After 2001, MSNBC's ratings went into the gutter and FNC's ratings went through the roof. So out of desparation, the not-so innovative dummies thought they could make a recovery by simply copying Fox. They gave their air-time to right-wing talking heads, and show after show failed: Michael Savage was a complete embarassment, Alan Keys got axed, and now Tucker Carlson's show just entering its second year is struggling to get by. In fact Joe Scarborough is the only one out of any of them to get decent ratings.
In mid-2005, after so many fox copy cat failures, instead of the MSNBC execs changing the course like they should have done, they decided to try to copy fox again, not in the talking head style, but by copying fox's second most infamous tactic: Hot chicks and tabloid sensationalism. With all the important issues at hand and the country as we know it going to pot, MSNBC decided to draft heavy-chested rita cosby to tell us all we need to know about the Duke LaCrosse team and how a college chick was strangled with her own bikini top. The show started off with decent ratings, but it too is headed into the toilet. In fact, MSNBC's recent primetime re-scheduling puts cosby in the same time slot as her toughest competitors: Greta Van Susteran and Nancy Grace; a sign that Network execs are trying to kill the show already.
What is ironic about all this is that when MSNBC actually puts someone liberal on the air, they actually do really well. For instance, back in 2003 Phil Donahue had the highest rated show at the network but was canceled merely because he was an outspoken critic of the Iraq War. MSNBC execs felt he was making the network look "unpatriotic". And another liberal, Keith Olbermann, now has the highest rated news show at MSNBC.
Maybe if they're smart enough, they'll stop scratching their heads like monkeys and put more liberals on. Of course that's up to the new leadership there. Dan Abrams was recently promoted from day-time tv host to General Manager of the network. In a recent interview Abrams was quoted as saying,"Over the next few months you will hopefully see the network become a little more exciting, a little more vibrant and a little more irreverent." I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, but hopefully, if he's serious about getting irreverent, he'll hire someone like Al Franken and finally give someone at our end of the political spectrum a chance.
Now that he has been promoted, his show will be going off the air, so that's two open spots right there (4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.). Also, Rita Cosby's show and Tucker Carlson's show aren't doing so well, especially Carlson's, In fact, in a recent episode celebrating the 1st anniversary of the show, he told his viewers that he hoped the show would still be around to celebrate its second birthday next year (Hint, Hint). Bottom Line: both those show are getting axed. That leaves a total of four open spots MSNBC needs to fill. Hopefully by now, they've learned their lesson, and rather than put in more fox-ish talking heads that just keep bombing in the ratings, they'll put someone in there on the other side: our side.