Low-Rated MSNBC Hack ‘Special Ed’ Schultz Jettisoned to Saturday Graveyard Slot
Posted by Jammie on Mar 14, 2013 at 7:53 am
He apparently kept a straight face announcing the “good” news:
One of MSNBC’s most important and lucrative time slots, 8 p.m., is about to get a new host. But MSNBC won’t name the person quite yet.
The existing 8 p.m. host, Ed Schultz, surprised his viewers on Wednesday night by saying that Thursday night’s edition of “The Ed Show” would be his last. In April he will take a new weekend shift from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
“MSNBC will be expanding its weekend programming, and this opens a big opportunity for ‘The Ed Show’ and my brand,” Mr. Schultz said at the end of his nightly news talk show, which is known for having a focus on labor issues and the working class in the United States. He asserted that he had raised his hand for the assignment “for a number of personal and professional reasons.” Among them, he said: “I want to get out with the people and tell their stories.”
Of course anyone wants to expand their brand moving from a coveted prime-time slot to a mid-afternoon Saturday slot. Such a no-brainer we can’t figure out why he took so long to make the move. MSNBC, meanwhile, is looking to expand their own brand by subtly moving left:
At the same time, the channel has also been trying to add more progressive talk shows and nonpartisan newscasts on the weekends, as evidenced by Mr. Hayes’ program and a like-minded one by Melissa Harris-Perry, a Tulane University professor. Late last year MSNBC quietly extended its live programming up until 5 p.m. on the weekends. With Mr. Schultz, it will edge closer to the prime time hours that are now occupied by documentaries like “Lockup,” a series about prisons.
The move was so quiet nobody even noticed. Forward! |
