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MSNBC has formally decided to cancel three programs — “The Cycle,” “Now with Alex Wagner” and “The Ed Show” — as part of a larger effort to shift its daytime lineup away from opinion programming.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin told staff in a memo that “The Cycle,” “Now w/ Alex Wagner” and “The Ed Show,” with host Ed Schultz, will have their final broadcasts on Friday.
The 5 p.m. Eastern time slot for “The Ed Show” will be filled by a new daily program with NBC News political director and “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd.
Schultz and three of “The Cycle’s” co-hosts, Toure, Krystal Ball and Abby Huntsman, will leave MSNBC. “Cycle” co-host Ari Melber, who is also MSNBC’s legal correspondent, will remain at the network. Wagner will also stay and work on the channel’s political coverage.
Griffin said interim hosts will handle breaking news coverage in the afternoon hours. Former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams is joining MSNBC at the conclusion of his six-month suspension. He is expected to start showing up on air in September, although there are no plans yet in place for him to have a regular program.
Although Griffin announced the moves, they are being driven by Andy Lack, who rejoined NBC News as chairman in March and now has responsibility for MSNBC. Lack has told staff that he wants the channel, which has a heavy diet of politically progressive talking heads during the day, to respond more to the news of the day.
In July, MSNBC averaged 373,000 viewers during the day, compared with 426,000 for CNN and 985,000 for Fox News Channel. But it was particularly weak during the day, especially among the 25-to-54-year-old age group that advertisers most want to reach with news programming. For the month, MSNBC averaged just 48,000 viewers among that demographic in daytime, far behind its competitors.
Agencies/Canadajournal
Bad move MSNBC! Chuck Todd at the 5:00 slot replacing ED? I stopped watching Meet the Press (faux news 2), and now MSNBC as a hold. Hello CNN.
I agree! Alex was second only to Rachel Maddow, and Ed was the only political show for blue collar progressives. MSNBC is throwing away a lot of talent in letting Ed, Krystal, Abby and Toure go. I still miss Karen Finney and Joy Reid’s shows. I’m not watching MSNBC during the daytime any longer; they are giving up what they can’t replace…for ratings? Wasn’t the advertising enough? this time I’m not just sad; I’m angry!
Yes, I agree!
There are no blue collar progressives as far as MSNBC (or your beloved administration) is concerned, only lumpenproletariat
Good bye and good riddance……Hope O’Donnell is next….. GO FOX,,,,,,,,
I stopped watching Meet the Press also. Does anyone watch all that prison stuff on msnbc?
What a mistake getting rid of the ED SHOW . I’m very sure I will not be watching Chuck Todd , don’t even know who in the hell he is.
HUGE MISTAKE removing Ed. Would rather see Rev. Al go. He has turned his show into what seems a black show.
Same stuff over and over. I like Ed because he says it as it is.
I too agree, these shows were such a main stay with us progressives, liberals…When you change over to new programing, you better be sure that they excel for us progressives…If nothing else I would have kept the old shows and updated them more than to have cancelled them…The Thomas Roberts show is good enough for what you have brought already…We prefer shows that reflect our views…You have cut two shows when you put on Thomas Roberts program…I mean, he is a good Host, just two hours is a over kill…And you better have some good backup plans in case this tanks…I am not sure if one has totally thought this over…You may be loosing too many to keep this channel alive with this new Program Director, president, or whatever…You realized we live for this kind of programming, we Love your Liberal programming more than you think…I hope this isn’t your ‘Opps’ moment in programming…
I usually don’t even turn my TV on until 4:00 central to watch the Ed show. Down to earth, good program and Ed is one of my favorites. He is not opposed to changing his view on topics if he is convinced otherwise. Bad move MSNBC and if you take Rachael Maddow off, I will not be watching MSNBC period.
MSNBC used to have a hell of a line up and now it’s gone to pot.Loved all of the afternoon shows that led into the evening shows but you had to go and change things.I loved Joy, The Cycle group onto the Ed show aand further on into the last word.You guys had a great lineup.Now, all you have to do is get rid of Rachel and that, my friends will be the end of MSNBC.Oh yes, maybe you could give Keith’s”countdown” a two hour show with no leashes now that we’re coming up to election time.You people don’tknow what you want
Wow! Can you guys get a clue? How many times have yall been through this? Your network is a joke!
MSNBC has no idea what they have bought into. FUX-LIES began controlling them years ago…with the firing of Olbermann (and others) as well as allowing Caribou Barbie to fire hosts (my darling Martin Bishir, for one). And on and on…it went. (Where is Caribou Barbie–today? Not too relevant–eh? Even FUX dumped her!) They quake in their boots over there at MSNBC with every FUX rant! I have watched MSNBC faithfully since Katrina…and have watched them give in…back down…fire good journalists who weren’t afraid to ask the difficult questions. (Truth doesn’t fly in this miserable, corporate-Koch-run country.) So, MSNBC wants to be FUX-LIES 2.0? Good luck with that. And by the way–Chuck Todd makes my flesh crawl–and I am an old lady. This network will never come into my home again…as does not FUX-LIES. Done. Just…so done.
Exactly. Ditto from me. I am an old lady too.
Bad, bad, move MSNBC! The Ed Show was one if not the best afternoon shows. He was the only one that called Fox News on their lies. You just handed Fox News a big present. Al Sharpton is the one who needed to go!
Dumping Ed , Alex and the Cycle for Chuck Todd and Brian Williams and you expect that to help with the 24-54 demographic. Chuck puts everyone to sleep and Brian is just totally discredited , my my. And ED, joins the list of Kieth, Chenk, Martin and the harder hitting liberals that seem to be just too progressive for a progressive news channel. A sad day
Another old lady agrees! I just retired and have time to watch Ed and Martin (and I still miss Keith) but now we have the odious Brian Williams and Chris Matthews who think he knows more than anyone; Chuck is fine and the rest of the line up is excellent.
I have stopped watching Morning Joe (or Morning Trump)
Why did you get rid of the Ed show. That was my favorite show
Seriously, more Chuck Todd?
All three of the cancelled shows were what we, progressives turn to for honest dialogue.
You’ve just freed up my afternoons…..missing the boat big time!
Ed was the most authentic personality on television and now it’s gone!!
They’re replacing 4th rate broadcasters with 2nd rate broadcasters. And this will get them 3rd place.
Who watches these imbeciles?
Here is an oldie, but a goodie: Now that Ed Schultz has so much time on his hands. If a tree falls on Ed when he’s walking in the forest with absolutely no one there to hear him (that’s right, exactly like that with the former Ed Show) will Ed make a sound?
Does anyone actually like these angry leftist’s anyway other then angry leftists. Yes we recognize this one-tenth of the population DEOS whine a lot but the rest of us paying the bills don’t give a crap about YOUR issues
speaking of angry, check the mirror.
It would be nice to see a lot less Al Sharpton as his credibility and reputation are pretty low, that doesn’t help MSNBC at all. Instead of MSNBC being the bridesmaid for NBC News, it should take more center stage. While NBC Evening News is top rated, how is it that their cable news station is low rated? I’d really like to see familiar faces, like even have Dan Rather return actively to network news, especially with the important upcoming Presidential Race. No one reports presidential races like Dan. 🙂
It’ll still be liberal propaganda just with different talking heads. MSNBC is beyond repair.
Can’t stand Chuck Todd. What a mistake cancelling Alex and Cycle. The best part of my day. No more MSNBC for me.
Is it necessary for the “reporter” to not only use “shit, shitty and fucking” but to write it down and read it?
MSNBC is a FAR left leaning TV station which distorts the facts of free enterprise to placate the so-called socialists who prefer to ” receive “, rather than make an effort to ” do ” and ” create ” for the overall betterment of everyone. I never listen to it —it literally makes me ” sick ” to be engulfed with such dishonest negative bias. I am a person who throughout my life has tried to build —to provide—not be a ” taker “. If everyone had the basic philosophy of the MSNBC rhetoric, then there would NOT be anyone left to FILL the watering hole —it would be EMPTY. No wonder the ratings are falling—-listeners are basically fed up with “those on the dole ” SAD SAD
They blew it completely when they cancelled “Countdown” with Keith Olbermann – the ONLY newscaster that seemed to dig anywhere near the truth. Cancelling Ed now, guess it’s just good old infotainment ‘personality’ crap from now on.
Sad really sad to see so called news organizations sell out to the commodities and advertisers.