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Sweeping Changes at MSNBC

Posted Mar 2nd 2006 4:52PM by TMZ Staff

President will get the ax

By TMZ.COM STAFF

(Mar. 2, 3:45PM ET) -- TMZ has learned that active discussions are underway at MSNBC to kill all live, daytime programming and replace it with taped shows.

High-level sources connected with the cable network also tell TMZ that MSNBC President Rick Kaplan will be booted from the network when his contract is up -- within a year.

MSNBC's daytime, live news lineup has been anemic, compared to FOX News Channel and CNN. Since September, MSNBC has attracted an average of 267,000 viewers between 9AM. and 6PM, compared with 626,000 viewers tuning in to CNN and 1,125,000 viewers watching FNC.

Any final decision regarding programming will not affect nighttime shows, specifically 'The Abrams Report,' 'Hardball with Chris Matthews,' 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann,' 'Rita Cosby: Live and Direct,' 'Scarborough Country' and 'The Situation with Tucker Carlson.'

Update: 5:10PM ET -- MSNBC contacted TMZ and issued this statement: "This is ridiculous and is wrong on every level. MSNBC, which under Rick Kaplan has seen a real uptick in ratings of late, and is by definition a news channel, is not going to abandon live news."


 

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Tags: Rick Kaplan, RickKaplan

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1. Poor pmsnbc put some shows that will attract a audience instead of catering to one segment of the population , fire all the producers and upper management get some real news people there and quit trying to push a agenda and they will watch , and if not just run Jerry Springer shows , with that you'ld get some numbers

Posted at 12:54AM on Apr 17th 2007 by craphound

2. I HOPE RITA IS GONE FOR GOOD, SHE IS SUCH A DISGRACE TO WOMEN NEWSCASTOR EVER WHERE. i WILL NEVER BELIEVE A WORD SHE SAY'S AGAIN. sHE IS SUCH A FRAUD.

Posted at 12:33PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Carol Mason

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