MSNBC sheds Donahue, turns right [liberal media critic dyspepsia alert]

St. Paul Pioneer Press ^ | 2/27/03 | Brian Lambert

[rhema]

The only thing less surprising than MSNBC finally whacking Phil Donahue, as it did Tuesday, is MSNBC deciding it has to take a hard right turn in order to survive in cable "news."

Hardly a sexy, fresh face, the 67-year-old talk-show veteran was positioned to out-shout and out-'tude the human blast furnaces on Fox News. It didn't work fast enough for MSNBC, and his failure will no doubt reinvigorate the opinion that American audiences will never warm to anything other than unabashed conservative partisans or, in the case of MSNBC's other recent hire, talk-radio host Michael Savage, outright bigots.

With Donahue played out, MSNBC's strategy is shifting to new primetime programs with former ABC personality Sam Donaldson and what's his name, the former governor of Minnesota. Those shows are expected to debut after the expected war in Iraq.

Also added to MSNBC's roster in recent days is former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, the Texas Republican memorable for a couple of "jokes" about fellow congressman, the openly gay Barney Frank. (We all remember "Barney Fag." But Armey has made enough of a habit of unflattering gay punch lines that, you have to wonder what private demons he's hiding.)

Armey will be a regular commentator for MSNBC, as will Florida Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough, an occasional guest host for MSNBC's "Nachman." Suffice it to say that neither politician presents any risk of arguing positions unsympathetic to the current White House or Republican majority.

Donahue issued a statement critical of GE/NBC executives Wednesday, saying, "We were hoping to break through the noisy drums of war on cable and become a responsible platform for dissenters as well as administration supporters." He insisted the six months the corporation gave his show was insufficient to build an audience.

"The hiring of Mike Savage, Dick Armey and Joe Scarborough," Donahue added, "suggests a strategy to out-Fox Fox."

On Wednesday, MSNBC was putting out several fires in addition to the Donahue statement. One was ignited by the leak of what was purported to be a study NBC News executives commissioned to guide their decisions on the fate of MSNBC.

The report appeared in the TV-industry watcher Web site, allyourtv.com.

In it, Donahue was described as, "a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace." "Tired"? I don't know. The guy has at least as much juice as Sean Hannity. "Left-wing liberal"? Guilty as charged. But it's the desperate desire to pander to the "current marketplace" factor that damns NBC News, if the report is true.

It goes on to say that Donahue presented a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war." How? Well, "he seems to delight in presenting guests who are anti-war, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration's motives." In other words, ratings and profit are snuffing free speech in an open society.

The competitive nightmare, the report said, is that MSNBC then becomes "a home for the liberal anti-war agenda at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity." Asked for comment, MSNBC did not deny the validity of the report. In a written response, it said, "We don't comment on unfounded statements published on the Web."

Rick Ellis, publisher of allyourtv.com and the man to whom the alleged report was leaked, wasn't about to give up his source. But, said Ellis, "My guy at NBC thought it was pretty innocuous. Now, though, NBC is apparently trying to figure out who leaked, because it didn't go out to very many people."

Media columnist Brian Lambert can be reached at blambert@pioneerpress.com or at (651) 228-5424.

[Lunatic Fringe]

MSNBC taking a hard right?!?! LOL! That is laughable... And calling Savage a bigot?! I bet this guy thinks the media is "too conservative."

[annyokie]

We NEVER watch Donahue, but, ther must have been serendipity involved the night we clicked onto Dennis Miller eviscerating Phil.

Proof that there is a God!

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[rhema]

MSNBC taking a hard right?!?! LOL! That is laughable... And calling Savage a bigot?! I bet this guy thinks the media is "too conservative."

St. Paul Pioneer Press media critics excluded, of course. Tirelessly tendentious Lambert does tend frequently to weep and gnash his teeth about the paucity of his ideological brethren on the talk shows.

[Russell Scott]

Dear Brian:

It is sad that MSNBC is actually in business to make money and attract a viewing audience, instead of the government subsidizing them like PBS. I guess that's the price we pay for living in a free enterprise society.

Viva La France!

Russell Scott

[ninonitti]

Boo Hoo Brian

[Toidylop]

In it, Donahue was described as, "a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace." "Tired"? I don't know. The guy has at least as much juice as Sean Hannity. "Left-wing liberal"? Guilty as charged. But it's the desperate desire to pander to the "current marketplace" factor that damns NBC News, if the report is true.

Well, well... what a sore loser this writer is.

[Montfort]

The libs have won big with the old Art Bell Show, which is now hosted by George Norrie (sp?). It has wide-ranging audience, but these days there is a constant stream of guests who all manage to get around to spewing an anti-Bush or anti-War-on-Iraq message.

Some guest tells us yesterday how brutal Mohammed was in his conquests and how much many Islamists hate us, and what a dirty bomb can do to a city and its people. His point was that we should not attack Iraq.

Some guest (yes, guest, not just a crackpot caller) sees "1111" everywhere and George Norrie agrees. She gets around to telling us not to allow ourselves to get into an "Us versus them" mentality, and that there are no good countries or bad countries. This one was pretty subtle, I must admit. I can only hear a few minutes every once and while, so she probably got explicit in her condemnation of the current administration at some point.

These are just a couple of examples.

Feel free to add more. I can't be the only one who has noticed this.

[stevem]

Anyone who thinks Jesse ventura will take MSNBC to the right hasn't been paying attention or taking notes.

[rhema]

It is sad that MSNBC is actually in business to make money and attract a viewing audience, instead of the government subsidizing them like PBS. I guess that's the price we pay for living in a free enterprise society.

Speaking of ideological monopolies, I think it's high time Lambert shares his space with Michael Medved.

[joesnuffy]

Media like politicans could care less about right or wrong good or evil
they are all about "Market Share"
they are only as true to their espoused idology as it gets them something or keeps them in power..
Its a material world and they are all material gurlz

[annyokie]

Art Bell? Isn't he the "aliens abducted me and I couldn't do my show" guy?

[NittanyLion]

But it's the desperate desire to pander to the "current marketplace" factor that damns NBC News, if the report is true.

Yeah! How dare this business try to make money!

[JennysCool]

You're not the only one, Mont. I don't necessarily think this is Noory's fault, though. He just seems to be having some rotten luck booking guests who -- as in last night's installment -- are booked to talk about chemtrails and suddenly veer off into ludicrous 911 theories and anti-Bush rants. Noory's just a little too squishy; Art used to cut such diatribes off quite curtly and get right back to the topic at hand. I wonder how Art's doing out there in the Wilds of Pahrump, anyway?

FReegards.

[Weimdog]

"American audiences will never warm to anything other than unabashed conservative partisans or, in the case of MSNBC's other recent hire, talk-radio host Michael Savage, outright bigots"

He doesn't back up this charge in the whole article.

Now that's journalism!

[freedumb2003]

>>Tired"? I don't know. The guy has at least as much juice as Sean Hannity.<<

Donahue is tired -- his schtik is outworn 70s smirkseville. But it takes a liberal to look at what the VIEWING AUDIENCE thinks and disuute it. It's like making an ugly shirt that no one likes and saying "but it is good looking -- the people are wrong" (any Pontiac Aztec owners out there)?

Hannity is pretty damn funny and takes advantage of the wealth of opportunities the liberal left give him on a daily basis to show their illogic and self-hate. The comparison is un-apt.

[Lancey Howard]

Bruce Lambert, LOFL!!! So this is the kind of garbage the St. Paul Press is plucking out of college these days. Heaven forfend! A network in business to make money by offering shows people want to watch!

If MSNBC is "moving to the right", it is because nobody cares to hear the Hollywood liberal-style bashing of traditional America anymore. Many of the guilty white liberals who in the past always sided with the parasites to elect Democrats are coming to their senses, one by one. Liberalism has done enough damage, and the country is still a long way from fully recovering, but at least we seem to be pointed in the right direction.

[ladyinred]

I would say the author is a little bit upset that his obvious hero Donahue has been axed, and that MSNBC might be seeing the light about the mood of the viewers. I am loving this!

[NewLand]

"American audiences will never warm to anything other than unabashed conservative partisans"

This is the best news in years! Hooray!

"Suffice it to say that neither politician [Armey and Scarborough]presents any risk of arguing positions unsympathetic to the current White House or Republican majority."

Wow! Now they can be just like the Today Show, Good Morning America, Larry King, etc etc etc, all were from Jan 1993 to Jan 2001 for That White House..

This topic makes me think of that show that Jesse Jacka$$ had on CNN..."Both Sides". They presented his opinion, and his opinion. Both Sides!