on me ......

.... and one of the reasons I give the son the benefit of the doubt. Fruit rarely falls too far from the tree .... whether the tree has throns or bears sweet fruit.

[RevCheesehead]

5. Don't forget Triumph, the Comic Insult Dog.

His commentary during the conventions was well worth putting up with the others!

I wish they'd give Ron Reagan his own evening slot, preferably following Keith's. Also, David Gregory deserves a shot... not just for his crackerjack reporting, but he's also good eye candy. :9

Keith: :loveya:

[Stinky The Clown]

10. I can go wkith Reagen getting a show of his own .... but as to Gregory ...

.... I can't comment on the eye candy thing, but I'd like him to stay as a reporter. He's excellent at that.

[thatsrightimirish]

7. abrams is doing good so far

Rita's show was canceled

[bullimiami]

9. not really. if it wasnt for olbermann theyd have nothing.

[Robbien]

12. No. If any news media took a leftward drift, the organized attack dogs

will come out and threaten to drive away all advertising money.

There is an audience crying out for non-GOP news media, but there is no money to be made in it due to advertiser intimidation.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. I understand what you're saying, but I don't agree

Yes, the big guys of the traditional media control stuff by the bucks, but ratings matter, too. And an honest (not necessarily left) news organization would be VERY likely to garner higher ratings that FOX, since they'd get well over half of the country ... that unmet need I menationed.

In the end, there's plenty of money that will follow ratings.

[gademocrat7]

14. I agree with you.

Ratings do matter.