UPDATED: MSNBC pulling plug on Keyes

WorldNetDaily ^ | June 19, 2002 | By Ron Strom

[Jim Robinson]

MSNBC pulling plug on Keyes
Host rejects offer for afternoon timeslot

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Posted: June 19, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Ron Strom
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

Barring last-minute negotiations, "Alan Keyes is Making Sense," a primetime cable news show on MSNBC, will end its five-month run on July 11 after the network told Keyes his show would be moved to an afternoon timeslot ? an option the talk-show host rejected.

Alan Keyes

Debuting last January, Keyes' show takes on various cultural and political issues of the day, and has often focused on the Middle East conflict. The show currently airs Monday through Thursday at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Keyes' chief of staff, Mary Parker Lewis, calls the show "fresh, honest, provocative" analysis.

Both Bob Angelotti, Keyes' media representative, and Lewis said Keyes is unwilling to move to an afternoon broadcast time.

"The afternoon timeslot wasn't acceptable to the mission and message of Alan's show," he said. "It would not reach our audience. Primetime hours are the most conducive to getting the message out."

Angelotti says ratings "were not an issue" in the proposed move. "His ratings were very steady," he said.

Lewis concurred: "His ratings were solid for a new, provocative show."

A spokesperson for MSNBC, however, mentioned ratings as a factor in the decision.

"His ratings aren't the strongest," she said. "He drew 213,000 Nielsen households in May."

The chief of media relations at MSNBC was unavailable for comment. The spokesperson who talked to WND refused to give the newssite her name.

She confirmed that Keyes was offered an afternoon timeslot but that he was "not inclined to take it."

"MSNBC is working with him to be a regular on another show," the spokesperson said. Lewis, however, says she's heard nothing about the possibility of Keyes appearing on another program.

MSNBC has no official statement as of yet that addresses the future of "Alan Keyes is Making Sense."

Lewis believes Keyes' show is an asset to the cable news network, noting that "We have brought new viewers" to MSNBC.

Angelotti speculated that the network wanted to group shows featuring conservatives together, noting that Pat Buchanan's new show begins in mid-July. As WND reported, Buchanan and Bill Press will co-host a new debate show on MSNBC that will air from 2 to 4 p.m.

Keyes' afternoon show, had he accepted it, would have followed that program. He said the network did not volunteer to rebroadcast the Keyes show in the evening, which is common for some cable news shows.

So, will Keyes land at another network?

"He wants to think it through," Angelotti told WND. Once the current show ends, "he will figure out what he wants to do."

Keyes has no plans to shop his show to other networks, Angelotti said, but added that the host has received calls from others in television interested in the program. For now, says Angelotti, Keyes will concentrate on making the final installments of his show the very best he can.

Keyes' show has made waves internationally, Angelotti noted.

"He has emerged as a media superstar in Israel," he said, for telling the truth about the Middle East and for his "logical, factual, unbiased approach to the Israel issue."

"We know for a fact that that bothers people," Angelotti said, based on complaints from supporters of the Palestinians.

MSNBC may not have gotten around to issuing a statement about the show because they're too busy fielding e-mails from Keyes supporters.

A Jewish website, Mesora, is promoting an online petition to try to keep Keyes' show on the air. Signing the petition sends an e-mail to executives of MSNBC with the following message:

I urge MSNBC to continue "Alan Keyes is Making Sense" in the 10 p.m. slot. I protest your succumbing to pressures against Keyes' stance for truth, and his honest fight against terrorism. Too many Americans died, and Keyes is defending them, ... but you favor those who oppose Keyes. This is not American. Keep him on air, or I will cease watching your programming, and get others to join me.

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim, founder of Mesora, says the drive has been active only for two days, yet over 21,000 people have joined the effort. The only response he has received from MSNBC is a complaint about spam. Ben-Chaim told the network that the e-mail drive was not spam because each message is from an individual; they're not all from one source.

The rabbi denounced MSNBC for squelching someone's voice "who is searching for truth." He was not sure when the petition drive would end.

"MSNBC is not concerned with delivering facts," which is what Keyes does, Ben-Chaim told WND. "That's contrary to what a TV network should be."

Keyes is an exclusive WorldNetDaily columnist, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Social and Economic Council and a 2000 Republican presidential candidate.

Related stories:

Keyes to host new show on MSNBC

Buchanan grapples with Press on TV again

[Satadru]

I wonder how his rating was compared to other shows in the first season.

[basil]

There is a campaign going on to try to save the show. If you are interested in participating in this campaign, please call: 201-583-5000, and leave a message.

[boomop1]

Time for me to pull the plug on MSNBC, as so many have already done. Oh my, Donahue to the rescue, gag.

[anniegetyourgun]

Doesn't it seem that this was a planned set up from the get-go? I don't believe the network ever intended for this program to go anywhere and were simply giving it the perception of a "fair trial", while counting the days to announce cancellation.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Both Bob Angelotti, Keyes' media representative, and Lewis said Keyes is unwilling to move to an afternoon broadcast time.

Seems like Alan may have forgotten who worked for whom. If the story is true that he turned down a move to an afternoon timeslot, than he in effect quit. That's certainly his perogative, but it does change my view a bit towards MSNBC's handling of all this.

Not that I'll ever stoop to watching Donahue, et. al.

[Wright is right!]

Considering that the concept and execution of the show left a lot to be desired - in the words of many here who've seen it - it sounds like the show was destined to be unwatchable, and that it lived up to its destiny. Many here criticized Keyes for seemingly pulling his punches, and his wardrobe changes were said to be distracting.

The same thing happens to Rush whenever he's on TV. His rapier take-no-prisoners style gets so watered down that you're left afterwards wondering why he didn't present his arguments with more of his unique perceptions.

Michael

[Reagan Man]

So, will Keyes land at another network?

I hope Roger Ailes at Fox, doesn't make a move for Keyes. IMO, that would be a big mistake. I watched Keyes` show several times and overall, I wasn't impressed.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

'I watched Keyes` show several times and overall, I wasn't impressed.'

So you consider Phil Donahue to be an improvement?

[bybybill]

Is Alan Keyes that guy that looks down his nose at anybody that disagrees with him? Is he the guy that refuses to see any point of veiw that disagrees with his, the same fellow that thinks he can win by outshouting his opponent? Oh, I know who he is, he`s the boring black guy on MSNBC.

[ravingnutter]

There is a campaign going on to try to save the show. If you are interested in participating in this campaign, please call: 201-583-5000, and leave a message.

I hope that is Keyes' or his agent's number, otherwise you are probably just spitting in the wind. He apparently refused to take the afternoon slot they offered him, so essentially he quit, they did not pull the plug on his show as was originally posted. Personally, I like what the man stands for, but cannot stand his delivery of that message, his voice and manner of speaking are annoying to me. Hubby cannot even stand to hear his voice (or Chris Matthews) and makes me turn the channel if he hears him on. Just my .02...

[browardchad]

Keyes is the only TV host who has consistently taken Arab and Paestinian apologists to task, relentlessly challenging their lies and equivocations. Last night, one of them walked off the show in a huff -- to a round of cheers in our household.

Strongly held beliefs -- and unvarnished truth -- have become anathema in this country, and thus there is no room for Keyes. He doesn't fit into the typical American's comfort zone.

[newgeezer]

I'm an ardent Keyes fan. Worked for him in '96; voted for him in '00 (both for the Iowa caucus). That said, I must admit I watched his show maybe 4 times during its first month, and not at all since. For some reason, it's just not something I even think about, let alone look forward to.

[ravingnutter]

So you consider Phil Donahue to be an improvement?

****GAG****...****BARF*****

He's worse than annoying, he's downright nauseating! I keep my handy dandy rubber dart gun close by for big mouthed liberals like him!

[B Knotts]

You know, I'm rather baffled when I see people who frequent this web site saying that they can't stand Alan Keyes' show. I wonder if the real reason is that they disagree with his strong defense of Israel.

I think his show is pretty good. It's not always great, but neither are the other talking head shows. I generally find his show more interesting than Greta van Sustern's, as she tends to cover the same old stuff as the rest of them.

[LarryLied]

Be interesting to see what size audience Keyes would attract in the afternoon. I don't see it as sending him to purgatory. He might get those bored with soaps, Montel and endless jury shows who are looking for something with meat on it. The conventional wisdom was that Rush would never succeed in the daytime. He had to fight not to be put on at night.

[LarryLied]

Be interesting to see what size audience Keyes would attract in the afternoon. I don't see it as sending him to purgatory. He might get those bored with soaps, Montel and endless jury shows who are looking for something with meat on it. The conventional wisdom was that Rush would never succeed in the daytime. He had to fight not to be put on at night.

[swarthyguy]

Like so many talk show hosts, Keyes seems to suffer from loving the sound of his voice way too much. My pet peeve is that he is too verbose and spends way too many words asking a question that could be asked in one-tenth of the number of words he actually uses.

That being said, he has consistently refused to accept the lies and prevarications of the islamoborg; he questions them and calls them to task. A very spirited and moral viewpoint that will be sorely missed, however longwinded he is.

[Puppage]

How could you not be impressed? He's the most articulate interviewer/host out there. You never hear him stammer with "aahs" or "uumms". Direct, to the point, and sound in his convictions & opinions.

[ladtx]

Seems to be many here who do not care for Alan Keyes. I, for one like him because you always know exactly where he stands on any subject. He is articulate and well-versed in the art of logical argument. He is unwavering in his support of Israel and is an ardent and outspoken foe of the abortionists. I suspect this is why most of the anti-Keyes people do not like his program, he presents a good argument and is fierce in his beliefs. Phil Donahue will be a tremendous change for this time slot. MSNBC will be going from a shining beacon of conservative values to the whining, whimpering self-flagellation of liberalism at its worst.