MSNBC
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| MSNBC | |
|---|---|
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| Launched | July 15, 1996 |
| Owned by | NBC Universal (82%) Microsoft (18%) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) (6/29/09)[1] |
| Slogan | "The Place for Politics"[2] "America's Fastest Growing News Channel"[3] "A Fuller Spectrum of News"[4] |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | United States Canada |
| Headquarters | 30 Rockefeller Center New York City |
| Formerly called | America's Talking (1994-1996) |
| Sister channel(s) | CNBC CNBC World NBC The Weather Channel |
| Website | msnbc.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV (U.S.) | 356 |
| Dish Network (U.S.) | 209 |
| Star Choice (Canada) | 511 |
| Cable | |
| Available on most cable systems | Check local listings |
| IPTV over ADSL | |
| AT&T U-verse (U.S.) | 215 |
| TELUS TV (Canada) | 97 |
| Verizon FiOs (U.S., except in parts of NY and NJ see Cable carriage issues) |
103 |
MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news channel based in the United States and available in both the US and Canada. Its name is a combination of "MSN" and "NBC".
A separate company, msnbc.com, is the news website for the NBC News family, featuring original stories and video as well as content from NBC News and partners.[5]
Two partnerships with the name MSNBC were founded in 1996 by Microsoft and General Electric's NBC unit, which is now NBC Universal. Although Microsoft and NBC shared operations of MSNBC cable at its founding, it was announced on December 23, 2005, that NBC Universal would purchase a majority stake in the television network, which left Microsoft with 18%. The two companies remain 50-50 partners in msnbc.com. MSNBC shares the NBC logo of a rainbow peacock with its sister channels NBC and CNBC.Microsoft invested $220 million for a 50% share of the cable network, while MSNBC and Microsoft would share the cost of a $200 million newsroom in Redmond, Washington for msnbc.com. NBC supplied the space with an 18 month old America's Talking network.
Some critics and observers of the network say that MSNBC has become increasingly politically liberal compared to other networks, particularly in its prime-time lineup.[6][7][8]
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[edit] History
[edit] MSNBC's Early History
MSNBC was launched on July 15, 1996. The first show, which was anchored by Jodi Applegate, broadcast a lineup of news, interviews, and opinions.[9] During the day, rolling news coverage continued with The Contributors, a show that featured Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham, as well as interactive programming coordinated by Applegate, John Gibson, and John Seigenthaler. Stories were generally longer and more detailed than the stories running on CNN at the time.[10]
MSNBC originally demonstrated the interactive value of the Internet. The network's first slogan was It's Time to Get Connected, and e-mail addresses and phone numbers were displayed regularly.[11]
Primetime featured an hour-long interview program called Internight (which showcased the stars of NBC News),[12] followed by the network's flagship newscast, The News with Brian Williams, and The Site, a show about the Internet and computers co-hosted by Soledad O'Brien and a computer-generated character played by Leo Laporte.[13] The first Internight included an interview with President Bill Clinton, who took questions from callers and e-mailers.[14] Other shows that made use of the Internet included News Chat featuring Mary Kathleen Flynn, and a look into the past with Time & Again, anchored by Jane Pauley. Black Entertainment Television host Ed Gordon also contributed to the new network by hosting the Saturday version of Internight.
The start was a bit bumpy due to a series of changes in management and continuing internal squabbles over the direction of the network. Some NBC affiliates were concerned that cross-promotion would divert viewers from their own programs, although that fear abated.[15] However, MSNBC was often first to break news. It broke the story of the crash of TWA Flight 800 eight minutes before CNN, ushering in an era of hypercompetitiveness between the news channels that continues today.[16]
MSNBC signed a simulcast agreement with Infinity Broadcasting station WFAN to carry the Imus in the Morning radio show, which began on September 2, 1996.[17] In November 1996, the network moved to new studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. In 2007 studios were relocated to NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan. [18]
The network's goal of attracting a younger, tech-savvy audience failed to materialize. In September 1997, MSNBC laid off 20% of its staff[19] and canceled The Site due to low ratings and the press of a news story (the death of Princess Diana), causing howls of protest from its viewers, many of whom considered O'Brien a cult figure.[20] The network began moving away from its internet roots and began covering fashion and celebrity like its competitors.[21] In October 1997, Internight was replaced with The Big Show, hosted by Keith Olbermann, in hopes that his irreverent style would spike up ratings.[22] After its first year, the network had 24,000 households viewing it per night, well short of the 578,000 of CNN and the 30,000 of Fox News (which was four months younger than MSNBC)[23]
The msnbc.com web site, a separate company, remained relatively successful, becoming the most-used online news site in 1997,[24] 1998,[25] and 1999.[26] MSNBC significantly increased during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, following a new "covering the Big Story" format that provided saturation coverage for the top stories. Keith Olbermann left over MSNBC's continuing focus on the impeachment. He returned in 2003 as host of Countdown, currently the network's most popular show. When Olbermann left "The Big Show" he was replaced by John Hockenberry, who achieved some success. Hockenberry's Edgewise program focused on newsmakers and showed off Hockenberry's documentary skills. Ratings began to drop, however, after the impeachment trial was completed. Fox beat MSNBC in numbers of viewers per 24 hours, particularly impressive considering MSNBC's distribution advantage. NBC News stars began shunning the network. Low-rated chat shows such as Watch It, and Equal Time, a Crossfire knockoff, filled out the schedule.[27] Hockenberry was replaced after six months by a rebroadcast of Hardball from CNBC.[28]
That show was replaced by Headliners and Legends, a biography program that has been a weekend staple on the network ever since. Also in 1999, the management of MSNBC replaced midday news coverage with a delayed broadcast of NBC News Today called Today on MSNBC and repackaged Dateline NBC stories into MSNBC Investigates, a decision that angered NBC affiliates. On the other hand, 1999 saw a partnership with the Washington Post that permitted more integrated coverage on the web site.[29]
On April 3, 2000, a show named Home Page hosted by three women—Ashleigh Banfield, Gina Gaston, and Mika Brzezinski—began.[30] Along with Home Page, MSNBC tried to attract female viewers by signing a deal in February 2001 with Detroit radio station WJR to simulcast the first two hours of The Mitch Albom Show. While the pairing was a ratings winner, both shows would eventually be canceled: Home Page due to sinking ratings; and The Mitch Albom Show due to its frequent preemptions and some disagreements with the MSNBC management.
In 2000, John Gibson, one of the original MSNBC hosts, left the network. His confrontational tenure as the host of the Feedback primetime program foreshadowed his opinion program on the Fox News Channel.[31] MSNBC continued to repackage NBC News programs (Special Edition and Crime Files), and during the 2000 presidential election cycle, reporters and interviews were cycled constantly between broadcast NBC and the cable news channel.[32] MSNBC also commissioned original documentaries similar to The Discovery Channel for use as filler on weekends. Later in the year, Lester Holt received kudos for his daily coverage of the Florida election controversy, allowing MSNBC to beat Fox News during November 2000.[33]
By the start of 2001, MSNBC continued to trail both Fox News and CNN. With the success of Fox News Channel, MSNBC tried to emulate the Fox News Channel's emphasis on opinion hosts.[34] The Project for Excellence in Journalism found in 2007 after a seven year survey of cable networks that "MSNBC is moving to make politics a brand, with a large dose of opinion and personality."[35] In January 2001, Mike Barnicle got a show on MSNBC, but it was canceled in June 2001 due to high production costs.[36] In June, in a sign of continuing trouble of MSNBC, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that he would not have started MSNBC if he knew then what he knows now.[37] After the September 11, 2001 attacks, MSNBC served as an outlet for NBC News to provide up-to-the-minute coverage, in contrast to broadcast NBC's longer stories. CNBC and CNBC Europe, with little financial news to report, ran MSNBC for many hours of the day following the attacks. The year also boosted the profile of Ashleigh Banfield, who had escaped injury while covering the World Trade Center on September 11. Her Region In Conflict program capitalized on her newfound celebrity and showcased exclusive interviews from Afghanistan.
In 2002, MSNBC's focus continued on opinion journalism and still had low ratings. MSNBC scored up to triple the usual ratings during the 2002 Winter Olympics, airing several events, but this success was not due to news programming.[38] Alan Keyes is Making Sense debuted in January, featuring the conservative one-time candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination.[39] MSNBC rebranded itself as America's NewsChannel, with a patriotic theme proclaiming MSNBC to be fiercely independent.[40] Jerry Nachman joined MSNBC as its editor-in-chief and host of a news analysis program in May, and liberal talk-show pioneer Phil Donahue began hosting an evening talk show in July.[41] The News with Brian Williams was moved to CNBC, leaving MSNBC with primarily opinion shows in the evening. In the afternoon, the cable network replaced rolling news coverage with talk shows featuring Curtis Sliwa, Ron Kuby, Bill Press, and Pat Buchanan.[42]
The experiment did not last long. Keyes was gone by July. Sliwa and Kuby were removed in October, and Nachman's show was moved in October. Donahue's ratings plummeted, from 660,000 households in his first week to just 136,000 households in his sixth week, a drop of 80%.[43] The network was regularly beaten in the ratings by CNN Headline News. Overall, ratings dropped 36% from the previous year.[44] MSNBC publicly proclaimed support for Donahue and moved some shows to try to stabilize his ratings, helping to increase his viewership to 446,000 households.[45] Donahue himself claimed that MSNBC was trying to "out-fox" Fox by removing him and adding Joe Scarborough to the lineup.[46] Donahue's time slot was replaced by Countdown with Keith Olbermann.
On December 23, 2005, it was announced that NBC Universal would acquire an additional 32% share of the television network from Microsoft, solidifying its control over television operations and allowing NBC to further consolidate MSNBC's backroom operations with NBC News and its other cable properties. Msnbc.com would continue to be 50% owned by both NBC and Microsoft, and its operations would be largely unaffected. NBC would have the option to buy the remaining 18% share from Microsoft after two years. Rumors circulated that the cable network would eventually be rebranded as NBC News Channel, a name currently used for the network's news service to NBC affiliates.
In June 2006, Don Kaplan of the New York Post (owned by News Corporation, which also owns Fox News Channel) wrote a column titled "Do We Need MSNBC?" Addressing MSNBC'S low ratings, Kaplan quoted CNN co-founder Reese Schoenfeld, who said that "[e]verybody compares MSNBC to Fox and CNN — when its real competition is Headline News". Schoenfeld pointed out that the ratings for MSNBC and Headline News are roughly the same, about 300,000 viewers on average and that "by comparison, Fox and CNN regularly average three or four times as many viewers." In the column Kaplan remarked that "the running joke in TV news is Fox and CNN are news channels with websites, but MSNBC is a website with a cable channel".[47]. On June 7, 2006, Rick Kaplan resigned as president of MSNBC, after holding the post for two years.[48] Following the announcement, it was announced on June 12, 2006, that Dan Abrams, a nine-year veteran of MSNBC and NBC News, had been named General Manager of the NBC News 24-hour cable news channel, effective immediately. NBC News Senior Vice President Phil Griffin would oversee MSNBC. Griffin would also continue to oversee NBC News’ Today, and Abrams would report to Griffin.
On June 29, 2006, Abrams announced a revamp to MSNBC's early-primetime and primetime schedule. On July 10, Tucker (formerly The Situation with Tucker Carlson) started airing at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET (taking over Abrams' old timeslot), while Rita Cosby's Live & Direct was taken off the schedule. Cosby was instead given the role of primary anchor for MSNBC Investigates at 10 and 11 p.m. ET, a new program that took over Cosby and Carlson's timeslots. According to the press release, MSNBC Investigates promised to "...complement MSNBC's existing programming by building on [the network's] library of award winning documentaries."[49] The move to taped programming during 10 and 11 p.m. was likely a result of the success that the network saw with their Friday "experiment" of replacing all primetime programming with taped specials.
On October 22, 2007 MSNBC moved to its new headquarters in New York at the newly renovated 3rd and 4th floors of 30 Rock.[50] Studio 3A debuted that morning when MSNBC's Morning Joe opened its broadcast from the studio at 6 a.m. ET. MSNBC continued to broadcast from Studio 3A throughout the day, including Live with Dan Abrams in primetime. Countdown with Keith Olbermann broadcast live at 8 p.m. from the 2nd floor of studio 1A. At 6:30 p.m. ET, Brian Williams unveiled the renovated Studio 3C on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. More than 12.5 hours of live television across NBC News and MSNBC originate from the two studios daily. On September 24, 2007, Abrams announced that he would leave the position of General Manager to focus on his 9:00 p.m. ET talk show, "Live With Dan Abrams". Oversight of MSNBC is now provided by Phil Griffin, a senior vice president at NBC.[51]On October 22, 2007, MSNBC and NBC News launched broadcasts from new studios at NBC's "30 Rock" complex in New York City. After extensive renovations of the associated studios, NBC essentially merged its entire news operation into one building, and all MSNBC broadcasts, as well as the NBC Nightly News program, originate in the new studios. MSNBC is also expected to expand West Coast operations, as the network recently announced new studios near the Universal Studios lot, which will assemble all NBC West Coast news operations in one building. MSNBC's Master Control did not make the move to 30 Rock. It remained in the old Secaucus headquarters until it completed its move to the NBC Universal Network Origination Center located inside the CNBC Global Headquarters building in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on December 21, 2007.
[edit] Changes Since 2008
From mid-2007 to mid-2008, the network received a large increase in its ratings.[2] Primetime viewings increased by 61% over that time.[2] In May 2008, NBC News President Steve Capus said that "It used to be people didn't have to worry about MSNBC because it was an also-ran cable channel... That's not the case anymore."[2] Tim Russert's sudden death removed what The Wall Street Journal called the "rudder for the network" and has currently led to a period of transition.[52]
During the 2008 Presidential election, the network's coverage was anchored by Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, and David Gregory. The three were widely viewed as the face of the Network's political coverage. [52]
After Phil Griffin assumed executive oversight for MSNBC in 2006 (being named the network's president in July 2008) the network has become increasingly liberal, particularly in its prime-time lineup.[6][7][8] Ratings have increased since he became president.[53][54]
In March 2009, MSNBC finished in 2nd place in prime-time, ahead of CNN for the first time in its existence. Phil Griffin, MSNBC chief executive, attributed this to the network's decision to (per the Associated Press) "go liberal" with Olbermann and Maddow along with problems at CNN. [55]
[edit] MSNBC HD
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This section contains information about a future television station, channel or network. The content may change dramatically as the channel or network launch approaches and more information becomes available. |
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2009) |
On October 23, 2008, it was reported that MSNBC HD will launch in the second quarter of 2009. The news network had been aiming to launch its HD offering in the fourth quarter of 2008. That turned out to be “a little aggressive,” MSNBC president Phil Griffin said in an interview with Multichannel News. He further added “Look, I’d love to be in HD right now.” He went on to say “The idea of the announcement before the election appealed to me. I pushed our guys hard.” He then explained “We don’t want to do it in parts. We want to be fully ready.” He concluded with “Really this is the price of admission. You better be in HD in the next year or so, because you have to be in that tier.” [56]
On October 30, 2008, Griffin confirmed in an interview with TV Week that the HD version will be in 1080i, like all other HD channels that NBC Universal owns. He also said the following: "As viewers are making the transition to HD more and more every day, we’re looking forward to delivering what they want: a full high-definition experience on MSNBC." He added, "In addition to our live news programs, over 80% of our new documentaries will be presented in HD." [57]
On April 2, 2009, Griffin announced at the annual Cable Show that MSNBC HD will launch on June 29, 2009. In his press release, Griffin said "MSNBC is in the best competitive place its ever been, beating CNN in primetime last month and continuing incredible growth. Broadcasting in HD is only going to help us build on the great success we've had so far this year, and will give viewers what they've been asking for, a full high definition broadcast of MSNBC."[1]
More specific information regarding carriage agreement deals is currently unavailable.
[edit] Cable carriage issues
As a result of a carriage agreement, MSNBC is currently not available to Verizon Fios TV subscribers in Verizon's Long Island & Northern New Jersey grouping as well as areas in New York City, Westchester County, and Orange County (FIOS does carry MSNBC on channel 103 in Secaucus, 103 & 603 on Long Island, NJ[58] and in certain areas in Manhattan on channels 103 and 1545). The reason for the lack of availability is, in part, due to an exclusive carriage agreement that MSNBC entered into with Cablevision, which services the areas in question. [59] The terms of the agreement (i.e. when the exclusive agreement expires in 2011) are unknown. Although areas in Verizon's Northern New Jersey area are serviced by another cable provider (Comcast), Verizon imposes the unavailability of MSNBC to all customers residing in their Northern NJ channel map. Customers who reside in the New York City area and do not live in Cablevision areas are affected, although MSNBC is available on FiOS in Staten Island, on channel 103.
[edit] Broadcasts
MSNBC is shown only in the United States, Canada, parts of Latin America & Africa (see below). In 2001, a Canadian version—MSNBC Canada—was developed; however, it was soon discontinued in 2004, and the American version began airing in Canada.
[edit] MSNBC Africa
In Southern Africa, MSNBC is distributed free-to-air on satellite on Free2View TV as MSNBC Africa, a joint venture between Great Media Limited and MSNBC. Free2View airs MSNBC's programming from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET in a block that repeats twice (live for the first airing), with local Weather Channel forecasts.[60] Botswana's national television broadcaster, BTV, also provides an un-edited broadcast of MSNBC (including advertisements) after their scheduled programming each evening. BTV is available within Botswana, as well as to Southern Africa viewers on DStv.
[edit] Europe and Asia
In Asia and Europe, MSNBC is not shown on a channel of its own. When the network started in 1996 they announced plans to start broadcasting in Europe during 1997. This never happened. However, MSNBC is shown for a few hours a day on the 24 hour news network Orbit News in Europe and the Middle East. During breaking news MSNBC is also shown occasionally on affiliate network CNBC Europe.[61] In the UK, during major US breaking news, the now-closed ITV News Channel (ITN) occasionally showed MSNBC; some of MSNBC's reports appeared in ITV News bulletins.
[edit] NTV-MSNBC
In Turkey, NTV-MSNBC is the news network of the Turkish broadcaster NTV Turkey. The network is a joint partnership between the two, although very little Turkish content makes its way onto English MSNBC. English content on MSNBC is translated to Turkish. [62]
[edit] Online
Msnbc.com, a separate company from MSNBC cable, is the online news outlet for the NBC News family, including network shows such as Today, NBC Nightly News, and Dateline NBC, as well as MSNBC TV. In addition to NBC News content and material produced by the site's own staff, MSNBC.com also hosts articles and features from several partners, including The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine.
The web site is developed in Redmond, Washington, on the Microsoft campus and news content is produced out of newsrooms in Redmond, New York, and London. It is the news provider for MSN, the portal site and online service operated by Microsoft, but it is editorially and financially separate.
On April 2, 2007, msnbc.com launched a new logo and a new slogan, "A Fuller Spectrum of News."
According to Nielsen Online, msnbc.com has risen above Yahoo! News and CNN for the position of top U.S. news site from June 2008 through January 2009.[63]
[edit] Current programming
| ET | Program | Hosts | Description |
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Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist | MSNBC's morning news show with analysis, commentaries and the headlines of the day. |
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Contessa Brewer, Monica Novotny, Norah O'Donnell, Alex Witt and Carlos Watson | MSNBC's daily hard news programming, focusing on news of the day, hosted by MSNBC anchors and correspondents, with the segments CNBC Market Wrap, MSNBC Now, and weather from meteorologists of The Weather Channel. |
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Andrea Mitchell | The day's breaking political and general news, in addition to interviews with politicians and debate. |
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Contessa Brewer | 2pm hour co-hosts with Contessa Brewer are John Harwood (Mondays), Melissa Francis (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and Carlos Watson (Wednesdays and Fridays). |
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David Shuster and Tamron Hall | The show is a panel show based around the discussion of news and trends in American politics among the panelists and anchor. |
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Chris Matthews | Hosted by Chris Matthews, featuring a mix of political and other news, in addition to interviews with politicians and debate. Replays at 7pm, 12am, 3am, 5am (Saturdays), and 7am (Sundays) |
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Ed Schultz | The show, which premiered April 6, focuses on working class values and issues relating to the everyday worker. |
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Chris Matthews | Rerun of the 5pm show. Replays at 12am, 3 am, 5am (Saturdays), and 7 am (Sundays) |
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Keith Olbermann | Counts down five selected news stories of the day with news reports and interviews with guests, along with commentary by Olbermann. Replays at 10pm, 1am, and 4am |
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Rachel Maddow | A weeknight opinion and news focused on the latest of the political news and hosted by Rachel Maddow. Replays at 11pm, 2am, and 5am |
[edit] Weekends
| ET | Program | Hosts | Description |
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MSNBC and NBC News caught one-hour documentary, including Headliners and Legends, Lockup, Dateline NBC and special editions of To Catch a Predator | |
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Alex Witt | Weekend aired at 7am-12pm (on Saturdays) and 8am-12pm (on Sundays) |
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JJ Ramberg | News and analysis about small business. Replays at 5.30am Saturdays |
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David Gregory | Same day re-air of the weekly Sunday morning talk show carried on the NBC network. Replays at 2am (Monday morning) |
[edit] MSNBC/NBC News Anchors and Correspondents
[edit] Criticism and controversy
[edit] Allegations of political bias
[edit] Alleged Liberal bias
In November 2007, a New York Times article stated that MSNBC's prime-time lineup is tilting more to the left.[6] Washington Post media analyst Howard Kurtz has stated that the network's evening lineup "has clearly gravitated to the left in recent years and often seems to regard itself as the antithesis of Fox News."[2] In reference to the channel's evening programming, senior vice president of NBC News Phil Griffin has said that "It happened naturally. There isn’t a dogma we’re putting through. There is a ‘Go for it.’”[6]
In the February 2008 issue of Men's Journal magazine, a MSNBC interviewee quoted a senior executive who said that commentator Keith Olbermann "runs MSNBC" and that "because of his success, he's in charge" of the network.[64] The New York Times has called Olbermann the network's "most recognizable face".[6] In September 2008, MSNBC stated that they were removing both Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as live political event anchors, and replacing them with David Gregory, due to growing criticism that they were "too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign."[7][8] However, Olbermann continued to broadcast Countdown both before and after the presidential and vice-presidential debates, and both Matthews and Olbermann joined Gregory on the network's election night coverage.
[edit] Alleged Obama bias
Some supporters of the Democratic Party have criticized MSNBC during and after the 2008 Democratic Primaries, accusing it of covering Barack Obama more favorably than Hillary Clinton. Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries and supported Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election, called MSNBC's coverage "absolutely embarrassing."[65] He also stated that “MSNBC was the official network of the Obama campaign".[65] Writer Isaac Chotiner wrote in The New Republic that "MSNBC's coverage can lead to a perverse sort of cognitive dissonance in viewers like, well, me."[66] He speculated that "it was the Obama cheerleading from MSNBC (among others) that helped lead to Clinton's New Hampshire comeback."[66] A study done by the Project for Excellence in Journalism showed that MSNBC had less negative coverage of Obama (14% of stories vs. 29% in the press overall) and more negative stories about Republican presidential candidate John McCain (73% of its coverage vs. 57% in the press overall).[67]
In a May 2008 appearance at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at Harvard University, an audience member asked Chris Matthews if MSNBC officially supports Barack Obama. Matthews responded that “Well, it’s not official.”[68]
A spokesperson for Obama's campaign has stated that "When the cable news channels had wall-to-wall negative coverage about our campaign for weeks on end, we didn't think it was particularly fair, but we also didn't whine about it all the time."[2] He also said about the network that "Has it been too pro-Obama? Absolutely not".[2] MSNBC head Phil Griffin called the network's coverage of Clinton "very fair".[2]
During the week of the 2008 presidential election, MSNBC changed its on-air slogan to "The Power of Change" which was similar to the Obama campaign's message during the election. This fueled further allegations of bias from critics of the news organization.[69]
[edit] Michael Savage dismissal
In March 2003, MSNBC featured a weekend show hosted by conservative radio host Michael Savage. Savage snapped at a prank caller on his show, calling him a "pig" and a "sodomite," telling him that he "should get AIDS and die," and to "go eat a sausage and choke on it." Savage was immediately fired.[70]
[edit] Don Imus controversy
In early April 2007, shock jock Don Imus, whose radio show Imus in the Morning was simulcast on MSNBC, made comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. The comments sparked outrage, as many individuals considered the comments to be both racist and sexist. After an initial two-week suspension of Imus' program, MSNBC canceled the simulcast as sponsors started withdrawing their advertisements from the show. Imus, as well as NBC News, apologized to the Rutgers Basketball team for the remarks.[71]
[edit] MSNBC logos
MSNBC has used five logos to date since 1996, and they are shown below.
 2001–2002: This logo was utilized in the aftermath of 9/11, in the "America's News Channel" phase. From this point on, the "N" in the logo was changed from red to match the rest of the letters' colorations. The peacock is colored with a pattern of the flag of the United States. |
 2006–Present: This style was introduced for the Doc Block and was soon after adopted as the network's new official logo. |
2007–Present, msnbc.com logo: Msnbc.com, a separate company from MSNBC cable, uses a different logo. |
[edit] References
- ^ a b MSNBC To Go HD in June
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kurtz, Howard (2008-05-28). "MSNBC, Leaning Left And Getting Flak From Both Sides". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/27/AR2008052703047_pf.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-28.
- ^ MSNBC Expands to South Africa. TVNEWSER. Published November 15, 2007. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ MSNBC.com launches 'A Fuller Spectrum of News' Brand Campaign. MSNBC.com. Published April 2, 2007. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ "MSNBC.com". 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ a b c d e Cable Channel Nods to Ratings and Leans Left. New York Times. Published November 6, 2007. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ a b c Kurtz, Howard (2008-09-08). "MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090800008_pf.html. Retrieved on 2008-09-30.
- ^ a b c Stelter, Brian (2008-09-07). "MSNBC Takes Incendiary Hosts From Anchor Seat". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/business/media/08msnbc.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved on 2008-09-30.
- ^ Jodi Jodi Applegate WNYW biography: [1]
- ^ Collins, Scott Crazy Like A Fox: The Inside Story of How Fox News Beat CNN, ISBN 1-59184-029-5
- ^ Beato, G. Media Circus, April 11, 1997, Salon Magazine [2]
- ^ Goodman, Walter. "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; New and Familiar Faces In News Channel Debut", The New York Times, July 23, 1996. [3]
- ^ MSNBC at Ten; Remembering The Site. [4]
- ^ Burelle's Transcripts: [5]
- ^ Siklos, Richard. "This Little Peacock is Showing Some Pluck. BusinessWeek, August 17, 1998.
- ^ Towery, Terry. "MSNBC proves it is ready." Peoria Journal Star, July 21, 1996. Page C12
- ^ Bianculli, David: "BEST OF 'IMUS IN THE MORNING' ON MSNBC? THEM'S THE BREAKS." New York Daily News, September 29, 1996.
- ^ Collins, Scott Crazy Like A Fox: The Inside Story of How Fox News Beat CNN, ISBN 1-59184-029-5
- ^ Flash, Cynthia. "MICROSOFT LEARNS COSTLY MEDIA LESSON". Tacoma News Tribune, September 24, 1997. Page C9
- ^ "MSNBC CHANNEL CANCELS 'THE SITE,' AWARD-WINNING TECHNOLOGY SHOW". Seattle Times, September 21, 1997, Page E4.
- ^ Pope, Kyle. "Future Seems Bright at MSNBC Despite Tiny Ratings." The Wall Street Journal, October 28, 1997, page B1
- ^ Bauder, David. "'BIG SHOW' A TALL ORDER FOR OLBERMANN". Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 17, 1997, page 5.E
- ^ Johnson, Peter. "MSNBC hasn't plugged into a big audience yet." USA Today, June 4, 1997.
- ^ PR Newswire: "MSNBC.COM RATED #1 ONLINE NEWS SITE FOR 1997", January 20, 1998
- ^ PR Newswire: "MSNBC.COM RATED #1 ONLINE NEWS SITE FOR 1998", January 19, 1999
- ^ PR Newswire: "MSNBC.COM RATED #1 ONLINE NEWS SITE FOR 1999", January 22, 2000
- ^ Jensen, Elizabeth. "Cable News Rivals Prepare for Life After Monica". Los Angeles Times, February 12, 1999. Page A1.
- ^ Mifflin, Lawrie. "Too Few Viewers for 'Hockenberry'." The New York Times, July 12, 1999. Page C12
- ^ "Washington Post, NBC to collaborate". Houston Chronicle, November 18, 1999. pg. 4
- ^ Curpisin, Tim. "MSNBC wants to be women's `Home Page'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 3, 2000.
- ^ "Gibson Jumping to FNC." New York Post, August 16, 2000.
- ^ Saunders, Dusty. "NBC SCORED EARLY SUCCESS IN ANNOUNCING BUSH WIN", Rocky Mountain News, December 15, 2000.
- ^ Lavin, Cheryl. "HOLT HITS THE NEWSROOM RUNNING FOR MSNBC." Chicago Tribune, November 24, 2000. Page 1.
- ^ Moss, Linda. "MSNBC Shifts Shows" Cable World, July 2, 2001.
- ^ The State of the News Media 2007: Public Attitudes. Project for Excellence in Journalism.
- ^ E! Online, Bits and Pieces, June 26, 2001.
- ^ Ballmer: Would not launch MSNBC again. CNET News.Com, June 7, 2001.
- ^ Bauder, David. "BAD DECISIONS HURT MSNBC" Associated Press, February 25, 2002.
- ^ Huff, Richard. "MSNBC GETS KEYES TO TALK." New York Daily News, January 8, 2002.
- ^ Battaglio, Steven. "MSNBC STARTS TO SPELL OUT NEW APPROACH." New York Daily News, April 12, 2002, page 139
- ^ Jensen, Elizabeth. "Donahue's Back, With No Plans to Be Neutral." Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2002. Page F1
- ^ Bard, Ed. "MSNBC relying on personalities as it revamps lineup." Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. June 13, 2002.
- ^ Bauder, David. "CAN'T PHIL THE BILL? / Donahue's numbers sinking on MSNBC" Houston Chronicle, September 4, 2002, Page 10
- ^ deMoraes, Lisa. "MSNBC's Nachman Takes One for the Team" Washington Post, October 5, 2002. Page C07
- ^ Huff, Richard. "MSNBC: Weak ratings snuff Phil Donahue" Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. February 26, 2003.
- ^ Huff, Richard. "DONAHUE LIBERALLY FIRES BACK AT MSNBC" New York Daily News, February 27, 2003. Page 89
- ^ [6], New York Post Columnist Asks 'Do We Need MSNBC?'
- ^ "Rick Kaplan Exits: Effective Immediately, President Of MSNBC Steps Down". 2006. http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/rick_kaplan_exits_effective_immediately_president_of_msnbc_steps_down_38122.asp. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ "MSNBC Announcement". 2006-06-29. http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/msnbc-20060629000000-msnbcannouncesprim.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ "NBC News to Begin Broadcasting from New World Headquarters". 2007-10-22. http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/nbc_news_to_begin_broadcasting_from_new_world_headquarters_oct_22_68821.asp. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ Kurtz, Howard. "MSNBC's Abrams Quits His Day Job." The Washington Post, September 25, 2007. Page C03.
- ^ a b MSNBC Anchors' Fights Go Live. Wall Street Journal. Published August 28, 2008. Accessed August 28, 2008.
- ^ http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.com/2009/chartland.php?id=891&ct=line&dir=&sort=&c1=1&c2=1&c3=0&c4=0&c5=0&c6=0&c7=0&c8=0&c9=0&c10=0&d3=0&dd3=1
- ^ http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.com/2008/chartland.php?id=666&ct=line&dir=&sort=&c1=1&c2=1&c3=0&c4=0&c5=0&c6=0&c7=0&c8=0&c9=0&c10=0&d3=0&dd3=1
- ^ Associated Press March 28, 2009 CNN in third place in prime time for first time
- ^ Multichannel News October 23, 2008 MSNBC Sees Hi-Def Debut Next Spring - News Network to Follow CNN, Fox News In Launching HD
- ^ TV Week October 30, 2008 MSNBC to Go HD in the Spring
- ^ http://www22.verizon.com/Content/FiOSTV/Channel+Lineup/Channel+Lineup.htm?zipCode=07094
- ^ Inside Cable News :: Cablevision has exclusive carriage deal with MSNBC... :: February :: 2007
- ^ "Southern Africa to Get MSNBC". 2007-11-17. http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/11/17/southern-africa-to-get-msnbc/. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ "About CNBC Europe". 2008. http://www.cnbc.com/id/15910671. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ "NTVMSNBC.com". 2008. http://www.ntvmsnbc.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
- ^ Top 30 news sites for August — Editor & Publisher
- ^ mediabistro.com: TVNewser
- ^ a b Rendell: Obama coverage was embarrassing. Politico.com. Published August 24, 2008. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ a b Dangerous Liaison. The New Republic Published May 27, 2008. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ http://www.journalism.org/node/13436
- ^ Matthews Engages at IOP. The Harvard Crimson. Published May 06, 2008. Accessed August 24, 2008.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (2008-11-10). "MSNBC's Tag for Now: 'The Power of Change'". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10msnbc.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-13.
- ^ Lowry, Brian. "Savage gets the boot after on-air anti-gay outburst" Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2003. Page E1.
- ^ MSNBC drops simulcast of Don Imus show. MSNBC.com. 11 April 2007.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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