Al Sharpton exchanged Comcast NBC merger support for TV show

[DemocratAholic]

Yesterday Tavis Smiley (on his PBS TV show) said that Al Sharpton agreed not to criticize the Comcast-NBC merger in exchange for his own TV show.

[grantcart]

1. and what, besides professional jealousy, did Mr. Smile offer as evidence?

[RZM]

3. This was briefly in the news back in late July

His prior positions on the merger were certainly noted when he got that show.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/business/media/for-al-sharpton-questions-on-ties-to-comcast.html?_r=1&smid=tw-NYTimesAd&seid=auto

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/07/27/al-sharpton-affirmative-action-beneficiary-of-the-nbc-comcast-merger.html

http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0711/Al_Sharptons_Comcast_connection_raises_questions.html

[DemocratAholic]

4. excepts from Smiley interview with Juan Gonzalez

Excerpts from Tavis Smiley interview with Juan Gonzalez (Democracy Now! co-host and co-author of News for All the People )
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/interviews/commentator-columnist-juan-gonzalez/?show=10232

Tavis Smiley: When Al Sharpton was being considered for the job at MSNBC, “New York Times” ran a number of front-page stories, major stories, about the role that Sharpton had played as one of those civil rights leaders, the role that others had played, he and the NAACP and the Urban League and a number of other organizations, a front-page story about the role they had played in signing off on Comcast being given the approval to purchase NBC.

Gonzalez: Right.

Tavis: Now you said earlier, back in the day, that Black folk didn’t used to do that. They used to complain when they weren’t being respected and when their issues weren’t being raised, et cetera, et cetera.

Now these companies have figured out a way to go after these civil rights leaders, to go after these organizations, and I’m not going to say buy them off. What I am going to say, though, is to figure out how to get their support so they can get approval for these mergers.

So this story becomes a front-page story when Sharpton is being considered for MSNBC, because he’s going to work for the company, potentially, that he signed off on or supported publicly being able to purchase NBC and MSNBC.

[ljm2002]

2. Wow, who knew Sharpton had such influence?

I mean, I know that anytime I read about a media merger, I wait with bated breath for Al's take on it. But that's just me.

:sarcasm:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Considering Sharpton's record, would that surprise anyone?

[jaxx]

6. What, did Tavis get tired of bashing the President and decide

to go after Rev. Al?

[blueknight]

7. his own show?

lol. he's a race baiter and an opportunist, nothing more, nothing less

[jaxx]

9. You're talking about Tavis I'm guessing.

[blueknight]

14. you are guessing wrong

short memory?

[jaxx]

16. Al Sharpton is a race baiter?

My memory is pretty good.

[RZM]

8. See my post #3

There's no 'smoking gun' here, but the writing is pretty much on the wall. Sharpton supports the merger and not long after gets his own show. Seeing the connection there doesn't exactly stretch credulity.

[jaxx]

10. It's purely speculation.

Al Sharpton has a really good show, and he had a good show when he was filling in for Cenk.

[RZM]

11. However good you thnk his show is doesn't matter in discussions of how he got it

You're right, it is speculation. As I mentioned, we don't have a 'smoking gun' here where Sharpton said 'I'll support you if you give me a show,' but it's not exactly a stretch to envisage that scenario. We do the same thing when it comes to assessing deals on the right. There's no reason to think that quid pro quo doesn't exist on the left either. It's a human tendency, after all.

[jaxx]

12. People do come by things honestly.

[RZM]

13. Sure they do

They also come by things by doing favors for those that give them those things. Which do you think is more likely in the corporate world?

[jaxx]

15. Yes, some do come by things in the wrong way, but not all.

I'm no cynic so lumping everyone together doesn't do it for me.

[RZM]

17. Oh come on

MSNBC wanted a black guy with a black following. Sharpton was such a person who just so happened to be willing to support what they were into. Reasonable people dismissed Sharpton as an asshole after Tawana Brawley.