Eric Alterman tells NBC Pres. that he would do a show "on the cheap"

[La_Serpiente]

I was over at Alterman's blog, and he wrote about an exchange between the NBC president and him. FYI, MSNBC cancelled Buchanan & Press and is also changing its lineup. Eric told him that he would do a show on MSNBC for a really cheap price. This is pretty much pro-bono on his part.

The NBC president seemed a little hesitant. That is where we come in. Let's help him change his mind about this. Send him an e-mail here:

NEWS CHIEF Neil Shapiro
Direct line: 212.664.4773.
fax: [phone] [e-mail]
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY, 10112
General NBC viewer email: [e-mail]
HIS BOSS: Robert Wright, Chairman, NBC Television.
Switchboard: 212-664-4444 [e-mail]
30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112

For those of you who don't know the ramifications of putting Alterman on the air, let me tell you some information. If Alterman was put on the air, he would be the most liberal commentator on TV (save Moyers on PBS). He writes for the Nation and has written extensively on Media Bias. He wouldn't be a shrill Rush of the left: He probably doesn't like that format. He would speak with reason and logic, and shut down any right wing hawk by those tactics.

From Alterman's Blog:

I had a nice chat with NBC News President Neal Shapiro last night at the CPJ dinner. I reiterated my offer to do a show a lot cheaper than whatever Joe Scarborough is getting paid so long as MSNBC throws in for the food and the booze I would have to serve to get my friends to come on. (My model would be the brief, much-lamented “Studs and Bud” show that Messrs. Terkel and Trillin once did.) I have to say, he did not appear terribly excited by the idea but the offer remains, and what the hell, let’s start a rumor. Maybe it will up my speaking fees. I see Pat Buchanan and Bill Press have been cancelled, which is a little problematic for me because I am supposed to do the show today and if the car is not coming, I already promised the kid a ride and a trip to the Green Room.

So the question is, Would you watch Alterman if he had a show?

[wyldwolf]

1. Woo-hoo! I cast the first vote!

[edzontar]

2. I..sort-of..liked Buchanan and Press...

I will miss it.

Not Pat, of course, but Press is better than almost anyone else on MSRNC.

I wish they would get rid of Tweety and "Dead Intern" Scarborough.

[Demonaut]

12. Joe Scarborough is O"Lielly light

Whats with his opening video with him in a flightsuit, He never served, the friggen punk.

[0rganism]

20. Even Pat B. is better than half the crapshooters on TV and radio

Conservative? Yes. Ideologue? Sure. Racist? Pretty much so. But at least the guy was usually able to discuss his views from a reasoned paleo-conservative viewpoint. He didn't just shut people down, or call them nasty names, and he was capable of thinking outside the daily republican talking points.

[RobinA]

27. I Agree

Buchanan was refreshing simply because he knew what he was talking about and could state his opnions intelligently. He was usually wrong, of course, but at least it wasn't the usual blather.

[pistoff democrat]

3. Well, first all of all:

thank you for something more to be thankful for tomorrow. I didn't even know Buchanan and Press were cancelled - hoo-ray!

Alterman would be great. You probably know that he and Stephenopolous were college roommates. I remember that during the Clinton years, Alterman never got off of Georgie's back for working for such a conservative democrat as Clinton. Geez, I hope he gets the show -- my emails will be sent NOW.

[jenk]

4. Nice job picking up on this, I'd watch

[SeveneightyWhoa]

5. Just fired off an email to Mr. Shapiro..

This is great (possible) news!

[jenk]

6. I just did my part

emails SENT!

[Ksec]

7. Do you think that the special interests of the Dem Party

would dominate the discussion? I do. This is why I doubt that a lib show would last, as much as I hate to say that.

[DUreader]

8. Alterman and special interests of the Dem party does not compute

I'd think some Dems and their special interests might be unhappy about

this

[Ksec]

11. It makes me unhappy also

[pistoff democrat]

16. You are absolutely right and

that is a good thing.

[La_Serpiente]

9. Nonsense

Alterman is not like Begala or Carville. I highly doubt that he would tow the party line. He writes for the Nation, who has also been very critical of Pres. Clinton. Dershowitz went off on him for supporting the Palestinians the other week.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

10. Hmmm, 39 DU'ers voting so far, saying they'll watch it.

You know what this means? Alterman's show, thus far nonexistant and all, is already beating Scarborough Country in ratings. Impressive!

[rucky]

13. Voted & Emailed

supply & demand. new audience. more ad appeal.

If NBC can't see it from a bottom-line perspective...

[Ksec]

14. Just emailed them

And sorry about my negative post, I promised myself I would stay positive. Think only positive thoughts. Think only positive thoughts

[villager]

15. my e-mail:

Mr. Shapiro--

Given the unacknowledged media tilt to the far right (i.e. the line-up of GOP-apologizing cable TV pundits, one of your fellow network's boot-quaking in the face of a conservative backlash over a Presidential biopic, all of Fox "News," etc., etc., ) you'd be doing your country an absolute favor by putting Eric Alterman on the air with his own talkshow.

Really.

I mean, NBC could say something like "Fair and Balanced" and be pretty much alone in meaning it -- i.e., actually representing something other than the approved Party Line emanating from Washington...

Your children -- mine, certainly -- would eventually thank you...

for America,

[Skittles]

17. ABSOLUTELY

I LOVE Eric and let add a bit of fluff by saying, he's not too hard on the eyes, either. :7

[ConsAreLiars]

18. yes, and a kick for my shift here (n/t)

[kodi]

19. killer idea, maybe eric can get the e street band as the house band too

msnbc doent have the balls to give a liberal a show, yet we get a peckerhead like scarbough soiling himself nightly?

just watch keith olbermann all you can and let msnbc know. it helps keep on him the air.

[Eric J in MN]

21. Let's spread the word.

If you post on a message-board with a decent number of liberals on another website, quote the first post there.

[Guaranteed]

22. Email sent. nt

[HootieMcBoob]

23. Done and....

Done!
:toast:

[arwalden]

24. I Would BREAK MY SELF IMPOSED BAN...

... and I would actually start watching ONE show on a cable news channel if this happened.

Until then, I'm not watching anything on any cable news channel... still. Not even Donahue.

-- Allen

[GCP]

25. Me e-mail to Shapiro

For God's sake give Eric Alterman a chance.

If you got rid of that horrible Piss-Holes-in-the-Snow-Eyes Joe Scarborough, I, for one, and many others I could mention, would actually watch your network.

Sue *****

He'll probably be appalled at my language, but sometimes you just have to let them have it with both barrels before they'll listen.

[karlschneider]

26. Voted, emailed, and a

:kick:
;-)

[HootieMcBoob]

28. Kick for more emails

I think we need to get as many people to write as possible...
Kick for the post-thanksgiving crowd!

:kick:

[Changenow]

29. Dear Mr. Shapiro...

Message sent.

[Eric J in MN]

30. kick (nt)

nt

[kerry-is-my-prez]

31. Thanks for posting that. We need to start doing more of this....

n/t