Posted on 06/07/2006 1:56:16 PM PDT by abb
Wednesday, Jun 07 Rick Kaplan Resigns: "He Has Led MSNBC Through A Period Of Impressive Growth"
"I want to thank Rick for his service to MSNBC," NBC News president Steve Capus said in a message to MSNBC employees at 4pm. "Over the last two and a half years, Rick has been a tireless champion for the network and all the hard work you do each and every day. He has led MSNBC through a period of impressive growth especially in primetime. You, the staff at MSNBC, are enormously dedicated and have built a rock-solid foundation for our future growth. MSNBC has been and continues to be an enormously important asset in the NBC News portfolio.
Soon, I will have an announcement for all of you about MSNBC's new leadership. During this period of transition I will call on the department heads at MSNBC to manage their respective units and report to me."
In an e-mail to all NBC Universal employees, Capus said "the message of this day is a continued commitment by everyone at MSNBC to excellence. The channel has some real momentum behind it now - and we intend to build upon that foundation for an extremely bright future."
Posted by brian | 04:35 PM | MSNBC | Email this post
Rick Kaplan Resigns: Effective Immediately, President Of MSNBC Steps Down Rick Kaplan's goodbye to MSNBC staffers:
"I want to let you all know that today I'm leaving MSNBC. It is not often in professional life that someone has the opportunity to end his tenure on such a high note. I couldn't be more proud of the progress we've made together over the last 2 and a half years. Together, we've increased MSNBC's viewership 25% in primetime and 19% in dayside. Over just the last year, we've had great success across the board, with Hardball and Countdown coming into their own. All of our primetime programs have improved tremendously in their production and content. Together we had a great election year in '04 and you're poised to improve on that excellence this fall. It truly has been an honor to work with all of you who make up the best team in TV news. My genuine hope is that you continue to grow and build on the momentum we've achieved together at MSNBC."
What if the book deals don't bring in any money?
Also, these book deals start sounding like sit com re runs.
MSNBC chief Rick Kaplan leaving network
DAVID BAUDER
Associated Press
NEW YORK - Rick Kaplan is out after two years as MSNBC president, during which the perennially third-place news network showed modest gains but didn't change its competitive standing with Fox News Channel and CNN.
His exit was described Wednesday as a "mutual decision" by NBC News President Steve Capus and Kaplan.
"He came in at a critical time, he stabilized it and now we're going to grow it," Capus said, adding that he expected an announcement of Kaplan's replacement quickly.
Kaplan would not talk to reporters about his exit, a spokesman said.
MSNBC's prime-time lineup is up 14 percent in viewers this year, while Fox and CNN are down. Fox's prime-time lineup averages 1.7 million viewers a night, CNN has 786,000 and MSNBC has 360,000, according to Nielsen Media Research. During the daytime, MSNBC's viewership has been flat.
With his increasingly liberal tilt and ongoing feud with Fox's Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" show has shown growth for MSNBC. Kaplan started a prime-time show that often concentrates on crime news with former Fox News personality Rita Cosby.
One of Kaplan's biggest priorities, a political show with former CNN commentator Tucker Carlson, proved to be a failure and was quickly moved out of prime time.
The gregarious Kaplan, a former CNN president, kept a low public profile during his time at MSNBC. He was appointed to the job in February 2004.
In an e-mail to MSNBC staff, Kaplan touted improvements made during his tenure, saying all of MSNBC's prime-time programs have "improved tremendously in their production and content."
"It is not often in professional life that someone has the opportunity to end his tenure on a such a high note," Kaplan wrote. "I couldn't be more proud of the progress we've made together over the last two and a half years."
Despite the overall strength of NBC News - and MSNBC's success as an Internet news brand - it's been an endless source of frustration for the company that the news channel has not been able to do better. Kaplan's tenure was a period of relative stability for the network, which in the past has been criticized for whiplash-inducing quick format changes.
Kaplan's note to staff members made no mention about what he planned to do. There was some speculation that Kaplan, a longtime ABC News staff member with a strong background in show production, might be a candidate to run "Good Morning America." That show's executive producer, Ben Sherwood, announced five days ago he was stepping down.
"You can't fire me!!"
"Why not?"
"'cause I quit!!"
"You can't quit!!"
"Why not?"
"'cause you're fired!!"
Exit/Smexit.
He is gone like Blather and Mapes.
Wow another day another lib media network trashed. Good job by Kaplan.
But I think he is running out of liberal networks that have anything but single digit percentage viewership. Then it become harded to document statistically significant trashing under his leadership.
See what I did? I addressed my post to you AND Admin Moderator...simple as that:)
They change the headline if we make a mistake- or if it changes..:)
LOL.
Where is the video ?
"Then, he and the box were escorted to his car which had its parking permit and stickers removed if he had a personal vehicle. If he drove a company vehicle, he and his box were loaded into a gypsy cab with no goodbyes."
Let's hope his replacement cleans out the stable.
Ok, thx... But it may change again, lol. What's a combination of resignation and firing? Firation? Resired?
I love the comment about there being a period of stability under Kaplan.
Nothing like locking in rock bottom programming and sticking unswervingly with it no matter what. Leaves lots of time for extra rounds of golf.
HAAAAaaaaaaaaahhh!! :)
Channel 56 in my locality. Right next to Fox News on Channel 57. CNN is on Channel 42 and Headline News is on 43. The four Fox and ESPN sports channels are on 35-38. Speed Channel is on 200. Turner Classic Movies is on 66. Science Channel is on 67.
Piece of cake.
Fire Odious Olbermann!
Over the past few years Kaplan sure changed his tune about use of the word "scandal" where he simply adored and even encouraged the use of the word at MSNBC. Funny thing.
I maintain this chart indicates that MSNBC never really made it to the condition of Mainstream.
Further, CNN has lost so many viewers it is also no longer Mainstream.
MsNBC and CNN are not MSM.
Poor ol Crissy, he's not mainstream..... he has less viewers than many good bloggers have readers.
"Where is the video ?"
"Then, he and the box were escorted to his car which had its parking permit and stickers removed if he had a personal vehicle. If he drove a company vehicle, he and his box were loaded into a gypsy cab with no goodbyes."
I know of a few A$$holes, who got terminated this way, the corporate lawyers/security people did video the process from the packing of the box, the termination, the walk to their car, loading them and their box into their car and an escort to the gate for the final good bye. I'm sure those video tapes are stored in the corporate law vaults.
"I love the comment about there being a period of stability under Kaplan."
I'm sure that there were a few minutes of stability under the command of the Captain of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, before it sunk.
Maybe they could all have a reality TV show----title: "You're All Fired."
.....Did security cut up his credit cards and escort him to the parking lot ?......
One morning years ago I visited a vendor to make a progress review and on arriving asked about the health of the President.
I was told the company had been sold and the new owner was greeted at the airport by the president a day or two before. He was asked for his credit cards and keys to the company car. They left him at the airport and sent all his stuff to him in a box via ups. I presume they changed all the locks, sparing him the indignity of handing over keys to the company.
"Maybe they could all have a reality TV show----title: "You're All Fired."
Yeah, start out with a 1000 people and fire 20% per week and on the fifth week, "The Rest of you, are all fired!"
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