MSNBC

[RealHousewife]

3 hours ago, Kemper said:

I know, but apparently he gets really great ratings among the coveted "younger viewers" ... so it will continue.  And I must say, he so loves doing it; and he is a bit of a cutie.  Shallow end of the pool here.

No judgment here. I have a Chris Cuomo crush. 

[kathyk24]

On 6/11/2021 at 10:58 PM, catlover79 said:

The other night, Philip Rucker, Pulitzer Prize-winning Senior Washington Correspondent for The Washington Post (in the words of Brian Williams) apologized to the panel for his puppy barking loudly in the background. He too looked a bit embarrassed. 😂 I get a kick out of those moments.

Ari Melber just had his first two in-studio guests on tonight. It was a great sight.

Speaking of Ari Melber, his incessant quoting hip-hop lyrics is driving me up the wall!! Once in a while is OK, but every night??? 🙄

I agree with you I don't like hip-hop so I avoid his show. I love the Beatles but I wouldn't quote them all the time.

[Milburn Stone]

14 hours ago, Kemper said:

I know, but apparently he gets really great ratings among the coveted "younger viewers" ... so it will continue.  And I must say, he so loves doing it; and he is a bit of a cutie.  Shallow end of the pool here.

The line between pleasing younger viewers and being seen by them as a Dad-joke is a thin one indeed.

[annzeepark914]

12 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

The line between pleasing younger viewers and being seen by them as a Dad-joke is a thin one indeed.

A-men!

[Crashcourse]

45 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

The line between pleasing younger viewers and being seen by them as a Dad-joke is a thin one indeed.

Double A-men!

[Jaded]

I'd rather be annoyed by rap references at times compared to having to see people like Chris Mathews and Joe Scarborough as hosts of their own shows. The channel was finally able to rid itself of one of them but white male privilege allowed him the opportunity to come back to shill one of his books. 

[Kemper]

2 hours ago, Jaded said:

I'd rather be annoyed by rap references at times compared to having to see people like Chris Mathews and Joe Scarborough as hosts of their own shows. The channel was finally able to rid itself of one of them but white male privilege allowed him the opportunity to come back to shill one of his books. 

His previous books were best-sellers because he shilled them, on-air, on every show, every day.  It will be interesting to see how this books fares.  And yes, for some reason MSNBC is having a hard time shedding him for good.  I do not miss him shouting over people and spittle flying.  But he owned that 7:00 timeslot for years; even though a good many people could not stand him.  I have to wonder if the network will quiety bring Mark Halperin back.  Because if Jeffrey Toobin can be allowed camera-time, anyone can. 

I also think that you are right...Scarborough seems to run rough-shod over the network; a prime example of bombastic white privilege.

[Jaded]

3 hours ago, Kemper said:

 I have to wonder if the network will quietly bring Mark Halperin back.  Because if Jeffrey Toobin can be allowed camera-time, anyone can. 

I also think that you are right...Scarborough seems to run rough-shod over the network; a prime example of bombastic white privilege.

I've read that Mark was so desperate for TV time that he's hanging out on NewsMax now. Scarborough seems to be like Toobin in respect to higher ups at their respective networks being fans/friends which enables them to stay employed. 

[annzeepark914]

I don't watch Scarborough. I've tried to over the years, but he's just too full of himself. Does he have great ratings? Or is MSNBC trying to look impartial by having a Republican hosting a show?  I wonder why he hasn't been replaced?

[Kemper]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I don't watch Scarborough. I've tried to over the years, but he's just too full of himself. Does he have great ratings? Or is MSNBC trying to look impartial by having a Republican hosting a show?  I wonder why he hasn't been replaced?

You should come sit at the Morning Joe thread/table.  We wonder these things all the time. We also voice a LOT of opinions. And we can trash talk a bit.

[catlover79]

On 6/4/2021 at 7:09 PM, HyeChaps said:

I enjoy Claire McCaskill in her kitchen.  What's in the glass cake dome today?

She's there right now!! 😊

[Crashcourse]

MSNBC is famous for allowing men and women of all races and ethnicities to hawk their books, so I don't think it has anything to do with white male privilege.

[catlover79]

Philip Rucker was just on with Brian Williams again, and his dog was still barking. 🤣😂

[charmed1]

I mentioned this in the Morning Joe thread, but it’s really meant for several MSNBC programs. I hate the constant sounds of the anchors marking up papers, shuffling papers, zipping bags, etc. It’s so distracting and I don’t know if it’s my ears that are sensitive or if it’s the MSNBC microphones. It’s particularly noticeable on Morning Joe, Nicole Wallace, Alex Witt, and Rachel Maddow. 

[Jaded]

On 6/14/2021 at 3:15 PM, Crashcourse said:

MSNBC is famous for allowing men and women of all races and ethnicities to hawk their books, so I don't think it has anything to do with white male privilege.

How many of them were long standing former hosts who caused bad press for the network so much so that they were ended up leaving a decades long standing show?

[annzeepark914]

I'm watching Deadline Whitehouse with Alicia Menendez subbing for Nicholle. She's very good. Wish she'd fill in more often when Nicholle is off.

[freddi]

July 4, 2021.  Four hours of Chris Hayes in a row is a whole lotta of Chris Hayes, especially when it is a lot of repeated material from past issues.  Especially when hours three and four are repeats.  They have all year to plan for the holiday "breaks" they want to give the main hosts -- I would certainly tune in for a new hour of Chris Jansing.  I have no interest in old "news", and I just go to CNN when they do this.  

[Kemper]

6 hours ago, freddi said:

July 4, 2021.  Four hours of Chris Hayes in a row is a whole lotta of Chris Hayes, especially when it is a lot of repeated material from past issues.  Especially when hours three and four are repeats.  They have all year to plan for the holiday "breaks" they want to give the main hosts -- I would certainly tune in for a new hour of Chris Jansing.  I have no interest in old "news", and I just go to CNN when they do this.  

I agree.  Who wants to tune in for a day of pre-packaged news?  This is allegedly a NEWS channel.  I get giving the anchors the day off; but surely there must be many reporters, analysts, etc., who would love the chance to shine…or co-host.

[SG429]

On 7/6/2021 at 7:30 AM, Kemper said:

I agree.  Who wants to tune in for a day of pre-packaged news?  This is allegedly a NEWS channel.  I get giving the anchors the day off; but surely there must be many reporters, analysts, etc., who would love the chance to shine…or co-host.

I'm with you on a news channel doing reruns, esp. on an every morning basis for no apparent reason other than host ego... But I digress. Of course, lots of other people are employed to research, prepare and air a live hour besides the meatbag in the chair. A segment producer for Rachel I'm sure needs the time off more  than the star.

[Moose135]

MSNBC launched 25 years ago today. I remember hearing about them, and may have caught bits of their first evening's broadcast.  Two days later, July 17, I was driving out to the Poconos from Long Island for the NASCAR race weekend when I heard about a TWA plane out of JFK crashing - Flight 800. My dad had spent 40 years at TWA, retiring a few years earlier, and I sort of grew up around the place.

I got out to my mother-in-law's place around 9:30pm and started looking for news about the crash, but I couldn't get any NYC stations on her cable and none of the local stations broke in with coverage. Finally, I found she had MSNBC, and I ended up watching coverage all night long.

At the end of his show last night, Brian Williams talked about those early days, and aired a short clip from their Flight 800 coverage, which I remember to this day - in only their third day of operations, they didn't have a graphics team working at that hour, so someone went out to their car to grab a road atlas, and live on air, BriWi held it open to the page with a map of Long Island and pointed to the area where the plane went down.

[annzeepark914]

Was this a month before Diana died in that car crash? That's when I first saw Brian Williams who was anchoring the news coverage of her death. Wow...25 years. 

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Was this a month before Diana died in that car crash? That's when I first saw Brian Williams who was anchoring the news coverage of her death. Wow...25 years. 

No, Flight 800 crashed in July 1996, Diana died in August 1997.

[annzeepark914]

Awww nerts...I'm being driven crazy by Chris Jansing *and* Nicolle Wallace right now on Deadline:White House. They're both tossing hair away from their eyes. 

[Just Here]

Kasie Hunt is moving to CNN's new streaming project.  Today (Friday, July 16th), was her last day anchoring "Way Too Early".  From the Variety article on the move: 

Quote

CNN is trying to hire dozens of people to help fuel its move into the streaming arena, and one person familiar with the matter said Hunt was offered an annual salary of between $1 million and $1.5 million that NBC News felt it simply could not match. This person suggested that Hunt could play a pivotal role in CNN’s streaming efforts, appearing online at moments of great national importance, such as during presidential elections.

 

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Just Here

[Jaded]

Hopefully better working hours come with the new job too!

[WendyCR72]

On 7/16/2021 at 4:22 PM, annzeepark914 said:

Awww nerts...I'm being driven crazy by Chris Jansing *and* Nicolle Wallace right now on Deadline:White House. They're both tossing hair away from their eyes. 

I can't rag on Chris Jansing as she is a local newscaster from my neck of the woods that made damned good! (She was at my local NBC affiliate from 1981 to 1998 as Chris Kapostasy! Posted a video of her time somewhere in the forum!)

[annzeepark914]

I always liked Kasie and was disappointed when she moved to Way Too Early (cause that show was way too damn early for me to be watching TV). It sounds like she wasn't happy with her hours nor her salary at MSNBC. 

[wknt3]

On 7/16/2021 at 10:20 PM, Just Here said:

Kasie Hunt is moving to CNN's new streaming project.  Today (Friday, July 16th), was her last day anchoring "Way Too Early".  From the Variety article on the move:

I'm a little confused as to the business decision by MSNBC here as to why they would let an asset like Kasie go for a relatively small amount of money given that they are pursuing the same strategy of trying to grow their streaming presence. It's not like they are dealing with a salary cap like an sports team or something where sometimes you have to let your rising star go to a rival over a few bucks (relatively speaking.)
 

On 7/17/2021 at 5:08 AM, WendyCR72 said:

I can't rag on Chris Jansing as she is a local newscaster from my neck of the woods that made damned good! (She was at my local NBC affiliate from 1981 to 1998 as Chris Kapostasy! Posted a video of her time somewhere in the forum!)

Oh wow! Never realized that. Although I was a kid when she was on local TV and don't watch a lot of MSNBC outside of Maddow and flipping between networks when there is big breaking news. Maybe if Bob Kovachick changed his name to something easier to spell he could have made the big time too...

[WendyCR72]

39 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

I'm a little confused as to the business decision by MSNBC here as to why they would let an asset like Kasie go for a relatively small amount of money given that they are pursuing the same strategy of trying to grow their streaming presence. It's not like they are dealing with a salary cap like an sports team or something where sometimes you have to let your rising star go to a rival over a few bucks (relatively speaking.)
 

Oh wow! Never realized that. Although I was a kid when she was on local TV and don't watch a lot of MSNBC outside of Maddow and flipping between networks when there is big breaking news. Maybe if Bob Kovachick changed his name to something easier to spell he could have made the big time too...

Wow! So you know the area.  😎 And Bob Kovachick is still there! Guess he loves what he does.

[Kemper]

Since MSNBC is going for a streaming site, I notice that Mika B and Nicole W will have new shows or platforms.  I like Nicole W but I wonder at her having a 2-hour show everyday and then another show on the streaming service.  Mika B is a lost cause; yes, just my opinion. I am surmising that the network is not interesting in bringing in any new talent.  It would seem to be an excellent platform for some fresh faces, fresh outlooks.  I don't care about seeing any of the regular guests and hosts on a new service.  I am a senior citizen but I would love seeing some real changes in presentation on the streaming service.

So far it already looks a bit stale.  

Edited July 19, 2021 by Kemper
Corrected spelling for "cause"

[annzeepark914]

I guess Nicolle is on vacation this week. Alicia handled the first hour today. I'm repeating myself but, she's very good. Her voice, though, sounded harsh today (almost vocal fry but not quite). Yes, I'm picky--Wolf & Jake have voices that irritate me as well.  I'd still rather have Alicia subbing. She's such a natural at this.

[Crashcourse]

Alicia's voice always sounded harsh to my ears, which is why I don't watch her show anymore.  

I also can't stand to listen to Craig Melvin and Tiffany Cross and a few others whose names escape me right now.  

[Bridget]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I guess Nicolle is on vacation this week. Alicia handled the first hour today. I'm repeating myself but, she's very good. Her voice, though, sounded harsh today (almost vocal fry but not quite). Yes, I'm picky--Wolf & Jake have voices that irritate me as well.  I'd still rather have Alicia subbing. She's such a natural at this.

I'm not a fan of Alicia's (it's the vocal fry - you're onto something), but since you like her, I figured I'd pass along some info. 

Apologies if you already know this, but Alicia anchors her own program on Saturdays and Sundays. It's called "American Voices with Alicia Mendez" and she's on from 3-5pm PST. 

 

[annzeepark914]

28 minutes ago, Bridget said:

I'm not a fan of Alicia's (it's the vocal fry - you're onto something), but since you like her, I figured I'd pass along some info. 

Apologies if you already know this, but Alicia anchors her own program on Saturdays and Sundays. It's called "American Voices with Alicia Mendez" and she's on from 3-5pm PST. 

 

I didn't know she has her own show as I avoid news programs on weekends (gotta have a break!) So, no wonder she's good at this. I didn't hear the vocal fry earlier this month when she subbed for Nicolle but today it was loud. 

[Kemper]

MSNBC...sadly, I am about done.  I am exhausted by Trump and/or political coverage seemingly 24/7.  I started with you during the Keith Olbermann years.....when it was considered unpatriotic to speak out; been with you ever since.  I loved your network, had it on a good bit of the day. It got me through the Trump years.    

l do need to hear the Trump-is-a-criminal-and-should-be-indicted news; and political news. But not to the extent that it takes up most, if not all, of the airtime on every show, every hour, of every day.  CNN is a bit better.  Yes, political news takes up chunks (actually, most) of their airtime.  And their both-sides-have-good-points can be comical.  But they can seamlessly go from politics to other news.  You have anchors on your network who simply cannot handle breaking news; it is embarrassing.  I do not know how your ratings are but I do know that I have started getting my news from other sources - regular network (ABC, CBS, NBC), NPR; and my local news stations.  You are becoming the soon-to-be-ex that I am having a hard time quitting.  

   

 

[annzeepark914]

I only watch from 4-6 during the week, going back & forth from MSNBC to CNN. It's all I can handle of the depressing news these days, along with reading the Washington Post. 

[meowmommy]

13 hours ago, Kemper said:

MSNBC...sadly, I am about done.  I am exhausted by Trump and/or political coverage seemingly 24/7. 

Unless there's truly a breaking news story for which I think they might offer an interesting take, I don't watch any more.  I have Nicolle, MJ, Chris, Rachel and Lawrence recording every day on my DVR, and almost every day, I delete them all, unwatched.  They just don't have anything I want to see or hear.

10 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

It's all I can handle of the depressing news these days, along with reading the Washington Post. 

I read WaPo, too, and where I eagerly used to head straight for the op-eds by the political columnists, now I glance at their headlines and go over to the advice and food sections.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, meowmommy said:

I read WaPo, too, and where I eagerly used to head straight for the op-eds by the political columnists, now I glance at their headlines and go over to the advice and food sections.

I think this is a sign of "current crap events" burnout. After five years of it, I'm worn out and only watch Nichole (& not even the full 2 hours any more).  I read the Post online so by the time I read the paper version, I skim the depressing stuff and get to local news, sports (the Nats) & whatever interests me in the Style section. You really have to be careful about absorbing too much news these days--it can sour your soul.

[Crashcourse]

There's still a paper version?  I just read online now.  The place I go to sometimes for breakfast used to have a stand outside where you could put some coins in and get a copy, but it's no longer there.  I haven't seen stands anywhere else either. 

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

There's still a paper version?  I just read online now.  The place I go to sometimes for breakfast used to have a stand outside where you could put some coins in and get a copy, but it's no longer there.  I haven't seen stands anywhere else either. 

Yes. We get delivery every day. I used to see a stack of it at the supermarket but now that I think about it, I haven't seen the Post sold there in a while. I love reading certain articles online so that I can share my opinions in the comments section. It's a great place to vent!

[Kemper]

Gosh, we had the Washington Post delivered for over 26 years! I still miss it.

Regarding MSNBC...people who tune in and out of the network during the day; or ones who watched it faithfully these last years...are not the sort of people that put a news network on early in the morning and keep it on until bedtime. MSNBC viewers want to stay informed but have other interests to pursue and other media to watch/stream.  So unless there is a large, breaking story, these viewers won't tune in for hours of the same story rehashed every hour.

[SG429]

It's time MSNBC started thinking about production values again and begin booking guests into proper broadcast facilities. The number of dropped, garbled, silent Zoom, Skype, etc connections would be embarrassing a year ago; inexcusable now. 

[catlover79]

On 7/24/2021 at 5:32 PM, SG429 said:

It's time MSNBC started thinking about production values again and begin booking guests into proper broadcast facilities. The number of dropped, garbled, silent Zoom, Skype, etc connections would be embarrassing a year ago; inexcusable now. 

I'm glad I'm not only one who has noticed the lingering tech issues. They've been doing remote interviews for almost 1 1/2 years now. You think they would be better at fixing the glitches by now. 

[annzeepark914]

On 7/23/2021 at 2:21 PM, annzeepark914 said:

Yes. We get delivery every day. I used to see a stack of it at the supermarket but now that I think about it, I haven't seen the Post sold there in a while. 

Wait a minute. Yesterday I was walking out of Safeway and gee whiz...there was the newsstand with all the different papers! So, I was wrong.

I'm ready for guests to be back in the studios with the shows' hosts. Vaccines required and they can be tested as they arrive....except for interviewees who live in other sections of the country.  Nichole is still broadcasting out of her home, I think.  Or...is this still not do-able as we're going backwards covid-wise?

[annzeepark914]

Big surprise today at Deadline White House: Alexi McCammond returned as a guest. She's now back at Axios. I guess if CNN can take back Toomey, MSNBC felt they could take back McCammond. I'm really surprised.

[catlover79]

On 6/13/2021 at 11:26 AM, Milburn Stone said:

The line between pleasing younger viewers and being seen by them as a Dad-joke is a thin one indeed.

Ari Melber is still at it. Sorry, but he just comes across as a middle-aged guy trying desperately to prove he's hip. UGGH.

[catlover79]

8 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Nichole is still broadcasting out of her home, I think.  

She is. When filling in for Rachel Maddow, she mentioned during the handoff to Lawrence O'Donnell that she was going to go upstairs in her sweatpants to watch his show.

Honestly, I'm so used to this current format now that it's jarring to see the clips pre-pandemic of the hosts in their 30 Rock studios just across the table from guests. I don't watch all the shows, so I don't know who else besides Ari Melber and Ali Velshi have gone back to 30 Rock and/or recently had in-person guests.

[catlover79]

People just did a profile on Steve Kornacki - profiling his life in this past year at the big board, whether is was for the election, NFL or the Summer Olympics. He is still so humble! Actually, my favorite MSNBC commercial of all time was with him at the big board after the election with Heart's "Magic Man" playing.

@WendyCR72, you mentioned Chris Jansing a while back being a local reporter in your neck of the woods before she hit the national market. She was actually born and raised about 20 miles away from my town. Her brother still lives across the street from their old high school.

Speaking of Chris, it was great to see her filling in for Brian Williams this past week. I'd like to see her more often.

Edited August 8, 2021 by catlover79

[Kitty Redstone]

On 8/6/2021 at 5:08 PM, annzeepark914 said:

Big surprise today at Deadline White House: Alexi McCammond returned as a guest. She's now back at Axios. I guess if CNN can take back Toomey, MSNBC felt they could take back McCammond. I'm really surprised.

I haven't been following (much needed news break!), so am curious about the backstory here.  Can you please share?

[annzeepark914]

48 minutes ago, Kitty Redstone said:

I haven't been following (much needed news break!), so am curious about the backstory here.  Can you please share?

While in college, Alexi made disparaging  remarks about Asians' looks. The info' emerged after she was recently hired to be a magazine editor. She lost the job. Just Google her name. I'm really surprised Axios took her back (as well as MSNBC). 

Edited August 9, 2021 by annzeepark914