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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAP: NBC News' boss faces challenge fixing MSNBC
NEW YORK (AP) As he returns to run the NBC News Group, Andy Lack faces one of the same puzzles he tried to solve a decade and a half ago: how to make MSNBC work.
While he was gone, MSNBC changed from traditional news to a political network with a liberal lens. Now that it is mired in a ratings slump, Lack's mandate as chairman will be figuring out if MSNBC needs a complete overhaul or a sharpening of its mission.
The current picture is seriously ugly. Through early March, Chris Hayes' viewership at 8 p.m. on weekdays was down 23 percent from last year, Rachel Maddow was off 24 percent and Lawrence O'Donnell down 26 percent. Among the 25-to-54-year-old demographic that is the basis for advertising sales, the prime-time lineup lost nearly half its audience. Daytime isn't much better.
Fatigue is natural for fans of any presidential administration in its sixth year, and liberals are traditionally less loyal to political talk media than conservatives.
...
To many fans, MSNBC's weakness isn't that it's liberal. It's that the network is boring.
"The solution is not that 'we need more news' or that 'we need to alter the political viewpoint,' but what does the content of the shows look like," said Keith Olbermann, former MSNBC prime-time host. "Do not be afraid to make good television. And in Rachel, Phil Griffin, and Andy Lack, they've got three people in place who've already done that there."
full: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/117ab7e45fa34b9587fc6927f9351f30/nbc-news-boss-faces-challenge-fixing-msnbc
Regarding "liberals are traditionally less loyal to political talk media than conservatives": same reason why Air America Radio couldn't succeed. Public radio and the Internet (DU anyone?) already ate up the audience Air America was looking for. Same situation nowadays with MSNBC: why pay a premium to watch liberal/non right wing opinion on TV when you can get it for the mere cost of an internet subscription on DU, Reddit, YouTube channels like TYT, social media, etc.?
And Olbermann is dead on. I've seen anecdotes on DU about MSNBC shows covering the same ol' same ol' hour after hour on the punditry shows. On MSNBC, you'll have to watch Melissa Harris-Perry for something less "conventional" than the weeknight shows.
nakocal
(557 posts)The real reason that Air America did not succeed because many big advertisers only support right wing media. There boards do not care about the customers or employees, but only care about how much money the board can make.
The other reason is that Air America did not own the stations they were on. And most were on stations owned by right-wing nuts that just wanted to make money from a group that was ignoring their other stations. And when Air America started to pick up an office and started to threaten their wholly owned politicians, it had to be shut down.
alp227
(32,065 posts)whether right or left, which contributed to Clear Channel withdrawing progressive talk from Portland, San Francisco, L.A., and wherever was left post-Air America. Also, another major factor that drives away big advertising $ is that progressive talk hosts challenge capitalism and corporate power.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)While they will allow some left leaning personalities they will only let them go so far. You don't see much criticism of corporate America on MSNBC because that would upset the advertisers. During the Occupy movement MSNBC was mostly silent, they are ok with promoting Democrats but when people on the left try to organize outside the political establishment they do everything they can to avoid the story.
It is a liberal network that is run by right-wingers, while they will cater to a liberal audience to a certain point the owners of the network will make sure that nothing will air that seriously challenges the establishment.
on point
(2,506 posts)alp227
(32,065 posts)No way is a corporate owned network going to dare touch the topics that will affect the corporate parent's bottom line.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)From the Article:
Liberal in outlook, MSNBC's programming approach is often conservative. Watching MSNBC can feel like a hidden camera picking up a discussion in the faculty lounge. Fox viewers often feel like they've stumbled upon a street brawl.
Setting politics aside, which is more fun to watch?
Many liberals feel MSNBC reflexively defends President Barack Obama when it could be challenging him, said Jeff Cohen, a former MSNBC producer and now an Ithaca College professor. The network needs more energy and independence, he said.
Olbermann said the network needs an infusion of new ideas and new blood. Lack's skill is in spotting and managing talent, often from unexpected places, "and I am the largest example of that," he said.
Feldstein said it would be unwise for MSNBC to throw away an identity built up over a decade, certainly not with a presidential election year looming.
"I think Lack will tinker with MSNBC," he said. "He'll bring in new hosts, he'll try to punch it up. He'll add a bit more charisma and maybe a little bit more substance, wait for 2016 to bring the numbers up and declare victory."
nakocal
(557 posts)Actually is is conservative that think MSNBC always defend President Obama. Progressives get annoyed at MSNBC because they still support the "both sides do it" lie and tend on the majority of their shows to still beat up Democratic office holders with the right wings made up scandals and let the right wing lie without question.
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)If MSNBC purports to be a "news network"..most news is anything BUT fun..
If they shitcanned all the "other side" guests, and actually had true liberals using the network as a teaching tool, they might be surprised.
MILLIONS of people don't know a sunni from a shia, couldn't name more than 3 or 4 countries in Africa...have no idea about much of anything..
We are being info-tained..and it's killing us..
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)I don't watch MSNBC (or much of anything else) during 'prime time'. I am by a TV during the day, and weekend mornings, not in the evenings. So I used to watch Hayes on the weekends, and now I watch Kornacki and Harris-Perry.
procon
(15,805 posts)I'm certainly watching less because its become stale and boring, and the primetime programing has become tiresome in its predictable formulaic broadcasts. I watched Olbermann precisely because he was an unpredictable showstopper with his daring, outspoken, no holds barred, rants. He was exciting to watch, an attribute that can't be found in the current schedule.
If the hosts are all talking about the same thing, using the same angle, sharing the same experts, and recycling the same guest contributors, why do I need to watch MSNBCs whole lineup? Give me something that is more substantial than just a nightly vehicle that showcases the onscreen personas of the network's stable of celebrity media hosts.
Why aren't more top tier Democrats booked? Where are the lefty activists, the newsmakers, whistleblowers, the populous trend setters? How come there's so few big name supporters of the Democratic Party, like union leaders, educators, scientists, the new energy developers, and lets hear from the socialists, too.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)and another was deep-diving into an ongoing topic. What we get instead is a lot of repetition without new information or additional depth.
Mopar151
(10,003 posts)When any of the evening hosts shifts over to breaking news, it's like "OK. now the grown-ups are on!" Also, a little glimmer - even 5 min! of worldwide/international news would be great.
lpbk2713
(42,769 posts)If MSNBC is shopping for talent.
steve2470
(37,457 posts)I might actually tune in to watch that. Heavily moderated = strict rules, only facts allowed, no broad brushes, etc...
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)A real news break in the evening...with reports from real reporters
A weekly magazine show...aka a liberal 60 minutes
and a show that did full length interviews with people dealing with issues in the news.
A weekly hour on the struggle for progress through the 20th century would be better for the country than the prison shows
steve2470
(37,457 posts)Mopar151
(10,003 posts)Would be better than the prison shows
jwirr
(39,215 posts)wanted to watch them I would go to their shows. What I hate is that MSNBC does not let the liberal hosts lose on them. You can just see how angry the hosts are but they hold it in.
If they want to do something go back to the kind of news shows like Walter Cronkite. Give us news but with the liberal slant. I do not need to be entertained.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)to be a mirror of Fake Noise. It's all about Ad dollars my friends and Corporate America is hard Right Wing.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)for people who miss an episode of their favorite shows.
MSNBC is one of the things I watch on TV, but I don't go out of my way to watch it like I do with sports or with regular shows. I have been saying it for a while that one of my biggest complaints about them is that they milk a small number of topics among their handful of hosts, rather than having variety. Pretty much the only reason to watch each show in one day is if you're curious to hear exactly what everyone has to say. Phil is an idiot if he doesn't see that as a reason for their low ratings. It has very little to do with having an ideological slant. FOX has a slant (albeit one that is pushed by lies), but they can draw viewers. Their viewers typically don't get their news from as many places as other people.
tishaLA
(14,176 posts)I know it's shallow, but MSNBC just doesn't do TV as well as CNN and FOX at this point. The screen is too stagnant and the production values too low: often, watching Ed or Rev Sharpton or whomever, you get the sense of watching a public access show or a PBS pledge drive. Even Rachel seems to have fallen into the "eat your peas" trap, much as I love her...the pacing is off, the interviews too infrequent, the camera too lazy. One thing that made Olbermann interesting to watch, besides his ideas, was the sense of danger in the show: there was potential havoc right around the corner when you came back from break. That never happens now
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Fluffdaddy
(3,169 posts)I enjoy watching the from 7 to 11 every week night and from 8 to noon on weekends. I fear they may not be long for this world. Then I will have to go back to watching CNN...............Oh god
mfcorey1
(11,001 posts)citizens apply to be talking heads on the panel for a week discussing an array of topics. Each night a group will represent a specific state. Get a real idea of what America is thinking instead of relying on the same stale paid guest whose opinions are so far off base. That will help to eliminate repetitive topics throughout the evening broadcast.
alp227
(32,065 posts)Last edited Tue Mar 31, 2015, 06:32 PM - Edit history (1)
thus defeating the purpose. I wouldn't want the show being a TV version of Yahoo News comments.
mfcorey1
(11,001 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)And because the truth has a liberal bias, if MSNBC did similar programming things like those documentaries would fit right in.
I would love it if MSNBC did something like "Borderland." It was an amazing series.
NoJusticeNoPeace
(5,018 posts)liberals talking truth about the issues to other liberals.
Liberals, i.e. adults, are not entertained by politics.
Politics to an adult is a necessary, serious issue.
Trying to create entertainment around politics for liberals wont ever work on a regular basis.
For every Rachel Maddow or Chris Hayes who lives to discuss politics, there are ten adults, I mean liberals, who are not entertained by that and would rather be inventing something, curing something, fixing something, or enjoying a sunset.
dhill926
(16,373 posts)good post we're out there doing shit, not yelling at the TV (most of the time anyway )
Renew Deal
(81,883 posts)Township75
(3,535 posts)They present every host as an expert on everything, every topic, super witty, and the quintessence of intellectualism wearing fake think dark rimmed glasses. If you aren't swooning with envy, desire, and admiration for a host, then the network won't work for you.
You would swear they are trying to make liberals stop watching too with the stupid stunts they pull to make shows entertaining....ridiculing the Romney's for adopting a black orphan, the "drunk Mexican" in the studio on Cinco de Mayo, asking Holder to quack like a duck....if that is a liberal network, I am embarrassed.
Stuff likes that makes me wish they would stick to prison shows.