MSNBC's President Wants Network Known as 'America's NewsChannel'

the wall street journal ^ | 4/12/2 | sally beatty

[crazyj]

NEW YORK -- Responding to pressure from its overseers at General Electric Co.'s NBC, MSNBC, the struggling 24-hour cable-television news channel, is looking to boost its ratings by cloaking itself in the American flag.

In a wide-ranging memo sent to news staff Thursday morning, MSNBC President Erik Sorenson tried to define the channel's mission in the post-Sept. 11 world as to "serve the American people." As a result, MSNBC will now be known as "America's NewsChannel." The cable property is owned jointly by NBC and Microsoft Corp.

[edwin hubble]

America's NewsChannel.
I think this is what they call "positioning"
It is also ...Hoping against hope.

[ladyinred]

I have heard them saying that phrase now! I thought it was odd, and now I see why they are doing it. Too bad they don't add the line, "America's NewsChannel, with UnAmerican News!" That would be more accurate!

[Allegra]

MSNBC's President Wants Network Known as 'America's NewsChannel'

Yeah and I want to win the Lottery.

Signed,
Fox News Junkie

[henbane]

That will NEVER happen until they change the "pro-Palestinian" content of their programming.

They're totally locked into Muslim rump-swab mode. No way can they ever change.

MSNB

[Calvin Locke]

Adam Clymer is also considered a "clymer" by the Capitol Police Force. Very arrogant, especially wearing his
Capital Police issued "press" badge-id when covering "The Hill".

[thucydides]

Years ago, the now defunct Eastern Airlines decided to combat its reputation for terrible passenger service. They ran an expensive series of ads telling the public how great their service was. According to sources I had within the airline, nothing whatever was done to change actual service practice. The airline failed not long after.

MSNBC has probably found from focus groups that the public doesn't think they are very pro-American (surprise!). So now this "America's Cable News" pitch, with all the purported explanation designed to mollify MSNBC liberals as to why they will be wearing a more patriotic look in their graphics (if not in their ideology).

[mc5cents]

And I want to be addressed as "The Exaulted One". What's their point?

That used to be my title. I now am known as The Highest Most Exaulted Supreme Potentate.

As they say in Marketing 101, Packaging is very important.

[AmishDude]

Works for me! But you have to airbrush out two things:

1. The guy.
2. The word "Iceberg". Trust me on this one.

[AmishDude]

Bush was even presented with a baseball jersey with "Clymer" on the back.

Yes. I had hoped those were for sale. :(

[jrlc]

More Sh** Nothing But Communism (aka MSNBC) failing? Couldn't happen to a worse network.

[galt-jw]

again, welfare dependents, envy riddled non producers, and crackheads do not watch news or cable news. they watch mtv, or whatever crap will tittilate their tiny brain. those who do watch cable news are intelligent(foxnews), and have no use for socialist, propagandized drivel that is crapped out by msnbc and cnn. hey fellas, your target market is a contradiction:you dont have one, by virtue of the idiots you have created. checkmate, losers.

[Caipirabob]

They're dying because more people, literally, are watching Scooby-Doo than CNN and MSNBC.

Actually, outside of FReerepublic, I get most of my news and information from watching Scooby-Doo. Did you know just how nutrional Scooby-Snacks are? They can potentially sustain a 95 lb Mastiff and a Seedy 1960's Hippie Stoner for years on end on just a few meager portions a day. There are thousand of potential facts and tips that can be gained from the show, not to mention snazzy dressing tips from Velma and that ascot wearing sexless wonder, Fred.

The intellectual content alone is enough to leave CNN in the dust.

[Sonny M]

The people that watch fox news in general are right of center and conservative. CNN's audience is leftists, liberal or somewhat moderate (the ignorant few). FOX's audience however is more loyal then CNN. (Conservatives won't really watch CNN, but liberals, to become outraged will watch FOX). The best thing MSNBC can do, it try to differentiate itself from CNN and go for the outraged group, i.e. moderate to right of center to conservative. They just signed Phil Donahue (he's an ass) put him with Alan Keyes, and have them do a Hannity and Colmes/ O'Reilly type show. Everyone sees the networks as liberal, you have to make sure people don't percieve you as just the same. MSNBC doesn't do that, they're just copying FOX's style with the a liberal bent.