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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcDaniel eyes big payout after NBC drama ($600,000 and more for doing nothing)
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/27/ronna-mcdaniel-nbc-contract-00149274McDaniel eyes big payout after NBC drama
The former RNC chair is in talks with a prominent media talent lawyer about potential legal claims.
By Rachael Bade
03/27/2024 08:27 AM EDT
Will it be the $600,000 interview?
The ramifications of NBCs decision yesterday to part ways with former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel just two days after her paid network debut on Meet the Press are just starting to shake out. But they could be expensive.
McDaniel expects to be fully paid out for her contract two years at $300,000 annually since she did not breach its terms, according to a person close to McDaniel. That means that her single, not-quite-20-minute interview Sunday could cost NBC more than $30,000 per minute, or $500 per second.
That might be just the beginning of the fallout following yesterdays announcement from NBCUniversal News Group Chair Cesar Conde that the deal, first announced on Friday, would be canceled. McDaniel spoke yesterday with Bryan Freedman, renowned lawyer to the estranged cable-news stars, to discuss legal options even beyond recouping the dollar value of her contract.
While no arrangement is final, the person close to McDaniel said, Freedman would be an obvious choice: He represented Megyn Kelly in her own acrimonious parting with NBC, as well as ousted anchors Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson in disputes with their respective former networks.
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DFW
(54,403 posts)I would have joined NBC, done nothing for a week, and then left for less than $500,000...................
**on edit--come to think of it, I still would! Any NBC execs reading this--PM me ASAP! My offer is still good.
Escurumbele
(3,395 posts)a sense of consequences, they come up with an idea but fail to think about the pros and cons, they just jump on it excited that they finally came up with an idea, consequences be dammed.
THINK BEFORE YOU ACT
Some executive heads should roll. What a gig for her, do nothing and get $600,000.00. She should apply now to CNA, maybe she can get enough to make a million in one month.
In a way, I am very happy this happened because maybe, maybe, these jackasses who want to cater to republicans by making stupid decisions may stop.
DFW
(54,403 posts)I hope it comes out of the money set aside for the executive pay pool. THAT should give them a rock solid reason to avoid stupid moves like this one. Six hundred grand is one hell of an expensive oops, and the stockholders should NOT be forced to foot the bill.
Upthevibe
(8,051 posts)of hiring her should be fired. I would think that more than one person would have to have given their stamp of approval and I seriously believe they should all lose their jobs.
This shows such a horrible lack of judgement. It's inexcusable.
Goodheart
(5,325 posts)Think. Again.
(8,170 posts)...I suspect NBC's legal team wrote a pretty safe contract.
former9thward
(32,017 posts)She had lawyers also.
NanaCat
(1,149 posts)And there would have been no contract if she didn't agree not to embarrass the network with bad behaviour--past or present.
Escurumbele
(3,395 posts)former9thward
(32,017 posts)NBC knew who they were hiring. Morality clauses are for conduct after a contract is signed. Are you really saying NBC had no idea who she was but you do? They will settle the case not only for the contract but several million dollars additional. Real world.
SunSeeker
(51,564 posts)She used her new NBC platform to push a dangerous election lie.
Dan Rather got fired for a lot less. Dan Rather left the anchor desk in 2005 following the Killian documents controversy, in which he presented unauthenticated documents in a news report on President George W. Bush's Vietnam Warera service in the National Guard. He continued to work with CBS until 2006, when he was abruptly fired. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dan-rather-cbs-news-corporate-media_n_1531121
In September 2007, Rather filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and its former parent company Viacom. Rather accused the network and its ownership and management of making him a "scapegoat" in the Killian story. An intermediate New York state appeals court dismissed the lawsuit in September 2009, and the New York Court of Appeals refused to reinstate it in January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091002082508/http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090929/tv_nm/us_rather_cbs_1
I imagine Ronna's lawsuit would meet the same fate, unless NBC has really shitty lawyers.
Real world indeed.
former9thward
(32,017 posts)Of course you can always use the old "NBC has shitty lawyers" as your go to answer.
AkFemDem
(1,826 posts)Ignorance about her behavior and pull a morals clause after the fact. They're going to pay out.
agingdem
(7,850 posts)I think NBC will offer her $300,000 (her contract) to settle and if she says no they will take her to court, file a countersuit with endless motions (a la Trump) and drag it out for years..in the meantime McDaniel will be piling up ridiculous legal bills and court costs, more than her contract and more than than she's asking...NBC is a multi-billion dollar company..NBC has the time and the money to wait her out whereas McDaniel is on her own...
former9thward
(32,017 posts)And she will have plenty of lawyers to help her since ultimately NBC will be paying her legal costs when they settle.
ProfessorGAC
(65,060 posts)Going to court continues to keel a corporate embarrassment in the spotlight.
That's bad for business.
Comcast is a >$120 billion company. This 600k is 5 bucks out of every million in revenue. They'll find the money in the couch cushions of the executive suites.
They'll think it best to just put it in the past as quickly as possible.
agingdem
(7,850 posts)pay her for doing nothing an then say kiss her off...
I would like to hear her lawyer argue NBC damaged her reputation..I need a laugh
former9thward
(32,017 posts)Although the world of NBC and her is not the world of DU. But NBC employees intentionally interfering with her contract is a tort and will go far. Beyond the four corners of her contract.
NonPC
(305 posts)Seems like that might be a way out of the contract...
former9thward
(32,017 posts)then I bet NBC News also did before they signed the contract. But they signed it anyway. Once you sign it, they can't put the spilled milk back in the glass.
agingdem
(7,850 posts)the execs learned nothing from their Megyn Kelly debacle ... in their rush to capture the MAGA audience they managed to crap all over themselves..
SupportSanity
(149 posts)Ronna might not be able to be on any one else's network while under contract. Silence her at the same time?
Escurumbele
(3,395 posts)Happy Hoosier
(7,308 posts)I would be pissed and Id want the head of the asshole that hired her. What a shitty business decision.
Omnipresent
(5,713 posts)SunSeeker
(51,564 posts)https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/media/nbc-news-ousts-ronna-mcdaniel/index.html
Takket
(21,575 posts)Shes entitled to every penny but Im still glad shes off the air where she cant poison the electorate anymore.
sanatanadharma
(3,707 posts)If NBC will have to pay anyway, keep her silent and on ice for two years to get some value from NBC's money.
SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)Give her an assignment writing positive headlines for the Democratic candidates. Of course they will all need to be checked for accuracy.
Escurumbele
(3,395 posts)a phone, never invite her to meetings, and she will eventually quit. Also, make sure she is available during working hours.
agingdem
(7,850 posts)I think MSNBC now has the opportunity to swing an obvious left...hone in on Trump's Hitler-speak ...concentration camps deportations, giving Putin a wide berth to plunder Europe, jailing the media, shooting protestors, installing his January 6 accomplices in cabinet positions to carry out his revenge and retribution agenda..don't hide Trump because he spews lies and racist tropes...showcase his profane mush-mouth vomit/ incoherent blathering (gas stoves, windmills)/reaching for words he is unable to pronounce..just a thought...
sybylla
(8,512 posts)the company has an out on their contract with her.
TheBlackAdder
(28,207 posts)Sogo
(4,986 posts)"Catch and kill??"
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,330 posts)Takket
(21,575 posts)JI7
(89,251 posts)jrthin
(4,836 posts)getagrip_already
(14,764 posts)I'm sure they can make her a potted plant somewhere. Have her appear at a hurricane or two, give her opinion of a city council race in some dusty town in East Texas with a population of 25. Location shots. Never use the footage.
What are they going to sue for? Not putting her on prime time?
Escurumbele
(3,395 posts)be looking at.
moreland01
(739 posts)at 2am every single day just in case they need her opinion on a story.
PCIntern
(25,554 posts)Idiots. Utter morons. Wtf did they think was going to happen if they hired the equivalent of Benedict Arnold (yeah I know) and attempted to foist her onto an unwitting (sic) public? Dopes.
SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)It won't be a big hit for him, no doubt. He can look at it like he took her out for a real expensive dinner.
kentuck
(111,099 posts)...and saved themselves the headache.
Rocknation
(44,576 posts)And shouldn't the people responsible for hiring her be fired, too?
Rocknation
DaBronx
(297 posts)To be honest, as I said in another thread, those in charge have no moral compass. It seems at least 3 heads need to roll
.the heads of nbcnews, MSNBC, any person who approved the hire including HR.
They entered into a contract with her. That was the mistake and it was a very bad expensive one.
Whatever the terms of the contract, it should be upheld. Even if that means she gets every
Cent.
Fair is fair even if she is an unAmerican traitor. The real fools here are the executives, and they must
Pay her what the contract stipulates, and further pay the public- with their
Jobs.they are a disgrace to journalism.
If she really wants out of contract now, offer her $100k and the other $500k split up in donations in her name to the DNC, Biden and other Dem candidates and superPACs.
Otherwise sideline and muzzle her until mid-next year and offer a really bad settlement.
bucolic_frolic
(43,175 posts)Decided not to use you. Sit tight, you're under contract.
MichMan
(11,932 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,175 posts)How can she be expected to fulfill the contract when she's damaged goods in that sense? Network should have known better, but they could also feel they didn't quite know what they were getting into.
Blue Owl
(50,393 posts)I have a receptacle bin they are welcome to use....
dembotoz
(16,807 posts)please forward my name to nbc
twodogsbarking
(9,754 posts)The HuntleyBrinkley Report (sometimes known as The Texaco HuntleyBrinkley Report for one of its early sponsors) was an American evening news program that aired on NBC from October 29, 1956, to July 31, 1970
KatyaR
(3,445 posts)Drop in the bucket for NBC.
padah513
(2,503 posts)Consider it a lesson learned.
beaglelover
(3,486 posts)during the term of the contract, the employer usually pays them for the length of the contract. $600,000 seems pretty cheap to me, actually.
Deminpenn
(15,286 posts)Biden won the 2020 election fair and square. Despite all the Trump butt-kissing she did, that one statement, whether or not she believes it, will make her a persona non grata in Trump world.
oasis
(49,389 posts)40 hours a week.
bluestarone
(16,970 posts)Make her report everyday cleaning rest rooms and offices. EVERYDAY!
oasis
(49,389 posts)Lakers player had an injury that would keep him off the court for months.
Laker management put him to work in the front office.
Martin68
(22,811 posts)Cha
(297,275 posts)to keep her on in spite of the Gigantic Pushback.
liberalla
(9,249 posts)the BRILLIANT decision to hire her!
FakeNoose
(32,641 posts)Maybe they'll think twice about pulling this kind of shit again.
Anybody think that will actually happen? Naaaah.
sybylla
(8,512 posts)Marc Elias called out 3 big election lies she repeated.
That kind of bullshit should get you fired, even by an employer who was dumb enough to give you a contract.
SunSeeker
(51,564 posts)She used her new NBC platform to push a dangerous election lie, claiming on her first day on air at NBC that the 2020 election had "problems." It didn't.
Dan Rather got fired for a lot less, and didn't get a dime when he sued.
Dan Rather left the anchor desk in 2005 following the Killian documents controversy, in which he presented unauthenticated documents in a news report on President George W. Bush's Vietnam Warera service in the National Guard. He continued to work with CBS until 2006, when he was abruptly fired. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dan-rather-cbs-news-corporate-media_n_1531121
In September 2007, Rather filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and its former parent company Viacom. Rather accused the network and its ownership and management of making him a "scapegoat" in the Killian story. An intermediate New York state appeals court dismissed the lawsuit in September 2009, and the New York Court of Appeals refused to reinstate it in January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091002082508/http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090929/tv_nm/us_rather_cbs_1
Javaman
(62,530 posts)she'll burn through that pretty fast.
rickford66
(5,524 posts)Tell her to wait for a call. I think Henry Ford II got Lee Iacocca to resign that way.
FeelingBlue
(681 posts)Keep her on. But, they should make her come to an office daily and give her assignments that they dont use. By this, they save a boatload of money.