Think Progress: Shortly After Major Bush Donor Takes Over MSNBC, Network Selectively Applies Rules

[Hissyspit]

http://www.thinkprogress.org/2010/11/05/burke-comcast-msnbc/

Shortly After Major Bush Donor Takes Over MSNBC, Network Selectively Applies Rules To Suspend
November 5th, 2010 at 6:56 PM by Lee Fang

Earlier today, MSNBC declared that it would be suspending progressive host Keith Olbermann because he violated NBC’s ethics rules by donating to three Democratic candidates for Congress. As many bloggers have noted, conservative MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has donated to Republican candidates for Congress while promoting the same candidate on air, but has never been disciplined. Moreover, Gawker notes that MSNBC has been exempt from the formal NBC ethics rules for years. It is still a mystery why MSNBC selectively applied NBC’s ethics rules to Olbermann. However, it important to realize that MSNBC has undergone a fundamental change in leadership in the last two months.

Late last year, Comcast — the nation’s largest cable provider and second largest Internet service provider — inked a deal taking over NBC Universal, the parent company of MSNBC. Comcast moved swiftly to reshuffle MSNBC’s top staff. On September 26th of this year, Comcast announced perhaps the most dramatic shift, replacing longtime MSNBC chief Jeff Zucker with Comcast executive Steve Burke. Burke has given generous amounts to both parties — providing cash to outgoing Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) as well as to Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and other top Republicans. But as Public Citizen has noted, Burke has deep ties to the Republican Party. Public Citizen’s report reveals that Burke served as a key fundraiser to President George Bush, and even served on Bush’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology:

Comcast – the country’s largest provider of cable TV and broadband Internet services – has increased its political giving along with its mergers and acquisitions. CEO Brian Roberts was a co-chairman of the host committee at the 2000 Republican Convention. Comcast Cable President Stephen Burke has raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election campaign. <...> Comcast’s political giving has increased along with its mergers and acquisitions. The company was a “platinum sponsor” at the 2000 GOP convention, and Roberts was a co-chairman of the host committee at the Philadelphia event. Burke was appointed to the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in 2002.

Why would Comcast be interested in silencing progressive voices? Historically, Comcast has boosted its profits by buying up various telecommunication and media content companies — instead of providing faster Internet or better services (overall, American broadband services are far slower than in many industrialized nations). Many of these mergers, as Public Citizen and Free Press have reported, have been allowed by regulators because of Comcast’s considerable political muscle. Comcast’s latest regulatory battle has been to oppose Net Neutrality — a rule allowing a free and open Internet — because the company would prefer to have customers pay for preferred online content.

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[eleny]

1. We felt that they'd be coming after our voices in the media when Comcast stepped in

[Hissyspit]

2. Knew it was possible, but I didn't think they'd be so blatant.

And some wonder why so many here are so cynical.

[eleny]

4. I figured our local left radio station would be bought and disappeared first

"Blatant" - an apt word here.

What so ticks me off after having the chance to think about it all day is how "they" are feeling their power and sort of grinding our noses in it.

[Hissyspit]

5. Yup.

Jon Stewart was trying to treat symptom, not disease.

[EFerrari]

9. Just what we needed, more pod people taking over media outlets.n/

[Hissyspit]

3. .

[bleever]

6. Kickety.

[get the red out]

7. So MSNBC will be Fox-lite soon

Great, they can battle with CNN for who can be the most right wing without quite being Fox. How long before it is forbidden for any true left voices to be in the media? This is really sick.

[EFerrari]

8. Kick

[Divine Discontent]

10. if THIS doesn't set a fire under the rich liberals to establish a strong media network NOTHING will.

[suffragette]

11. Interesting also to look at Burke's connection to Peter Chernin

as it relates to Comcast's takeover of NBC.

After searching for more info on Burke, I stumbled across this interesting article from 2009:

A Surprise Adviser for Comcast Bid: Peter Chernin

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/a-surprise-advisor-for-comcast-bid-peter-chernin/

Peter Chernin, the former president of News Corporation and one of the highest profile media executives not tethered to a major conglomerates, is advising Comcast in its bid to acquire a majority stake in NBC Universal, according to executives briefed on the matter who spoke anonymously because Mr. Chernin’s role in the deal was meant to be private.

Mr. Chernin, these people said, has been acting as a paid consultant to Comcast for several months, as the cable company, the nation’s largest, has been in negotiations with General Electric to acquire NBC Universal.

Mr. Chernin has not been a part of meetings with General Electric and its bankers about deal terms, but has been an active participant in internal meetings at Comcast, these people say. “It’s been very internal,” said one executive who has been in these meetings. “He’s helping the company understand what the prospects are for these content businesses.”
~~~
Executives noted that Mr. Chernin has had a long relationship with Comcast’s Mr. Burke, a former top executive at The Walt Disney Company. These people say that the talks are proceeding, and that an announcement could be made in early November.



This is looking worse and worse.

[Independem]

12. I think we are going into the second decade of a Coup,

I think we are going into the second decade of a Coup, the Media has taken over the Bully Pulpit.

Polls are just to see how the propaganda is going!

You have a few hours of liberal news on MSNBC, the rest Bash Obama 24/7 and now they will slowly dissolve that.

The Media has monopolizes into Pure Propaganda stifling and drowning out and opposition to the complete take over of this great nation.

[colsohlibgal]

13. Speaking of A New True 100% Progressive Network

I heard a little tidbit from Bernie Sanders yesterday, during his usual "Brunch With Bernie" hour with Thom Hartmann. He stressed it's premature and no sure thing, but then went on to say there were some pretty high level early talks going on about the need for such a network as a counterpoint to blunt the nonsense and blatant lies of Faux News. Maybe Beck is right to be so paranoid about Soros?

If this really happens I hope they go all the way and give a TV home for firebrand progressive voices like Cenk and Mike Malloy - and my favorite ultra smart true progressive Hartmann.

[glinda]

15. Occurred to me today that it would have to name itself up front

of who it is made up of and who it represents in order to avoid a buy out. Like it wold have to name itself "The Democratic/Green/ Independent?/Socialist network or something.

[ooglymoogly]

19. How bout just "fair and balanced". nt

[SpankMe]

17. The problem with this is...

...Republican donors own and run all of the cable and satellite TV systems. Even if a counterpoint to Fox could be initiated, how would they get distribution?

These events are very worrying.

[sabrina 1]

14. Disney connections also. I remember a few years ago

during the campaign, some of the vile diatribe coming from Disney owned talk show hosts and the outcry over it. Boycotts were organized to try to get those hosts fired. That was when people began looking into Disney's politics.

So, what are we going to do about it? It looks we're back to the Bush years again.

And people here think that the effort to keep Keith on the air is just for fun and not a real issue.

That's how it all began, people ignoring the takeover of the media, brushing aside concerns.

Popular hosts like Rachel and Keith, Ed, and others, (including Jon Stewart who by now must realize, having heard from so many reputable people that the lie, there is nothing else to call it, lumping Keith with Fox, has damaged his own credibility,) have a lot of power right now. I think they should all go to speak to the PTBs at MSNBC and tell them that they will go on strike, if Keith is not restored, and if in the future any one of THEM is threatened, the same thing should happen. I just wish we didn't always have let the worst happen before people wake up.

[ooglymoogly]

18. +1 nt

[glinda]

16. K & R

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. Burke gave to Democrat Arlen Specter...

[ooglymoogly]

21. Comca$t is as far right as you can get; no less than the Kotches and their ilk.

Wearing the fig leaf that they donated to Democrats as well (Dino Arlen Specter). They began drooling over MSNBC when they strangled it by moving it to upper tier two years ago, limiting its access to far too many; particularly the ones who could not afford upper tier; while leaving CNN and Fox on the far more accessable lower tier.

They are typical conniving thugs and pugs trying to move this country toward a fascism in which they are in charge.

Anyone having any connection to them should, at whatever cost, get the hell out of their evil grasp.

Not only will Kieth be gone, but so will the others, making the suspected murderer and fellow nut $carborogh, kingpin at MSNBC.

They are moving ruthlessly to take over the internet, foiling net neutrality to do the same thug surgery to it.

We cannot let this story die.