They will still be on to serve as analysts, but MSNBC will not use them to anchor upcoming debates and other political news events. They said the experiment didn't work. Gee, what a shock. How could they ever have guessed that a tinfoil hat wearing Kos conspiracy diarist would have trouble anchoring a political event in an unbiased way? Or even a semi-unbiased way? Matthews could pretend to be a journalist if he could put a delay switch on his mouth. Instead his mouth frequently starts before his brain engages.
MSNBC tried a bold experiment this year by putting two politically incendiary hosts, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, in the anchor chair to lead the cable news channel's coverage of the election.That experiment appears to be over.
After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage.
The change -- which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle -- is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel's perceived shift to the political left.
...
Executives at the channel's parent company, NBC Universal, had high hopes for MSNBC's coverage of the political conventions. Instead, the coverage frequently descended into on-air squabbles between the anchors, embarrassing some workers at NBC's news division, and quite possibly alienating viewers. Although MSNBC nearly doubled its total audience compared with the 2004 conventions, its competitive position did not improve, as it remained in last place among the broadcast and cable news networks. In prime time, the channel averaged 2.2 million viewers during the Democratic convention and 1.7 million viewers during the Republican convention.
Check OlbyWatch to see video from some of the coverage this election season that undoubtedly led to the decision by NBC.
Update: Did Chris Matthews get the boot so that Keith Olbermann could save face?






Comments (17)
Too bad they'll still be co... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Mitchell | September 7, 2008 10:57 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Too bad they'll still be covering as "analysts" as if they really take much care in that role, as opposed to their partisan one.
1. Posted by Mitchell | September 7, 2008 10:57 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 22:57
2. Posted by alvah halle | September 7, 2008 11:06 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Two down a few more jagweeds to go.
So it continues to go....
2. Posted by alvah halle | September 7, 2008 11:06 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:06
3. Posted by RicardoVerde | September 7, 2008 11:09 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
So MSNBC finally realizes being in the tank for the Dems is costing them cash. Now they'll put on a fresh face and pretend for a while.
3. Posted by RicardoVerde | September 7, 2008 11:09 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:09
4. Posted by daniel rotter | September 7, 2008 11:30 PM | Score: -20 (24 votes cast)
"So MSNBC finally realizes being in the tank for the Dems..."
Yeah, a network where someone criticized Obama's bowling skills (Joe Scarborough), where someone criticized Obama for (gasp!) ordering orange juice at a diner instead of coffee, where someone had to apologize to Hilary Clinton for making an unfair remark about her regarding Monica Lewinsky, where someone compared Hilary to a stripper, where someone said that Hilary was acting "witchy" (the last four were all from Chris Matthews), where a reporter said that Chelsea Clinton was "pimping" for her mother (David Shuster), where radical rightist Michael Savage was given his own one-hour program, where someone took Hilary strongly to task for her comments regarding primaries and RFK's assassination (Keith Olbermann), is really "in the tank" for the Dems.
4. Posted by daniel rotter | September 7, 2008 11:30 PM |
Score: -20 (24 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:30
5. Posted by Tom Blogical
| September 7, 2008 11:33 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
So MSNBC replaced Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann with...David Gregory?
Yeah. That'll earn them instant credibility. 'Cause...you know. David Gregory is fair, balanced, and objective. And most of the time, he's sober.
5. Posted by Tom Blogical
| September 7, 2008 11:33 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:33
6. Posted by daniel rotter | September 7, 2008 11:35 PM | Score: -20 (24 votes cast)
Too bad the F(R)NC won't do the same thing with that paragon of unbiased journalism (rolls eyes) Brit Hume.
6. Posted by daniel rotter | September 7, 2008 11:35 PM |
Score: -20 (24 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:35
7. Posted by Sheik Yur Bouty | September 7, 2008 11:56 PM | Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
daniel rotten,
Thanks for all the examples of substantive journalism over at MSNBC. Got any examples of, oh, I don't know, critisism of a Dem above the third grade level?
And, gosh, if you are as balanced and centered as you sound, it's no wonder FNC doesn't sound fair to you.
Now go back to Kos where you belong.
7. Posted by Sheik Yur Bouty | September 7, 2008 11:56 PM |
Score: 9 (13 votes cast)
Posted on September 7, 2008 23:56
8. Posted by marc | September 8, 2008 12:05 AM | Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
Gotta luv the weasel words, "perceived shift," it like will ya know at *might* be true but just to cover our asses we'll try, try who?????????
David Gregory? Buwahaha! Frying pans and fires and all that.
daniel rotter - "Yeah, a network where someone criticized Obama's bowling skills (Joe Scarborough), where someone criticized Obama for (gasp!) ordering orange juice at a diner instead of coffee, where someone............"
Yadda, yadda...
You forgot to add the network during the Palin VP announcement proudly displayed the "breaking news" banner on screen that said "How many houses will she add to the ticket?"
More "wisdom" from rotter - "Too bad the F(R)NC won't do the same thing with that paragon of unbiased journalism (rolls eyes) Brit Hume."
Guess you missed the independant reports that judged Fox as giving the most unbiased coverage of both conventions.
What's the matter, pissed that your community organizer appeared on Fox after dodging the place at the behest of his masters at MovOn.asshats.
8. Posted by marc | September 8, 2008 12:05 AM |
Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 00:05
9. Posted by Carlos Echevarria
| September 8, 2008 12:06 AM | Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
Sheik, way to call it, that is right Danny crawl back to your Daily Kos/Move On/Code Pink cave...
And while you are it don't forge to like your master, Mullah Obama's boots!!!
9. Posted by Carlos Echevarria
| September 8, 2008 12:06 AM |
Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 00:06
10. Posted by Neo | September 8, 2008 12:10 AM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Seems there may be a good reason to fire the "odd couple".
Ed and Mitch at Hot Air interviewed Doug, a volunteer driver who worked for the Republican National Convention Committee in St. Paul. The summary ...
And here I thought it had something to do with Code Pink.
10. Posted by Neo | September 8, 2008 12:10 AM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 00:10
11. Posted by daniel rotter | September 8, 2008 1:35 AM | Score: -16 (18 votes cast)
"Guess you missed the independent reports that judged Fox as giving the most unbiased coverage of both conventions".
Please name these "independent reports".
"...Mullah Obama's..."
Stay classy, right-wingers.
11. Posted by daniel rotter | September 8, 2008 1:35 AM |
Score: -16 (18 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 01:35
12. Posted by Lorie Byrd | September 8, 2008 1:51 AM | Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
I just saw Susan Estrich on Fox and she said she had heard so much about media bias that she and her son decided to watch another station, not Fox, out of curiosity. She said they watched McCain tell the story of his POW days and then she thought of his classy ad during Obama's speech night about putting politics aside to celebrate his historic achievement. She said after the speech the commentators started "trashing the speech the likes of which I turned off the tv." She said it was sarcastic and almost nasty and disrespectful. Then she said this is the reason they are paying in the polls.
For the young readers, Estrich is a Democrat who was the first female head of a presidential campaign (for Dukakis).
12. Posted by Lorie Byrd | September 8, 2008 1:51 AM |
Score: 10 (12 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 01:51
13. Posted by marc | September 8, 2008 2:54 AM | Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
rotter - "Please name these "independent reports".
Geesh... just like the rest of you guys, you have to be spoon fed.
If you had the slightest bit on intellectual curiosity you'd wouldn't be asking but using the abundant online resources to find them.
13. Posted by marc | September 8, 2008 2:54 AM |
Score: 5 (9 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 02:54
14. Posted by Karl Rove | September 8, 2008 4:12 AM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Gee, I don't recall Brit saying Obama gave him a tingly feeling down his leg, but maybe he did and I forgot about it.
Lol. Moron.
14. Posted by Karl Rove | September 8, 2008 4:12 AM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 04:12
15. Posted by nehemiah | September 8, 2008 6:01 AM | Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
daniel rotter's examples of bias above are mostly criticism of Hillary during the primary in order to help elect someone farther left than she. Rotter gives that as examples of how MSNBC is not left!
I believe in a free press, but what we have now is not a free press. I think we do need to make irresponsible journalists accountable. Heavy fines or waterboarding are quite okay by me.
15. Posted by nehemiah | September 8, 2008 6:01 AM |
Score: 7 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 06:01
16. Posted by Oyster | September 8, 2008 9:34 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Wait a minute. Didn't some big exec just recently defend Olbermann saying he was doing a "great job" for them?
16. Posted by Oyster | September 8, 2008 9:34 AM |
Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 09:34
17. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 8, 2008 12:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My response begins at approximately 12 seconds in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPz-j3bfq3E
17. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 8, 2008 12:38 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 8, 2008 12:38