Ahead of we commence, a disclaimer:

This column shouldn’t be about MSNBC’s narrative…now not about its ideology or advocacy. The choice by using MSNBC a couple of years in the past to move left, to be the anti-Fox, must be applauded, as it boosted what used to be anemic ratings (averaging about 350,000 viewers in primetime).

Believe it or now not, MSNBC used to be down the center: Imus, Tucker Carlson, Michael Savage and Joe Scarborough as soon as all had their own shows, as an instance. But it surely merely wasn’t working. The network just didn’t have an identification.

Then along got here the rise of Olbermann and then Maddow, who both were aided through a call by way of then NBCU CEO Jeff Zucker and MSNBC President Phil Griffin (following Olbermann’s lead) to create a more opinion-based totally platform. From there, the additions of Al Sharpton, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes, and Ed Schultz (together with many different progressives), have been made, Morning Joe was created (to switch Imus), and the remainder is cable information historical past. And whereas MSNBC is still getting crushed by Fox News through three-1, even four-1 margins, it’s a major growth from where the community once used to be.

So with momentum at his back following the re-election of President Obama, Griffin felt he had the gravitas and instincts to make some bold pronouncements and even more on-air skill hires.

Unfortunately, every single one (specifically for the reason that Zucker left) has been unwell-instructed and sick-thought to be, respectively.

So as the headline signifies, there needs to be a metamorphosis at MSNBC. But not to its liberal presentation…that isn’t at problem. Instead, it’s time for Comcast to with politeness express Mr. Griffin the door for a few other reasons, including:

“The Statement”

Griffin informed The New Republic in March he anticipated to beat Fox via the top of the calendar year. An abnormal announcement given it’s a non-election yr (when breaking information/human passion stories are extra apt to outflank political analysis) and the shortage of a major-time modern megastar (say, Jon Stewart or Bill Maher) being signed via the network. As a substitute, Griffin misread the tea leaves of higher rankings best as much as the 2012 election and notion the target market would stay loyal to MSNBC personalities.

Turns out they cherished the storyline of Obama vs. Romney.

The storytellers? Now Not a lot…

So instead of leaping to 1st location, the community fell to 4th during the George Zimmerman trial. Which led to the next reckless assertion by means of Griffin:

“We’re now not the situation” for breaking information. “Our brand isn’t that.”

When asked why his scores have been tanking in June, Griffin punted on an important side of being, , a cable news station. With the aid of mentioning publicly that his network isn’t terribly all for breaking news stories—the place the biggest scores can often come from—he essentially became MSNBC into the Olympic video games (which happen once every two years). You wish to have protection of terror assaults like the Boston Bombings, pure disasters like Hurricane Sandy or the Oklahoma tornadoes…or human interest stories just like the Cleveland kidnappings? Griffin inexplicably says don’t even trouble coming to MSNBC except politics are on the forefront.

The irony is, MSNBC did a high quality job overlaying the Boston Bombings (Chris Matthews overtly speculating about right wing suspects shortly after despite). They were particularly good with reporting on the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornadoes this year as neatly. Many would argue that one of the best reporter on the grid is NBC’s Pete Williams, who showed how invariable an asset he is all over the Boston manhunt. Of all of the networks covering the story, Williams used to be easily the very best available in the market.

MSNBC itself won’t have a Shep Smith or Anderson Cooper, but it surely does have the NBC News mothership and all of the assets that come with it. For Griffin to punt on breaking news–regardless of having network tools at his disposal for big situations–was once in itself a reason behind termination on my own.

Moving Chris Hayes to eight:00 PM and Ed Schultz to weekends and once more again to weekdays.

Mr. Hayes is an smart man. His weekend morning convey before moving to primetime was once wonky, considerate and perfect for that timeslot. However transferring him to primetime–absolutely the fallacious location and time for his roughly convey and personality–has resulted in the opposite of a rising tide lifting all boats. Keith Olbermann averaged 1.2 million viewers when he fired in 2011. Hayes has been averaging 1/2 that since taking the reins of any cable community’s most essential timeslot. Maddow’s and O’Donnell’s numbers have noticeably suffered in consequence.

As for Schultz, the curious move from eight:00 PM weekdays to five:00 PM on weekends (for a couple of months) handiest to deliver him again to weekdays (this time at 5:00 PM) illustrates little long-time period pondering. And with each transfer, each trade, it damages the Schultz model. Is he on in primetime this week, late afternoon, weekdays, weekends? Is he part of the network’s political protection on election night? Does the network have faith in him? These are all bad questions, and Comcast and Schultz have best Griffin guilty.

Hiring Alec Baldwin

If Stanley Baldwin did a express that if truth be told featured company who ninety eight % of the target audience in fact recognizes (See: Now Not Invoice De Blasio, Gary Lockwood, Keir Dullea, Cristina Tzintzun and Mary Brosnahan in the first five weeks of the show alone), it may be succeeding. But the tedious hour has instead produced scores which were notably lower than a budget and simple repeats of prison documentaries (Lockup), which once occupied the slot. Then there’s the price of signing Baldwin, hiring producers, writers, other resources…with little return on funding.

This, of course, doesn’t even embrace the PR nightmare Stanley Baldwin predictably introduced with him to MSNBC. The actor’s public meltdowns have been smartly-identified to Griffin, however he went beforehand and signed the 55-12 months-outdated anyway. Even worse, he’s allowed Baldwin to dictate the more or less show Up Late would develop into: Person who didn’t leverage Stanley Baldwin’s famous person energy, however appeased his ego instead by doing a niche software that belongs on native New York radio, now not on a nationwide stage.

1st earl baldwin of bewdley has been suspended for 2 weeks for his latest blowup, which used to be brought on by using the host the use of the colourful aggregate of “c**ksucking and f*g being directed at a photographer in Big apple. However who surpassed down the suspension? That’s best a mystery as a result of 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley made the announcement himself, which is patently strange. Who permits someone to announce their own punishment? And in The Huffington Publish, no less? Griffin is nowhere to be found on this story, which most effective proves he has little regulate over his ability, particularly making an allowance for…

…that Martin Bashir still has a job.

It’s a constant, annoying theme at MSNBC: Griffin allowing anchors to claim just about anything without penalties. Could you imagine if Neil Cavuto or Jake Tapper, who occupy the same timeslot on Fox and CNN, respectively, instructed anyone s*it in any individual’s mouth on national tv, as Bashir did final week?

And it’s no longer as he’s killing it within the ratings. Each day, Bashir simply owns the bottom-rated show in his timeslot among the large three. If Griffin have been good, he’d use this episode as an excuse to eliminate Bashir. But as of this writing (Sunday evening), nothing has been mentioned or finished. No suspensions have been handed down. Possibly Bashir will announce his punishment in Politico…

Is Griffin merely afraid to confront his hosts, or is he extra fascinated by any more or less publicity, just right or unhealthy, integrity be damned?

In 2014, issues can be higher for MSNBC. Elections and the entire hype prime as much as them are what the community does smartly, and the midterms will without a doubt help the self-described position for politics.

Phil Griffin must be counseled for helping to create a distinction to Fox News. A network that once had no id is officially a unique brand.

But 2013 presentations that it’s time for the next move at 30 Rock…virtue of an absence of leadership, verbal exchange, collaboration, vision and sound choice-making.

Comcast could be smart to make a transformation.

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