MS Quits MSNBC

[LunaC]

Microsoft Quits MSNBC TV, but Web Partnership Remains

Ending a partnership that soured long ago, Microsoft and NBC announced yesterday that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel MSNBC, with NBC taking control.

NBC has completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel immediately, with an 82 percent stake, and it will become the sole owner within two years, NBC executives said yesterday. The two companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal.

But the partners will continue their 50-50 ownership of the MSNBC Web site, which, partly as a consequence of its affiliation with Microsoft, is the most-used news site on the Internet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/business/media/24msnbc.html

[donheld]

1. No now it's all in General Electric's hands?

One of the biggest military contractors in the world. Things should emprove greatly :sarcasm:

[okieinpain]

2. yep, no more keith

[regnaD kciN]

3. But...but...but...

...don't you realize that this is run by NBC, so it must be part of the Liberal Media?

:eyes:

[GrpCaptMandrake]

4. Keith Olbermann, we barely knew ye! *grieve* n/t

[LunaC]

6. Relax

Keith won't be going anywhere.......

NBC News executives have said they were encouraged lately by some ratings gains, especially in prime time.

I'm sure Keith has a lot to do with those ratings gains.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. If ratings were so impt. to them, why did they get rid of Phil Donahue

whom had the highest rated MSNBC show at the time?

[LunaC]

9. Phil hit too close to the bone

In Donahue's own words "“Well, we were the only antiwar voice that had a show, and that, I think, made them very nervous. I mean, from the top down, they were just terrified. We had to have two conservatives on for every liberal. I was counted as two liberals.”

http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1209-02.htm

But the times, they are achangin'......

[Chipper Chat]

5. The political stuff will jump over to CNBC.

Tweety & Keith will be gone and Rita Cosby's tabloid trash will expand to 3 hours. Shame.

[LunaC]

7. I'm not so sure.

Executives at NBC News professed enthusiasm about the opportunity to run the channel on their own. Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, said in a statement that the deal would permit NBC to "fully integrate the channel into our news operations."

Maybe they'll decide to get serious about the news and we can finally watch something better than missing white girls and planes in distress all the time. It'll be interesting to see how it evolves.

[Chipper Chat]

10. But...but....but....

Rita! Miss Raspythroat! Where she go?

[MurrayDelph]

11. I'm not surprised

There was never a lot of emmes there, anyway.