MSNBC Boots Its President, Hires ABC's Kaplan

[jenk]

MSNBC Boots Its President, Hires ABC's Kaplan

By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 17, 2004; Page C01


MSNBC, the third-place cable news network, is ousting its president and replacing him with veteran producer and former CNN chief Rick Kaplan, industry sources said last night.

Kaplan, now a senior vice president at ABC News, where he oversees such broadcasts as "World News Tonight" and "This Week," is expected to start within days, and an announcement is likely today, the sources said. He is replacing Erik Sorenson, a onetime "CBS Evening News" executive producer who has run the channel since 1998. MSNBC had no comment.

MSNBC has gone through repeated programming changes in an attempt to close the gap with CNN and the top-rated Fox News Channel. In hiring Kaplan, 56, a large man with an aggressive style and outsize personality, the Microsoft-NBC venture is clearly signaling that more changes lie ahead.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A46751-2004Feb16?language=printer

hopefully new boss = no scarborough and maybe a liberal voice

[countmyvote4real]

1. Bring back Phil.

He was the best show they ever had. Of course, if I were Phil, I'd say FU.

Hmmm, I wonder if this has anything to do with Tweety's AWOL epiphany?

[Eric J in MN]

2. Give Bill Clinton a nightly talk-show. (nt)

nt

[Bozita]

3. Wind shift ... Time to change course

Scarborough's done.