MSNBC

[annzeepark914]

4 hours ago, meowmommy said:

I would rather have seen him get a show before Donny Deutsch, whose reason for being a political media presence I can't fathom.  My eyes are still rolling from all the Michael-Cohen's-best-friend routines. 

Amen! I was astounded that Double D wasn't embarrassed to be revealing such awful info'...he sounded like a teenage girl describing their close relationship. I don't know why Nicholle has him on her show. Her other guests (ahem, with another exception--the Rev) are always top notch. I'll definitely watch Heileman's new show.

[Kitty Redstone]

Donnie is a gasbag.  No way will I be watching his show.

[annzeepark914]

15 hours ago, Kitty Redstone said:

Donnie is a gasbag.  No way will I be watching his show.

Wellll...I may sneak a peak (if I remember that he has a show) but no loss if I forget.  I remember his first show and how skin-crawly he was (can't think of a better term so I threw that one in). He must be BFF with the president of MSNBC to get a show when there are so many other real political experts and/or journalists who deserve to have their own show. Oh well, on weekends I give myself a break from the chaotic craziness of America today 😞

[Medicine Crow]

Chris Matthews needs some teeth, seriously!!  (Doesn't MSNBC have a dental plan?)

[meowmommy]

20 hours ago, Medicine Crow said:

Chris Matthews needs some teeth, seriously!!  (Doesn't MSNBC have a dental plan?)

In his case, what he needs is to be offered a retirement plan.

[Kemper]

Here's a thought.  Why doesn't MSNBC create a designated time slot for their on-air personnel to plug their latest books/projects?  I am really tired and sometimes exhausted by the priorities of a few of these people - their actual day-to-day jobs do not seem to be a priority in a few cases. This is not professional and is an insult to the personnel who do make an effort to engage their guests and do the prep for their show and/or appearances every day.

Give them a half hour a few times a week (preferably in a midnight time slot) to showcase whatever it is they are trying to sell.  I beg this as a viewer.

[Jaded]

13 hours ago, Kemper said:

Here's a thought.  Why doesn't MSNBC create a designated time slot for their on-air personnel to plug their latest books/projects?  I am really tired and sometimes exhausted by the priorities of a few of these people - their actual day-to-day jobs do not seem to be a priority in a few cases. This is not professional and is an insult to the personnel who do make an effort to engage their guests and do the prep for their show and/or appearances every day.

Give them a half hour a few times a week (preferably in a midnight time slot) to showcase whatever it is they are trying to sell.  I beg this as a viewer.

In the past two weeks Joy and now Rachel have made announcements about their books on their respective shows. In Joy's case she teased having an important announcement on her show the following morning while subbing for Lawrence. So I tuned into her show on that Saturday morning where she teased her "announcement" for most of the damn show. I have to say I was peeved when it turned out to be about a book. At least Rachel got it out of the way during the start of her show tonight and didn't mention it again. I'm sure Spitting Matthews will churn out a few more before he retires or gets carried off the set whichever happens first.

[QueerGirrl]

I'm excited for Rachel's new book.   Drift is outstanding. 

[car54]

Aw, I knew she wouldn't be able to stay away long!

[Medicine Crow]

[Kemper]

What a great picture!  Katy (and Andrea) are beaming.

[annzeepark914]

Awww...so cute!  Little Teddy Bear. And his mommy looks so happy!  I sure do miss seeing Katy on TV, but this little fellow needs his mom right now.

[Kemper]

I have posted about this previously, but I feel that the problem has gotten worse.

This network seems to have devolved into one big opportunity for the on-air personnel and their regular guests (as opposed to the ones who drop by) to talk about their latest book or project.  The shilling that Mika and Joe do is unprofessional and unseemly for a "news show"; I turned off Hardball a year or so ago when Matthews just would not shut up about his Kennedy book.  Donnie Deutsch is shameless when he is on; but at least he is promoting his show on the network and not a book, album (tee hee) or seminar. (see also "shaminar")

Yes, I know one of the perks of being an on-air host is the opportunity to pursue an outside project; and I don't mind a bit of selling it to the viewers; it would be odd if they didn't.  But to take every single opportunity to constantly try and shoehorn your second job into your actual day job is shabby and I wish it would stop.  

Here is hoping that someone from NBC or MSNBC reads these boards and takes note; I tried to email them but could never find the proper address.

On a better note...Happy Memorial Day!

[annzeepark914]

32 minutes ago, Kemper said:

Here is hoping that someone from NBC or MSNBC reads these boards and takes note; I tried to email them but could never find the proper address.

Yeah...what's with not providing an email address? Maybe they're afraid of being inundated with emails from irate Trump fans. I wanted to send an email re: Chris Matthews but could not find any online address 😠

[Kitty Redstone]

Except for Nicole Wallace's show, I've been avoiding MSNBC (and any other news) these days ... I just needed a break from the crazy.  However, today I got drawn in again for a few hours and forgot just how annoying Ari Melber's interrupting could be.  I felt so badly for John Meacham.  It's so aggravating to have thoughtful, eloquent guests cut short by Ari's sad little bon mots.  When a commercial announced Chris Matthews was the next anchor up for the special coverage day, I turned off the tv and went outside to enjoy myself.

[annzeepark914]

21 hours ago, Kitty Redstone said:

Except for Nicole Wallace's show, I've been avoiding MSNBC (and any other news) these days ... I just needed a break from the crazy.  However, today I got drawn in again for a few hours and forgot just how annoying Ari Melber's interrupting could be.  I felt so badly for John Meacham.  It's so aggravating to have thoughtful, eloquent guests cut short by Ari's sad little bon mots.  When a commercial announced Chris Matthews was the next anchor up for the special coverage day, I turned off the tv and went outside to enjoy myself.

Yup...Nicolle's show, IMO, is the best on MSNBC thanks to her (mostly) excellent guests. And she doesn't interrupt them, usually. After watching her show, I too am about done (for the day) with the unsettling news. (Erin Burnett on CNN is another good host.)   

Edited May 31, 2019 by annzeepark914

[HyeChaps]

I have it on very good authority that Nicholle’s Program is what they had hoped Morning Joe would be. 

[Kitty Redstone]

1 hour ago, HyeChaps said:

I have it on very good authority that Nicholle’s Program is what they had hoped Morning Joe would be. 

Interesting!  I've only watching Morning Joe a few times, because 1) it's on very early, 2) I can't stand Joe (he is a bigger blowhard that Donnie Deutsch) and 3) it's weird that they repeat one of the hours.  Still, I could've told TIIC that they weren't going to get a smart program with Joe and Mika at the helm.

If they want thoughtful, erudite hosts then they should replace Joe, Mika and Willie with Ayman and Yasmin.

[xaxat]

Jonathan is always so Jonathan. Whether he is writing, being a pundit, ice fishing or. . . 

making a martini.

[Ladyrain]

Does anyone else notice David Gura's little smirk?   Not that I mind it; I don't.   But he seems to have a resting smirk-face.  

I agree with so much that's been said above.   It's past time for Chris M. to retire.  He's turned into a spittle-spewing cranky old man.  ----     Andrea has paid her dues in the news biz, but she really need so have every.single.word written out on the teleprompter.   The hesitancy and word searching makes me cringe.   ----     Chris Hayes needs to extract his testicles from that vise and tone it down an octave or two.    -----      Yasmin should be on in prime time.   That is all.  

[stormy]

I tuned into Up with David Gura today. MSNBC is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I like Mimi Rocha a lot. When she's talking legal matters which is her expertise. But here she is talking politics. What?

[Kemper]

I wonder if there will be any fall-out from Nicole W's show yesterday?  John Heileman uttered an "expletive" - and it has been reported on several sites.  It was pretty mild; but at the end of the show Nicole apologized for her and other's potty mouths.  She was smiling when she said it, so I hope her show stays as spontaneous as always. I always look forward to Heileman's dry wit and think he is a great guest on most of the shows.  

[Ohwell]

I admire the restraint that these people have on tv.  I'm just surprised there aren't f-bombs thrown around, especially during these times. 

[Kemper]

Mr. Kemper and I watched Donny D's show last night for the first time; it was okay.  But we watched the David Axelrod interview with Robert Gates on CNN and it was one of the better interviews I've seen.  And that begs the question....

Instead of the round table discussions that are the meat and potatoes of this network, why not have a one-on-one hour on Saturday night.  I don't count Kasie Hunt's show because ... sorry... I don't like it.  Plus, Robert Gates is not really a political figure (currently) like the ones Kasie interviews.  It made for a really interesting hour..maybe due to Axelrod's and Gates' comfort with one another.  Gates seemed totally relaxed and was not trying to make a political point.

Does MSNBC have a show besides Kasie's that does this?  I thought Donnie's would be that type of show; but it isn't.  It is the usual cast of characters; I like them all but by Saturday I am tired of them.

[Ohwell]

43 minutes ago, Kemper said:

Does MSNBC have a show besides Kasie's that does this?  I thought Donnie's would be that type of show; but it isn't.  It is the usual cast of characters; I like them all but by Saturday I am tired of them.

I'm also tired of the usual suspects.  Surely there's some interesting new blood out there who would love the opportunity to be on the shows.  And by "new blood" I don't mean just younger people, just people we haven't seen or heard of before. 

[annzeepark914]

23 hours ago, Kemper said:

Does MSNBC have a show besides Kasie's that does this?  I thought Donnie's would be that type of show; but it isn't.  It is the usual cast of characters; I like them all but by Saturday I am tired of them.

Yup...by the weekend, I'm mentally worn out by not only the "breaking news" but also the roundtable discussions. The one-on-one conversations are what I need (missing the days of Tim Russert's quiet chats with politicians, authors, journalists, etc). 

[Chloesmom]

And for me not just the usual suspects but the usual topics, hour after hour.  How about on the weekend you have a show that drills into things that folks habitually list as their major concerns these days like health care or debt (student loan or otherwise)?  I can't even have it on as background noise anymore as it's just lazy/ratings driven(?) programming.

And Chuck Todd is going to be one of the moderators for the Democratic debates.  Great.

Sigh.

[Kemper]

Chloesmom...I agree.  I cannot summon any enthusiasm for this network right now; I am sure it will change when the debate gets closer.  I am disheartened and disappointed in the repetitive narration of the usual guests; I am disheartened and disappointed at the narrative from the campaign.  Lately I don't watch much of the 24/7 news channels until Nicole Wallace's show. Then it is on to local news; usually Lawrence O'Donnell.  I love Rachel but she tires me a bit. Sometimes we will watch Ari Melbar.  I have to think that the ratings could be suffering.  The news cycle seems never-ending and is starting to feel like Groundhog Day.

We have been watching Netflix, the NHL and NBA playoffs; Mr. Kemper has been watching the women's college world series.  Law and Order reruns (the really old ones), some HGTV and just a few other things.  

Chuck Todd?  He must know the same VIP as Joe Scarborough; that is the only explanation that I can come up for their continued employment.

[Kemper]

I just saw a tidbit where there have been changes in leadership at the network.  There will apparently be a new head of daytime programming.  I don't know if that translates to programming and/or personnel changes. 

But Andy Lack is still the head honcho, I think, and he is not happy that the ratings have started to slide a bit.  I think it is just viewer fatigue with the constant awful political climate we are in.  Everyday is Groundhog Day...same news, same people making and reporting on the news, nothing changes except it gets maybe worse each day. I know I am watching less.

[Jaded]

If Andy Lack could finally get the boot the network could probably rid itself of Morning Joe.

I don't think it would hurt if MSNBC would branch back out and do stuff outside of the political realm like human interest stories. They needed to change things up a bit. It gets tiring watching different faces saying basically the same thing while hosting their shows. I appreciated Rachel's focus on what's going on in Missouri and the time spent on it. So much so it made leaders in the state angry. As awful as the whole situation is the coverage was/is something that the other shows on the network haven't spent as much time on. I'm not sure if Joy has since my viewing of her show has been more sporadic.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Jaded

[Ohwell]

I'm also sick and tired of the fact that 98% of what's on MSNBC is "BREAKING NEWS!" when it's just the same ol' news.

[xaxat]

I'd like to see a combo investigative journalism/explainer show on the network. 

I think the network (and NBC) has a pretty good set of investigative journalists. I'd like to see them follow stories without the pressure of the twenty four hour news cycle. Kind of like old school Sixty Minutes.

As for the explainer part, the current news cycle tends to emphasize the "what" over the "why". So, right now, viewers get coverage of "what" is going on between the Democrats and Republicans with regards to the census, but the "why", not so much. I happen to be familiar with the census debate, and it really is difficult to break down into a thirty second soundbite. But this is a fight that will have implications for decades. 

9 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm also sick and tired of the fact that 98% of what's on MSNBC is "BREAKING NEWS!" when it's just the same ol' news.

My "favorite" BREAKING NEWS on the network happened 7-10 years ago when they enthusiastically covered helicopter footage of a literal dumpster fire in LA.

[car54]

Sounds like there could be changes coming

https://deadline.com/2019/06/msnbc-daytime-shakeup-gives-jonathan-wald-dan-arnall-programming-oversight-1202631920/

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, xaxat said:

I'd like to see a combo investigative journalism/explainer show on the network. 

I think the network (and NBC) has a pretty good set of investigative journalists. I'd like to see them follow stories without the pressure of the twenty four hour news cycle. Kind of like old school Sixty Minutes.

I like this and hope they make some kind of changes. Guess it would be too much to expect them to dump that ridiculous Morning Joe show.  But that would be a good place to start, followed by replacing Chuck at 5:00. 

[Medicine Crow]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I'm also sick and tired of the fact that 98% of what's on MSNBC is "BREAKING NEWS!" when it's just the same ol' news.

I'm guessing you don't watch CNN ... EVERYTHING is "breaking news"!!!  LOL.

[Milburn Stone]

12 hours ago, Kemper said:

But Andy Lack is still the head honcho, I think, and he is not happy that the ratings have started to slide a bit.  I think it is just viewer fatigue with the constant awful political climate we are in.  Everyday is Groundhog Day...same news, same people making and reporting on the news, nothing changes except it gets maybe worse each day. I know I am watching less.

Agree, and I think another element is that for roughly a year and a half, we thought the repetitiveness was going to have a real-world payoff--"OMG, surely THIS is going to be the thing that brings him down!" (Trying to stay apolitical as per the rules of the site, so I'm not identifying who "he" is. You fill in the blank as you see fit.) But as it becomes increasingly clear (or despairingly clear) that there is no "this" that's going to do the job, each new "this" becomes more and more meaningless.

[Kemper]

I saw Chris Matthews popping up on at least two shows today to promote his special tonight. I don't remember Meeka on anyone else's show to promote her Pelosi interview.  Do the other hosts go on all the shows to promote their projects?  But at least Chris is hawking a show on MSNBC and not his latest book.  Thankfully.

[captain1]

I noticed they seem to have stopped the chatty "handoffs" of the hosts between shows.  I liked them and wonder why?

[annzeepark914]

11 hours ago, captain1 said:

I noticed they seem to have stopped the chatty "handoffs" of the hosts between shows.  I liked them and wonder why?

Probably cause they were taking up too much time and/or it was annoying to a lot of viewers. 

[formerlyfreedom]

The upcoming debates are off topic: stick to network business, please. Warnings may be issued going forward for off topic posts.

[teddysmom]

On 5/31/2019 at 1:56 PM, HyeChaps said:

I have it on very good authority that Nicholle’s Program is what they had hoped Morning Joe would be. 

I get the feeling they hoped it would be anything but what it is. 

[Chloesmom]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 4:08 PM, Kemper said:

I saw Chris Matthews popping up on at least two shows today to promote his special tonight. I don't remember Meeka on anyone else's show to promote her Pelosi interview.  Do the other hosts go on all the shows to promote their projects?  But at least Chris is hawking a show on MSNBC and not his latest book.  Thankfully.

If anybody else had conducted this interview with the Speaker of the House it would have been blown all over MSNBC but you barely saw a blink of promotion beyond the normal spots.  I didn't see her interacting with any hosts even once about what is/should be a great interview.  I guess even MSNBC knew it was a vanity project and treated it as such.  Poor Speaker Pelosi.  What a waste of her time.

[Chloesmom]

Apparently Donny Deutsche's show seems to be lacking in ratings which have spiraled downward since its debut.  I at first thought it was because he kept inviting/including his Billiionaire's Boys Club friends but even when he has a relatively normal panel he still insists "branding" is key.  Must come from living on the UES who probably think that that's a fabulous idea which is so removed from most mortal's every day lives.  I always felt bad for him as he is always treated rather poorly by the Scarborough's but I was really hoping he would take this opportunity and run with it but not back to his protective bubble.  I gave it a month, I'm out.  Bummer.

[rcc]

I watched Donny's show last night because Joy Behar was on. I liked it and hope the show stays.

[Medicine Crow]

11 minutes ago, rcc said:

I watched Donny's show last night because Joy Behar was on. I liked it and hope the show stays.

I couldn't agree more ... I've watched since the beginning & his show keeps getting better & better.  (He did interrupt his guests at first, but that has stopped ... thank goodness!!!)

[formerlyfreedom]

The forum moderators are asking that all posters please familiarize yourself with the policy here:  This policy will be strictly enforced in this topic, and warnings will be handed out to violators.

We have allowed a lot of leeway and we have simply hidden posts that were off topic from the business of MSNBC. Going forward, hiding will happen in tandem with a warning being handed out. Please note; this is NOT the place to discuss what happens ON THE AIR at MSNBC. There are many other sites on the internet where you can do that.

Thank you.

@Lisin & @saoirse

[car54]

Katie Tur is coming back!

I saw her post recently that she was in DC filming something with Jacob ---this must be it.    I don't know when she will be back doing her regular show.

[freddi]

2 hours ago, car54 said:

Katie Tur is coming back!

I saw her post recently that she was in DC filming something with Jacob ---this must be it.    I don't know when she will be back doing her regular show.

I have noticed that the promotional commercials for MSNBC have been including shots of Katy Tur, so I assumed they were getting us ready to see her again!  Yes, I'll be glad to see her on the air again.  

[car54]

The woman covering her slot said today that this series will be 4 episodes so hopefully she'll be back after that.     Kasie Hunt is 8 months along so hopefully Katie will be back when she has her baby.

[car54]

Looks like it will be a little while longer--she posted this tonight.