Huffington Post: "MSNBC Implosion"...Fights Caught On Tape, Talking Heads Gone Wild!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/28/msnbc-implosion_n_122073.html

NOTE: These are all links, and yes, I'm too damned lazy to hotwire them into my post. Go to the link ABOVE if you want 'em.

:toast:

MSNBC is in dire straits, with a truckload of stories, infighting caught on tape, and bad ratings. Here is a collection of links that chronicle the implosion at MSNBC during the Democratic National Convention.

The Infighting
Round 1: Joe Scarborough Vs. Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews On McCain's Gains In The Polls Round 2: MSNBC Round 2: Joe Scarborough Vs. David Shuster
Round 3: MSNBC Drama Pervades Convention Coverage: Olbermann vs. Matthews, Attempts To Get Guests Banned For Round 3
Round 4: Keith Olbermann Caught Saying About Mike Murphy: "Let's Wrap Him Up"

The Reactions

MSNBC Journalist: "The Situation At Our Network Is About To Blow Up"

Connie Chung On MSNBC Infighting: "Grow Up!"

"Daily Show" Mocks MSNBC Infighting: "It's Lord Of The Flies On The NBC Roof!"

"Nobody Can Believe How Much Keith Olbermann Is Getting Away With"

And, Most Importantly, The Ratings

MSNBC In Distant Third In The Ratings

[valerief]

1. When they talk about how they're censoring the convention, then I'll

care.

They manufacture "Dem party problems."
They talk over nearly every speech about their manufactured problems.
They serve no one but the RW oppressors.

[ben_meyers]

2. It might all be an act, OTOH isn't this what happened to

Air America, lots of infighting and jealousy over salaries and such?

[crimsonblue]

3. bad ratings?

They beat Fox on Monday, and barely lost on Tuesday. They're ratings are up substantially from 2004. This has been a great year for MSNBC (save for the egotistical whining of Scarborough).

[C_U_L8R]

4. I'll tell ya why their ratings suck

They are too busy covering themselves and listening to themselves talk...
and their guests are all freakin' republicans. They've missed more than half the
events and some pretty historic speeches. I think most viewers turned the
channel (to CSPAN and others) out of sheer annoyance and desperation.

They really botched it... big time

And sorry Keith.... you are part of the team there too.
You all have to realize... YOU are not the news.

[damntexdem]

13. I love Keith and Rachel, but ...

I watch the convention on CSPAN, because MSNBC doesn't carry most of it, has talking heads talking over it.

[Fla Dem]

15. I don't know why they insist on setting up their anchor spots

where they inevitably have to shout over the crowds. Whether it's the Morning Joe program, in a diner, or the afternoon and early evening shows on the street. I can't watch because I hate being shouted at.

[EFerrari]

5. Poor Joe and Chris got their little feelings hurt?

AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[MarjorieG]

6. They are behind CNN, Fox anyways, why send every anchor?

No wonder there was a pressure cooker about themselves, not the convention.

[CoffeeCat]

7. I watched the clips...

...much ado about nothing.

Everyone gets upset when the talking heads go of course, and don't follow
the script.

[PatSeg]

8. I posted something about this last night

and it looks like Scarborough just doesn't give a shit anymore and wondered if he knows he's on his way out or maybe just pissed because he lost a prime time slot to Abrams that will now go to Rachel. I won't be surprised if we hear he's gone in the near future. He was incredibly rude and condescending.

Something no one else mentioned, I noticed some tension on the panel led by Nora O'Donnell. Rachel Maddow looked very uncomfortable and at one point Nora gave her a look that was really nasty in spite of the big smile. I sense a lot of resentment towards Rachel because she got the time slot after Keith.

[Johonny]

9. I'm watching them

God knows there more watchable than the crap on CNN or that other channel.

[lapfog_1]

10. And the back story analysis is provided by

(drum-roll) The New York Post.

A unimpeachable source of journalistic integrity if there ever was one.

(OK, I'll add a :sarcasm: just in case someone doesn't "get" it).

[fla nocount]

11. My television still at the bottom of pool with the AM radio knobs,

is something interesting going on?

[madrchsod]

12. cnn-msnbc-fox so far during the convention

they are not distant during this week.

[nashville_brook]

14. i watched the clips, and i think what's going on here is 2 things. the first is...

MSNBC has been having non-stop technical/production problems with being outside with the wind and crowds and the usual hassles that go along with moving the whole network to a temporary tv tent city. which feeds right into 2) people are tired and punchy and like everyone else in the world, start talking truth when you're too burnt to keep up the La Ti Dah charade that is tv punditry.

it's like they're too crispy-fried keep up the facade that republican lies are equal to their refutation which is actually true. schuster and olbermann are JUST SAYING NO to people not owning up to their bullshit, and i for one really appreaciate to finally see this on a cable news network.

when people stop being polite and start being real we can begin to heal.

[Marr]

16. Scarborough is just pathetic. Olberman told him to back up his bullshit-- nothing more than that.

Scarborough couldn't, of course-- and he cries like a baby for days afterward.

[LostInAnomie]

17. I don't know about anyone else, but I like the infighting.

It shows that there can be contrasting opinions even in the most homogenized place on Earth (a TV newscast).

If people get testy, good. Maybe they will give an unvarnished opinion for once instead of reading off a talking point and acting like it has merit.

[calimary]

18. I've seen some of this. From what I've seen in various newsrooms, it strikes me that

there are some on-air people, either other anchors or reporters, who are virulently jealous of Keith Olbermann - and his increasing clout. That clout is his because of his steadily increasing RATINGS. He's now "cloned himself" by pushing for the like-minded Rachel Maddow to get her own show, and he's knocking a few people like Matthews and joe scarborough around on the air - well, when they act like assholes. They're jealous. They're pissed at what he's getting away with - because they're mainly pissed because THEY THEMSELVES can't get away with that same stuff. When they bring in his kind of ratings, they'll be able to throw their weight around, too.

MSNBC has spent so long at the bottom of the pile that they probably look upon Olbermann as the Second Coming because he's the one who's caught fire with viewers and HIS are the ratings that are going up and pulling the whole network up with him. You get clout when you do that. You become the de facto First Among Equals when you do that. You get cut all kinds of slack when you do that. You get to be KING when they do that. And they're pissed that it's not them.