MSNBC rebuts Ezra Klein rumors

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

One rumor floating around town is that Ezra Klein, the Washington Post columnist and blogger, is going to get his own show on MSNBC.

Sources have floated the idea that Klein, an occasional guest host on the network, will take over in the 8 p.m. hour, which is currently occupied by Ed Schultz. Brian Stelter's report today on MSNBC raises the rumor as well: "Mr. Klein may start with a weekend time slot," Stelter reports, "but [sources] said the 8 p.m. weekday time slot held by Mr. Schultz was also a possibility."

MSNBC rebuts the rumor: "We're very happy with the performance of our primetime lineup, which topped Fox News Channel three nights this week. There are no changes planned," network spokesperson Lauren Skowronski said in a statement.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/11/msnbc-rebuts-ezra-klein-rumors-149293.html

[Ilsa]

1. I wish he had his own show.

He's a fabulous host and great policy wonk.

[catbyte]

31. He's good as a guest but not a host. I'm always disappointed when I see him

filling in for Rachel. He's dull as dishwater for a whole hour, just IMHO.

[hrmjustin]

53. I agree 100%

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. I am glad they don't change it

they need to change the morning show

[SCliberal091294]

3. Should replace Andrea Mitchell, Tamron Hall, Jansing, or Todd

[BlueStreak]

5. I agree. It makes no sense to replace Ed

His ratings have been great. MSNBC needs to keep some stability for awhile to keep building those ratings. There is an opportunity to win over some adults that have been in the Faux bubble.

[SoapBox]

8. Nooooo!!! Not Tamron...

I really like her. She can get really fired up, like Big Ed.

Klein is OK but he seems wimpy to me...I wouldn't watch a whole show.

They need to shit can Joe, Mrs. Greenspan and Chump Toady (who gave him a show???)

[PatSeg]

10. Love Tamron!

There are plenty of weak hosts on MSNBC, but she is not one.

I can't listen to Andrea Mitchell or Al Sharpton for more than a few minutes. I never watch Chuck Todd and Joe Scarborough looks like he is going to have a major meltdown any day now.

[loudsue]

23. I love Al Sharpton. He always knocks 'em out of the park.

Brings issues to the bottom line. My husband and I both love him.

[Rhiannon12866]

41. I think he's just terrific, too!

He's not just informative, but also entertaining. Wish they'd repeat his show instead of Tweety's...

[Native]

48. EXACTLY!

[PatSeg]

56. I like Al Sharpton

but I can't listen to him for very long, All the 'uhs' and 'ums' are very irritating, and he really can butcher the English language. I had hoped he would get better as time went on, but I don't see it.

Everyone has their own preferences and though I can appreciate his viewpoint, I wish he could deliver it better.

[Marthe48]

47. Al Sharpton grows on you

I didn't like him at first, but now I do. Just small doses, like everyone on tv.

[PatSeg]

57. For me "small doses" works the best

One hour a day, five days a week is too much. I've found that it took me a while to warm up to most MSNBC hosts, so I've learned to give them a chance. Unfortunately Al Sharpton didn't grow on me. I do appreciate that MSNBC offers such diversity in their TV personalities, so there are plenty of people that I really like a lot.

[ejpoeta]

44. chuck todd has a show? uggh

[Auntie Bush]

13. Not Jansing...love her! n/t

[ProudProgressiveNow]

27. +1 nt

[Indpndnt]

32. Yep, with Joy Reid or Chris Hayes.

Especially Joy Reid.

[PatSeg]

58. Agreed

They are both SO smart, it is stunning. It gives me hope that the human race is not a lost cause.

[Tarheel_Dem]

52. I think the consensus is that you should drop Tamron from your list. She's great.

[xtraxritical]

4. Ed Schultz is the best hard news reporter msnbc has.

Schultz gets out and does real investigative journalism. Remember him in Wisconsin supporting public employees? Remember him in at the Freeport Illinois Sensata plant exposing Romney's Bain Capital shipping manufacturing plants and jobs to China? Ed is union's best friend and the only speaker they have with a national audience. The others at msnbc depend almost entirely on staff for their research Ed Schultz gets out and goes to the story like a real reporter is supposed to. Stick with Ed, he's a solid Democrat and very pro union.

[Auntie Bush]

15. + 1000

[zaj]

18. ok, come on...

let's not start lying to each other.

Ed Schultz was acting as an activist in those moments. Not a journalist. He was using his pupit to champion a cause. Not objectively reporting on it.

We are Democrats, we don't live in a partisan bubble and start believing our own lies.

Thx.

[We People]

33. So do you think Ed should NOT have exposed the Sensata story? How does one objectively report the

uprooting of businesses and the lives of those who have worked there? Perhaps if someone in the news had been able to expose those corporate practices when they first started years ago, and not letting it happen quietly, perhaps that corporate pattern wouldn't be continuing at the pace it still is now.
"...believing our own lies"?

[zaj]

59. No, he did good... but...

... let's not confuse things. He's Occupy MSNBC, he's not a journalist. He's MoveOn with a TV Show. He's our version of infotainment.

We can be thankful to have him doing what he's doing and not delude ourselves collectively by labeling him as a "hard news" guy. He's an "activist news" guy.

Which is great to have and great to see all by itself.

[loudsue]

26. I agree. Ed is awesome.

I can't imagine anyone wanting to take his show away.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

28. +1 nt

[Pryderi]

6. Replace Chuck Todd or Morning Joe. n/t

[LeftInTX]

7. I'm glad to hear this

I'm very impressed with Rachel, Ed and Lawrence. Hope nothing changes.

[Bozita]

9. Give him a weekend show. ... Enough of this "Lockup" shit!

[onehandle]

14. Agreed. Ezra is host worthy. I've thought he was clealy being groomed for a while.

Much like Chris Hayes was.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

29. +1 nt

[We People]

35. I'm with you. If they want prison stories, why not expose for-profit incarceration/privatization

of our prison systems, and how these practices are ruining human lives far more than our traditional tax-supported prison system? And who benefits?

And why not an honest look at the damage done by the failed "War on Drugs"?

[Hutzpa]

11. WTF! Wonder who put the story out about Ezra klein?

smells like something a faux con will do. Ezra don't be a poopy head....

[itsrobert]

19. I think joe Scarborough floated this rumor

Nt

[Bozita]

20. Wouldn't surprise me one damn bit!

[We People]

36. His show should go, if anything, and he knows it. Even one hour of him is a waste of time. n/t

[lindysalsagal]

12. Unbelievable success in the ratings. Just hope it continues.

MSNBC has the potential to really help our democracy out of the lies and financial fiascos. An educated public is the only way to maintain self-governance.

If we make it at all, MSNBC gets alot of the credit.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

30. +1 nt

[DakotaLady]

16. If Cher can have a crush on Chris Hayes ...

then I can have a school-girl crush on Ari Melber.

So want him to have his own show on MSNBC.

[MoonchildCA]

22. Cher has a crush on Chris Hayes?

Hmm, I never thought Cher and my daughter would have the same taste...

[DakotaLady]

24. Yes

I read so much stuff on the Web everyday ... I'm pretty sure it was here on DU.

You could try entering "Cher" in the DU Search near the top of DU Home page.

If you can't find it I'll look for it tomorrow.

[MoonchildCA]

25. Thanks. I just googled it.

You're right. I guess she tweeted that she had a "smart crush" on him.

[greymattermom]

40. me too

so cute and so geeky

[rucky]

45. Cher and my wife both

who else records a morning news show to watch on a Saturday night?

[Catlover827]

54. When I first saw Chris Hayes I thought he was a twitchy weirdo

But the more I saw of him, the more I liked his intellect. His show is must-see TV in our house.

[jillan]

17. Leave ED alone!!!!!

[colsohlibgal]

21. Where there Is Smoke

I'm guessing there could be something to this but I'm skeptical they are looking to oust Schultz. That said I would not be crushed if they did Ed would still have his radio gig. Also - I've just never taken a whole lot to to him because he sounds too much like Rush to me, and he talk too much about hunting and fishing for my blood. The best part of his shows to me is when Mike Papantonio subs, like Mike a lot. In the end I'm more into Thom Hartmann, who is brilliant and so well spoken, he has great clips he plays from Teddy Roosevelt on, and to boot he's brutally handsome.

[We People]

38. I like Thom and Pap very much, too, but Ed is a definite plus to the network.

I think it's GREAT that he came from a sports background and does all the hunting and fishing - it's a good entree for some on-the-fence types. For the same reason, I'm kind of glad may sound to some people like Rush. I thought that at first, but have been listening to Ed for so long I don't notice any more. Besides, the content of what he says is a superb contrast to the utter BS that comes from Rush.

Besides, I don't think Ed talks about hunting & fishing any more than Keith Olbermann used to talk about sports. I don't think it hurt him any.

[juajen]

50. Well, that's funny!

I watch Ed's show every night, and I have never heard him mention hunting or fishing. Perhaps you can link me to that?

[malexand]

34. Get rid of Chris Matthews & Joe Scarborough

Ezra Klein will be great as a new host with his own show. Karen Finney is great, too, and deserves her own show!

MSNBC executives have done an outstanding job in upgrading their programming and training their hosts and guests.

Dump Chris Matthews & Joe Scarborough immediately who are ridiculous blowhards and ego-maniacs. Mika Brzezinski has come a long way but should be selling real estate.

Mark (“Dick”) Halperin is absolutely disgusting and should be banned from MSNBC, television, and move to San Francisco’s Castro District and find his true self.

I LOVE “NOW” with Alex Wagner (she is a “WOW” and is one of my Top 25 New Leaders in the World. Also great, of course, “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell (I cannot imagine we could have made it through the last four years without Lawrence).

Other great MSNBC shows also worthy of saving to your DVR and watching daily are:

“The Daily Rundown” with Chuck Todd,
“ PoliticsNation” with Reverend Al Sharpton (a very impressive and courageous makeover), and
“Jansing & Co.”.

Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow are great and have helped make MSNBC what it is today but both need some time off to breathe, mature, travel, and come back more well-rounded and mature before the 2014 mid-term elections. Rachel is brilliant but, sweetie, just too many words and what’s with the cocktail segment on Friday nights. The girl needs a break!

Surprisingly, Steve Schmidt from the McCain campaign and Michael Steele, former chair of the RNC have been important additions to MSNBC to provide (usually) honest and intelligent insight and analysis of the GOP (Government of the Pathetic).

[We People]

39. I just told someone new to MSNBC-viewership that Ed and Rachel would be great to watch as an intro

They both have their own unique ways of getting all over a story. Real assets to the network and to educating viewers - especially any crossovers from the colossal GOP election failure.

[FlaGranny]

43. I'd be happy if they'd get rid of

ONE Chris Matthews show. The repeat an hour later is too much Chris. Ezra , or someone else, could do 5 or 7 show.

[BainsBane]

37. I like Chris Matthews

[eyewall]

42. I'd love to see Eugene Robinson get a show of his own.

I'd also like to see more of Paul Krugman on the air.

I think Rachel Maddow is the most brilliant journalist working today and I think Chris Matthews is the most knowledgeable reporter on DC politics in the business.

[Pryderi]

46. I think Rachel Maddow may have a big say as to who gets a show.

Seems like she helped both Chris Hayes and Melissa Harris Perry in getting shows.

[BumRushDaShow]

49. Dump Tweety (BOTH slots) and put Martin Bashir on @ 5

and maybe put Ezra (if they insist... I'm not that impressed with him) in Martin's old 4 pm slot. I'd rather see Chris Hayes there then either Ezra or someone like Steve Kornacki but whatever.... Then bring in Joy-Ann Reid & Krystal Ball and Joan Walsh into the 7 pm slot.

IMHO, Martin Bashir needs a stronger slot. He was outstanding this election season. Get rid of the NBC hangers-on - Schmuck Toad, Monkeyboy Gregory, and Andrea Greenspan.

Sorry but I'm also not impressed with Tamron (defers too quickly after challenging and then being rebuffed - she no Soledad O'Brien) or Alex (too damn affectatious). But I do like Chris Jansing. She seems pretty even-keeled and is somewhat more "journalistic" in her approach.

[hrmjustin]

51. Leave Ed alone!

[TampaKeeper]

55. Am I the only one who finds Ezra Klein seriously boring?

Please not a full show of him. Just no.

[We People]

62. No, you're not. n/t

[FleetwoodMac]

60. Ezra's the smartest policy wonk on TV, but Ed is perfect for his spot

[Ineeda]

61. Generally speaking, The Cycle SUCKS,

so that would be a good slot to fill. I don't mind Kornecki, Toure, and Ball too much but SE Cupp should be known as 'SE Suck." Does anyone know if she has a health issue? Never mind her 'conservative' positions, it's that gasping way she has that drives me absolutely nuts. If I thought if was an affectation, it would be even more annoying.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

63. second that, The Cycle is the worst and I think SE is Ann Coulter in training