New Boss for MSGOP & Tweety Credited for Higher, Last Place Ratings

[UTUSN]

*******QUOTE*******

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/165329p-144782c.html

.... In the short term, Kaplan is sticking with the lineup of Keith Olbermann, Deborah Norville and Joe Scarborough in prime time.

Their shows have seen an uptick in ratings in recent months, thanks to the 7 p.m. "Hardball With Chris Matthews," whose audience has grown during the political season. But they are still a distant third behind Fox News and CNN.

So far this year, MSNBC is averaging 373,000 viewers in prime time, compared with CNN's 927,000 and Fox News' 1.6 million. "Hardball" is the channel's highest-rated show, with an average of 436,000 viewers. ....

The last time MSNBC was competitive was in the final, heated weeks of the 2000 presidential campaign and its extraordinary aftermath. ....



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0402180274feb18,1,6068318.story

.... Kaplan, a native of Rogers Park who most recently has been a senior vice president at ABC News, has a reputation of being an imperious boss and a gifted television producer. He led CNN for a tumultuous four years, from 1997 to 2000, during which he attempted to transform the network from a predominantly live news outlet to one featuring slick, highly packaged programs like those he had produced earlier in his career for ABC News. ....

Those who have worked with him say MSNBC is in for a wake-up call. "It's going to change, change, change," said Tom Yellin, a former ABC News producer who has worked with Kaplan. His advice to MSNBCers: "Wake up--come to work, and pay attention."

"He is volatile, but brilliant," said Frank Sesno, CNN's Washington bureau chief during Kaplan's tenure there. "He is capable of electrifying a room, and people will work their butts off for this guy." ....

Kaplan dismisses the notion of a grudge match against the company that fired him. "News and journalism has never been a football game to me," he said. "It's not about knocking the other guy down."


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[KoKo]

1. MSNBC had the fairest coverage of "Selection 2000." After that they went

downhill. The day team with Ashley Banfield, and Chris Jansing (sp) spent more time on explaining what a "hanging chad" was than CNN. I don't watch Fox but assume they were Partisan over the "Selection."

MSNBC's only glory was that coverage. And, CNBC did more "anti-Iraq Invasion coverage than any of the other cables. But, once we went in, the coverage stopped and they turned into a "Cartoon of Financial Coverage" and sleaze of the week.

I wonder what Kaplan will do. I'm glad to see Eric Sorensen gone. He should have been fired after he hired Michael Savage to replace Donahue.

[RapidCreek]

2. Kaplans a native of Rogers Park in chicago?

Wow it was good of MSRNC to rescue the sole conservative in the neighborhood.

For those who don't know...Rogers Park is a far Northshore neighborhood located between Loyola University and Evanston. It is heavily multi-cultural....with a strong leftward progressive lean. Populated by all races, poor yuppies, college students and a very large contingient of hippies.

A little about Rodgers Park http://www.heartlandcafe.com/ . Was kinda interesting...I hadn't been to the page for a while and just went back to visit. I wasn't aware that the Cafe owners neighborhood newspaper, the Heartland Journal, recently produced both a poster and a deck of educational playing cards, called the War Party Cards, or the 55 Most Wanted Hawks (www.55mostwantedhawks.com). I'd seen the cards around and thought they were pretty cool...the world is a small place.

I used to eat breakfast at the Heartland every day for years. Buckwheat pancakes yummm. If you're ever on the North Side check out the cafe...it is a fun place.

RC

[Hamlette]

3. could be good news

Olberman seems to lean left and Tweety has been fair the last month. If their ratings are up this last month, could that mean Americans don't want just right wing propaganda 25/8?

Even Scarborough has not been screeching right wing garbage non stop lately. What's up with that? I brace myself every time he opens his mouth on Tweety's show and sometimes I he doesn't drive me nuts.

(Sad commentary that my best complement about MSNBC is I don't feel compelled to start a revolution every second I watch it. Just most of the time.)