The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

06 November 2007

Rosie O'Donnell Likely Joining MSNBC, Media Reaction

SHE'S PERFECT!

At MSNBC, O'Donnell Would Fit Right In







Apparently taking us all for fools, MSNBC swears it didn't intentionally set out to create a liberal cable channel, it just happened that way by accident!

That's just one of several funnies contained in today's coverage of Rosie O'Donnell's likely move to the Olbermann- tainted cable news channel. And in a moment, you'll see the New York Times descend into an Air America- like conspiratorial rant worthy of some of the left's biggest kooks.

First, however, let's cut to the bottom line: Rosie's a perfect fit for MSNBC! For conservatives, this is a needed break. After all, O'Donnell is a fodder- generating machine.

It's hilarious to see an Internet debate over whether she is appropriate for the consistently- underperforming network. Is her rhetoric really any more extreme than Olbermann's? Of course not, it's just delivered differently.

The left needs to take a good look in the mirror, as it will reveal a movement that long ago sank to Rosie's level. Is she too lowbrow? O'Donnell fits right in with the Cindy Sheehan / MoveOn.org- dominated "progressive" movement.


Equally fascinating is how the New York Times plays defense for MSNBC today, while taking a gratuitous jab at the FOX News Channel. It seems willing to take at face value the network's assertions that its increasingly- leftward slant is accidental:


Under one option, Ms. O’Donnell would take the 9 p.m. slot each weeknight on MSNBC, pitting her against “Larry King Live” on CNN and “Hannity & Colmes” on Fox News.

But even without Ms. O’Donnell, MSNBC already presents a three-hour block of nighttime talk — Chris Matthews’s “Hardball” at 7, Mr. Olbermann at 8, and “Live With Dan Abrams” at 9 — in which the White House takes a regular beating. The one early-evening program on MSNBC that is often most sympathetic to the administration, “Tucker” with Tucker Carlson at 6 p.m., is in real danger of being canceled, said one NBC executive, who, like those who spoke of Ms. O’Donnell, would do so only on condition of anonymity.

Having a prime-time lineup that tilts ever more demonstrably to the left could be risky for General Electric, MSNBC’s parent company, which is subject to legislation and regulation far afield of the cable landscape. Officials at MSNBC emphasize that they never set out to create a liberal version of Fox News.

“It happened naturally,” Phil Griffin, a senior vice president of NBC News who is the executive in charge of MSNBC, said Friday, referring specifically to the channel’s passion and point of view from 7 to 10 p.m. “There isn’t a dogma we’re putting through. There is a ‘Go for it.’”

Fox News consistently denies any political bias in its programming. But whether by design or not, MSNBC is managing to add viewers at a moment when its hosts echo the country’s disaffection with President Bush.


Wait a second: did the paper really just suggest GE could face retaliatory measures from the federal government for allowing MSNBC to drift too far to the left? Yes, it did!

Let's connect their dots: hiring Rosie O'Donnell means future regulatory and legislative hurdles for GE. That's the kookiest theory the NYT has put forward in some time! Is Randi Rhodes now writing for the Times?


Because she does so much damage to the leftist cause, the right needs Rosie and her deranged rants.

But would she generate ratings? Perhaps at first, but it's hard to believe she could sustain the show for the long term.

On The View, she had an entire panel of co- hosts to bounce off of, but on MSNBC, she'd probably be alone, or with a minimal level of support. Given that Rosie's political agenda consists primarily of anti- Bush anger and conspiracy theories, this format might expose her significant intellectual weakness to the world in a way not previously seen.


FOR New England regional talk radio updates, see our other site. NEW: Howie Carr's fate still a mystery

FROM CBS: another Rosie - Air America comparison

OLBY talks waterboarding

BILL MAHER, mysogynist?

THE LEFT'S dirty little secret

GORE v Harvard?

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published by Brian Maloney at 11:06

23 Comments:

  • Crap, Maloney.

    It was well documented that Phil Donohue (the highest rated on cable T.V in 2000 and 2001, beat all on FOX news) was fired because he was LIBERAL.

    MSNBC, a liberal network? Hardly?
    Tuckwer Carlson, Scarboro, Chris Mathews, hardly liberal.

    Why would a wing nut care anyway? Fox is 24/7 RNC obfsucation and lies, you destroyed CNN, and Beck got a $23 million contract, for what? He has no viewers or listeners, the media is terrified of having on anythong other than conservatives.

    80% of cable news is conservative
    99% of radio is conservstive
    Thousands of local papers are owned by newes corp Fox... and you whine about Rosie?

    Your side controls and owns the media, objective reporting has been chileld by the government, we know this already. Journalists have ended up in jail and accused of treason for reporting. Calling the facts "tin foil hat" will not make the FACTS any less true. Non-embedded reporters in Iraq are arrestred, and sometimes fired upon. The right controls the news flow.

    and they cry about Rosie?
    They want it all, they want to stifle any objective reporting and stifle opposing view points. This folks, is FASCISM

    By Blogger Unknown, at 06 November, 2007 11:35  

  • jared, if it FASCISM as you say, why isn't Rosie in jail? "Journalists have ended up in jail" because they refused to give their informants up to an investigating officer.

    Seriously, your arguments are laughable at best. And if you would read Brian's post, you'll notice that he isn't "whining" about Rosie; in fact, he welcomes her. But, just like all moonbats, you consistently twist your opponents words, lie through your teeth, and make up stories out of whole cloth. But hey, if lying means "speaking truth to power", well then, wallow in the filth. Own it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 06 November, 2007 13:11  

  • "Phil Donohue (the highest rated on cable T.V in 2000 and 2001, beat all on FOX news)"
    -Nonsens. Phil Donohue NEVER beat ANY FoxNews show. Ever.

    "MSNBC, a liberal network?"
    Absolutely. What else would you call a network that hires a former Democratic candidate for congress and former Democratic staffer for Carter and Tip O'Neil (Matthews) followed by the man who nightly calls for "Mr. Bush" to resign? The disgraced sportscaster Keef Olberloon's Meltdown lags in the ratings behind re-runs of Deal or No Deal on CNBC.

    "80% of cable news is conservative"
    Complete nonsense. If you count the eeeeeevil Fox News as "conservative" considering only TWO HOURS (BOR and H&C) lean right (a big if- since BOR routinely has people on who DISAGREE WITH HIM and even Hanitty is balanced by Colmes; while Keef has NEVER had on ANYONE who disagrees with him), the rest of the news day is just that- news. What about CNN? MSNBC? CNBC?

    And even if you give up Fox News and talk radio "conservative", don't forget- by thier own admission- ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, CBS, NY Times, WashPost, LA Times, Boston Globe, Seatle PI, etc. etc. are all LIBERAL.

    "objective reporting has been chileld by the government, we know this already. Journalists have ended up in jail and accused of treason for reporting."
    Really? Can you give us JUST ONE example? Because I don't recall ANY reporter/journalist being rounded up and put in camps... in fact- the last time that happened (you know- Americans being put in camps?) it was under a DEMOCRAT president. And don't give me the tired Judith Miller nonsense, because she voluntarily went to jail to protect her "source" eeeeevil Scooter Libby!

    Your BOOOOOSH derangement syndrome knows no bounds.

    Remember- just like Roise said: NEVER IN HISTORY HAS FIRE EVER MELTED STEEL!

    -Frank Lobo

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 06 November, 2007 13:30  

  • Frank Lobo

    You are so indoctrinated and brainwashed, you think Fox news is only conservative during Oriley and H & C????? Get a grip , the ENTIRE network is slanted to the right, they even go as far as putting "D" next to the name of any Republican who gets in trouble, such as Larry Craig. The entire network is RNC propaganda, are you that indoctrinated, you can not see this??


    Again 80% of cable news is slanted to the right. RNC talking points are used over and over again on a daily basis on CNN, MSNBC and FOX news. RNC talking points turn up in the political chatting , without even telling the viewer that they are using RNC talking points, for example "Hillary Clinton's electibility factor". This whole concept is an RNC talking point, and it is spoken as if there is actually a problem with her "electibility". She has no bigger problem than the GOP front runner, yet the media ignores all of Guiliani's problems. THE ENTIRE MEDIA IS SLANTED TO THE RIGHT, the problem is Frank, you are so indoctrinated and mis-informed, you do not notice that you are being fed propaganda on a daily basis, on all networks, all conservative, all Republican apologists, all the time

    and Donohue was crushing EVERYONE in the ratings when he was fired.


    CNN, MSNBC and FOX are 100% conservative (except Olberman) The newscasts themselves are riddled with RNC talking points, the round table shows are filled with RNC talking points, EVERYTHING on all the networks is slanted to the RIGHT.

    Rosie is allowed to broadcast because she is a PUNDIT. Journalists- who have tried to report the FACTS are blacklisted, called "treasonous", and indeed in Iraq, some have been murdered or kicked out of Iraq. Most non-embedded reporters have been booted from the country of Iraq.

    Google it buddy. It is not my fault, I'm more informed than you. But than again, you guys are claiming FOX news is balanced!!!!!

    I always thought I was of average I.Q, then I met right wingers and realized, I'm pretty damm bright!

    If you dont believe your own eyes, your simply de-programmed and indoctrinated.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 06 November, 2007 14:26  

  • Repeat, Donahue was routed in the ratings

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 06 November, 2007 15:11  

  • I stand corrected he never beat Fox, but at the time of firing he had the highest ratings on MSNBC and was fired because he was Anti-War
    from allyourTV.com in 2003


    While the official announcement wasn't a surprise to anyone working at the network, MSNBC officially canceled the primetime show "Donahue" on Tuesday, citing disappointing ratings.

    And in fact, if you look at the raw ratings numbers, the struggling news channel may have a point. Originally conceived as a liberal alternative to the popular O'Reilly Factor, the show started slow and never recovered. During this month, a "sweeps" period in which ratings are watched closely to set advertising rates, "Donahue" averaged 446,000 viewers. O'Reilly drew 2.7 million viewers, up 28 percent from February 2002, according to Nielsen Media Research.

    But as it turns out, the picture isn't as clear as it initially seems.

    While "Donahue" does badly trail both O'Reilly and CNN's Connie Chung in the ratings, those numbers have improved in recent weeks. So much so that the program is the top-rated show on MSNBC, beating even the highly promoted "Hardball With Chris Matthews."

    Although Donahue didn't know it at the time, his fate was sealed a number of weeks ago after NBC News executives received the results of a study commissioned to provide guidance on the future of the news channel.

    That report--shared with me by an NBC news insider--gives an excruciatingly painful assessment of the channel and its programming. Some of recommendations, such as dropping the "America's News Channel," have already been implemented. But the harshest criticism was leveled at Donahue, whom the authors of the study described as "a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace."

    The study went on to claim that Donahue presented a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war......He seems to delight in presenting guests who are anti-war, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration's motives." The report went on to outline a possible nightmare scenario where the show becomes "a home for the liberal antiwar agenda at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity."

    A source close to Donahue claims that while he wasn't aware of the specific study, the tone and outcome aren't surprising.

    "It's not a coincidence that this decision comes the same week that MSNBC announces its hired Dick Armey as a commentator and has both Jesse Ventura and Michael Savage joining the network as hosts. They're scared, and they decided to take the coward's road and slant towards the conservative crowd that watch Fox News."

    While that assessment may be a bit harsh, it seems clear that MSNBC has surrendered quicker than most recent Mike Tyson opponents. Rather than building a unique voice, the news channel has opted to become a lesser alternative to the Fox News Channel. And that decision was one that even the NBC News study recommended against making.

    "The temptation is to chase the audience that is already out there and play to what seems to be working at Fox. But there is another road, and if we build our unique voices from within, we have a chance to develop a loyal and valuable audience."

    By Blogger Unknown, at 06 November, 2007 16:42  

  • Just a quick correction to Freank above: O'Reilly and H&C are not the only Fox shows that "lean" right. How about John Gibson's Big Story, Neil Cavuto's Your World and Brit Hume's newscast (he is an avowed conservative, and his panel is usually stacked to the right).

    By Blogger Justin, at 06 November, 2007 17:06  

  • What blarney.

    Upon its inception, MSNBC was virtually indistinguishable from the other government-controlled propaganda networks, until management determined a more moderate representation of news-oriented entertainment was sorely needed, and the control structure allowed them to get away with it (for a time)...

    Don't get carried away with your own sweaty fantasies, Brian...MSNBC and your hated nemesis, Olbermann, ain't going nowhere.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 06 November, 2007 17:24  

  • Why do you even care? Leave Rosie O'Donnell alone for f*ck sake. You guys are not satisfied until you attack someone and run them into the ground, lifeless. It makes me ashamed to be a Republican to watch how your type of wingnut carries on.

    Stop the Swiftboating madness so we don't lose anymore than we have. You brand of nastiness does not appeal to mainstream America, and as Republicans we are branded as looney hatemongers.

    Stop it, please.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 06 November, 2007 17:46  

  • From Wikipedia:

    In 2002, Phil Donahue returned to television to host a show called Donahue on MSNBC. Its debut ratings were strong, but its audience evaporated over the following months. In late August 2002, it got one of the lowest possible Nielsen ratings (0.1), less than MSNBC's average for the day of 0.2.

    On February 25, 2003, MSNBC cancelled the show, citing low viewership.

    Despite the reasons given by MSNBC, AllYourTV.com reported it had received a copy of an internal NBC memo that mentioned that Donahue had to be fired because he would be a "difficult public face for NBC in a time of war"

    I remember (but have no reference for) an interview with Phil Donahue in which he whined about being canceled by MSNBC due to the much higher ratings on FNC; his whine concerned how long it took the FNC ratings to reach those high levels.

    Of course, Donahue neglected to mention that MSNBC hired him as a known entity, someone expected to bring them ratings success quickly. Apparently, when viewers found out that Donahue was no longer carrying male strippers and other titillating programming, the viewers tuned out.

    By Blogger Chromium, at 06 November, 2007 18:43  

  • Jared, what color is the sky in your world?

    It's a fantasyland you live in my friend, especially when you spew forth such ridiculous claims as you have done so here. For example, your claim that "80% of cable news is conservative" is completely ludicrous and unsupported. Care you name the source of this claim? What study shows this? In contrast to your claim, many studies in recent years by many groups of different political leanings have concluded that the mainstream media is most decidely leftward leaning. The most recent study was by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard’s Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. One of their conclusions? Cable news sources, especially CNN and MSNBC.

    And the reason why talk radio is overwhelmingly conservative (not the 99% you claim with no substantiation but overwhelmingly nonetheless) is because of the free market. Syndicated, national radio shows hosted by liberals don't attact enough of an audience for radio stations to maintain ad rates. They lose listenership with liberal shows. So those stations drop the liberal shows in favor of conservative shows, sports shows or a complete format change (to e-z listening or some other music format). Need proof? Just look at Air America's colossal failure and how many stations dropped it during it's first years.

    Jared, it's obvious that you are blowing smoke and have no clue as to what you claim. Rather than research your topic, you'd rather spew forth emotional rhetoric with little to no basis in fact.

    You're wasting our time, child. Now run along like a good little child and leave the adults to continue their intelligent discourse.

    By Blogger Carl, at 07 November, 2007 00:45  

  • Phil Donohue had a political news show.

    Next thing you will say is Jerry Springer had a political show.

    What idiots would hire them thinking they would have any credibility

    Even worse what idiots would listen to ether?

    Then again who would hire Rosie a comedian to do a political news show? Wait I forgot about Al. Amazing that liberals can’t figure out why they have no ratings in their media endeavourers.

    By Blogger pf1, at 07 November, 2007 02:24  

  • PF1

    Olbermans ratings have tripled in the last year, DEAL WITH IT.

    The entire media is far far right wing.

    They have ignored Rudy's cocaine dealing buddy, pedophile preist friend, ignored the $4 million raised in one day by Ron Paul, ignored the fact that over half of America supports impeachment.

    Again, it is not my fault, you do not get it. The media is 90% conservative apologists. Only a fool can not see this, a fool does not believe their own eyes. Wingnuts, do not realize, they control the entire cable news spectrum. CNN,MSNBC,FOX, and the evening news programs drift to the right wing as well.

    They whine and shriek, but they control the entore media. "lib media" is a strawman argument, the media are conservative apologists. only a blind fool who can not be critical and objective does not see this.

    I used to think the media was "liberal" in 1987, when I was in Junior High and took Limbaugh seriously. Something happened, I became a critical thinker, and shut off the PIG MAN from my radio. A long time ago, when I was an impressionable child, I was a Republican, by the time I was old enough to vote, I stopped jerking me knee and became an adult.
    Reality; conservatives never grew up.

    and I corrected myself on Donohue, he had the HIGHEST ratings on MSNBC before they took him off, at the time of him being cancelled over 400,000 a night, pretty damm good for a network in 2001, had 0.0 ratings.

    Again, the only reason why Fox has viewers is simply because Repukes are sheep, who need a master to follow, and 2 million average a night, is nothing to brag about, this means there are 2 million dedicated wing nuts, who worship O'riley, the other 99.9% of America REJECTS the radical RIGHT.

    Fox will never receive the amount of ratings, the lowest rated network evening news program receives. They average in the 20 million and up range, not 2 million

    PF1, your a fringer, America rejects you

    How did it go in Kentucky yesterday? Fletcher got destroyed, America is rejecting the G.O.P

    Get it into your thick skull, America is rejecting the GOP, and a flawed arbitron ratings system proves NOTHING. Limbaugh's 10-15 milliion listeners over 1000 stations impresses NOBODY any longer. Arbitron is flawed, we all know this, bring the people meter out and watch con radio slip into obscurity. The 55+ demo impresses nobody, note the crap advertisments on Limbaugh, an un-desirable audience, of left over McCarthiests from the 50's, 10 million grouchy old Republican uncles!!! No offense to my older friends!



    BTW, in satellite radio, AAR on satellite BEATS the conservatives, they counted XM and Sirius ratings for the first time, and LIB TALK defeats CON babble. Notice Maloney never blogged on satellite radio, LIBS WON!!!


    "lib media" a straw man argument kept alive by indoctrinated idiots.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 07 November, 2007 11:05  

  • Carl:
    Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard’s Joan Shoer on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. One of their conclusions? Cable news sources, especially CNN and MSNBC.

    renstein Cent

    Keep reciting the same flawed crap over and over and over again, all you have to do is watch the T.V, that report is flawed garbage, and you can bank on it, that the MSM itself funded the study and right wing operatives conducted the study.
    Only a fool would buy it for a second

    all you have to do is watch the T.V. This report is flawed CRAP.

    I think im going to personally iunvestigate who ran this flawed science-fiction like study.
    how do I know it's flawed?
    Bill Or'riley is drooling over it

    By Blogger Unknown, at 07 November, 2007 12:38  

  • Carl

    one more thing STOP projecting.

    Your the child, who counts on fox news to think for you, Fox news steered you to that flawed report. I'm in deep conversation with the folks who designed that report, they are taking me very seriously. I presented to them proof of how flawed their study is. Carl, I studied media in school, I have a degree in media, i know exactly what I'm talking about.

    only one playing on emotion is YOu and your fellow radical right wing knee jerkers. Conservartives act on emotion, look you support the patriot act, you allowed them to toss the bill of rights down the drain, because you are scared. We all know who the knee jerkers are: YOU.
    And AAR has not been replaced by right wing radio in any market, almost every drop has been replaced by ESPN sports, spanish radio, infomercial radio or preachers. I have studied this well

    and in case your living under a rock, AAR no longer gives their entire fed to statons, you now pick the shows you want, and Randi Rhodes is picking up around 4 a week, even stations that run Limbaugh and Glen Beck are running Rhodes.
    Yyou were wrong on all accounts. STOP PROJECTING. The right is the knee jerk half of America, evidenced by what you support , failed neo-con policies, the left is the thinking half of America. you were afraid of the terrorists, so you spit on the constitution out of fear. That is emotion, not rationality. you tossed America down the drain out of your knee jerk fear of Muslim terrorists.

    you read that study, because Fox and Bill Oriuley told you to read it, you reacted emoptionally like a kid and rushed over here to stiuck it in my face, although the report is seriously flawed.

    I have the credibility to do this stuff, you do not.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 07 November, 2007 14:04  

  • Jared illustrates a significant psychological deficiency that pervades the left: projection.

    When he rants about lies, brainwashing, propoganda, being mis-informed and indoctrinated, his is merely disclosing his own issues.

    It really is funny to read...

    He even accuses others of projecting...classic.

    Ahhhh, children...what shall we do with them?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 07 November, 2007 14:52  

  • Fact-challenged Jared said:

    BTW, in satellite radio, AAR on satellite BEATS the conservatives, they counted XM and Sirius ratings for the first time, and LIB TALK defeats CON babble.

    XM167, Air America: Cume 109,600, rating 0.04

    XM166, America Right: Cume 132,400, rating 0.05

    So, America Right beat Air America!

    Source:

    www.allaccess.com/assets/editorial/raw/SP07_National_Satellite_P12.pdf

    By Blogger Chromium, at 07 November, 2007 17:47  

  • Jared, seeing how far offbase and ignorant your comments have been thus far, I seriously doubt you have a degree in any form of media (journalism, broadcast media, print media, etc.). Your claims are completely unsubstatiated and your tirades foolish and sophomoric. For example, your claim that "AAR has not been replaced by right wing radio in any market" is shown to be erroneous by the facts. WSMB in Memphis, Tennessee dropped Air America. KOKE in Austin, Texas dropped Air America. Dozens of stations have dropped Air America. Brian Maloney himself has documented many instances where Air America shows were replaced by conservative shows, sports shows and sometimes music formats. Your claim otherwise proves you to be the fool in this instance.

    Face it, kid, you're no media expert. You're not even a media novice. I submit that you are prevaricating this whole thing in a liberalistic rant because you haven't the facts to back up your claims. Your just another liberal troll lying to try to stir things up only to expose yourself as a ranting loon. The bottom line is that you've lost it.

    By Blogger Carl, at 08 November, 2007 00:37  

  • Jared, and one final little bit of advice...don't go about claiming you have a degree in media when you show your lack of knowledge of the subject. Son, I've got more broadcast media experience in my pinky toe than you have overall. I'm a 20-year vet in radio and 10-year vet in television. I'll stack up my actual experience to your fabricated knowledge any day of the week, kid.

    By Blogger Carl, at 08 November, 2007 00:42  

  • MOP oh I mean jared Stop your lies you are starting to believe you matter. Just because you repeat the same lies over and over and over again will not make it true.

    The boys from Harvard must be shaking in their boots “you are going to personally investigate”lol Back to work reel boy start my movie loser. lol

    By Blogger pf1, at 08 November, 2007 01:09  

  • Jared, I did a little bit of research (something you apparently refuse to do on your own) and found a rather lengthy list of stations that dropped Air America due to consistently low ratings or other problems with the network at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Air_America_Radio_affiliates

    The list of stations carrying any AAR programming is quite short. And it's been well documented how so many stations dropped AAR. So once again, the documented facts show you to be grossly in error. But as deluded and deranged as you are turning out to be, you probably choose not to be confused with the facts.

    Let us know when you come back to the real world.

    By Blogger Carl, at 08 November, 2007 01:38  

  • York


    The one projecting is the radical right wing apologists, such as yourself, every sylabble from the mouth of the right is projection.

    You are projecting right now.
    and the onlty child is the one who tunes to a bloated drug addict forpolitical ideas. Your the child, your the knee jerk reactionary.
    America is with me, your the member of the mentally ill ideology
    conservatism.

    80% is with me buddy.
    STOP PROJECTING
    your the moonbat, your the radical, yout the traitor to America, your Anti-troops, your suffering from a mental illness, you arethe minority


    STOP PROJECTING

    By Blogger Unknown, at 08 November, 2007 09:30  

  • I have been told by someone once that it is useless to try to reason with an irrational person. Jared personifies that.

    By Blogger Carl, at 08 November, 2007 22:44  

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