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mwooldri

(10,511 posts)
6. Here's my concerns.
Thu Nov 28, 2024, 08:44 PM
Nov 28

If MSNBC and CNBC is separated from NBC News, then I agree with that MSNBC employee who thinks MSNBC may become more opinion based than it is now.

What I feel is that Comcast is not being ambitious enough with separating off cable channels. What some people forget is that Comcast is a global company. It ended up acquiring Sky TV from Murdoch. I feel the Sky Group operations in Europe could include some operations that would be good in the proposed "SpinCo", notably Sky News.

Putting the UK originated Sky News together with MSNBC and CNBC can help with a few things:

One, SpinCo can switch the X-NBC branding and substitute it with Sky News, which isn't a bad brand. Some MSNBC fans will be familiar with Sky News since during the pandemic Sky News was broadcast on MSNBC overnight.

Two, having Sky News basically take over operations at CNBC/MSNBC will settle nerves at those organizations, comforted with the knowledge that they're being run by a team that is into news in a good and impartial way - having operated in an environment where the UK equivalent of the US "Fairness Doctrine" never disappeared. Also Sky News have an established global correspondence team which will replace some resources previously provided by NBC News. Plus Sky and NBC can continue to share news resources - the British Broadcasting Corp already share with CBS, PBS and NPR, the UK's Independent Television News (known more colloquially as ITV News) share with ABC.

Three, this will give the ex MSNBC, now probably known as Sky News America, an opportunity to pivot towards more news reporting (aka "hard news&quot and investigative reporting. Yes, it would appear more like CNN in a lot of ways but it would have MSNBC's strongest assets and something it lacks - bona fide hard news chops. When natural disasters strike people turn to CNN. Not to MSNBC. If MSNBC does a decent job of reporting breaking non political news then it'll give reason for regular viewers to remain viewing. It would be a better home for the likes of Rachel Maddow who would be free to do more analysis and feature programs - more her style than opinion stuff.

Four, SpinCo will probably pivot to becoming a "content creation company" that happens to have a bunch of legacy cable channels. The talent that isn't retained by "MSNBC" aka my idea of Sky News USA can still be retained, and they create their own streaming shows. Probably collate it under a new brand. I'd dare not call it Sky News Nation (cos Fixed News Nation exists) but set up as a counter-programing to Fixed News Nation. Heck, Keith Olbermann could go there with an in-vision version of his podcast.

Well that's my idea anyway. Doubt Comcast would consider it. We'd probably end up with a rebranded MSNBC that has fewer resources than NewsNation and does rely more on opinion pieces and will probably borrow a lot of NBC News coverage during a disaster e.g. hurricane, tornado, flood, mass shooting, etc.

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