CNN Tried To Steal Rachel Maddow From MSNBC With A Monster Offer

[babylonsister]

https://www.politicususa.com/2021/11/06/cnn-tried-to-steal-rachel-maddow-from-msnbc-with-a-monster-offer.html

Posted on Sat, Nov 6th, 2021 by Jason Easley
CNN Tried To Steal Rachel Maddow From MSNBC With A Monster Offer


CNN boss Jeff Zucker tried to hire Rachel Maddow away from MSNBC, which made Maddow’s current home offer her more money for less work.

Via AdWeek:

A report surfaced on Thursday saying that CNN’s Jeff Zucker recently offered MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow around $20 million a year to anchor the soon-to-launch CNN+ streaming service. The news was reported by Puck News’ Matt Beloni, citing a source.

CNN’s attempt to lure Maddow apparently caused NBCUniversal “to scramble to promise her more money and less work to stay put, which she did,” Beloni writes in his What I’m Hearing… newsletter

What If Rachel Maddow Went To CNN?

A Rachel Maddow move to CNN, even if it were to lead their new streaming service, would have been a landscape-altering event in cable news. CNN has spent years finishing behind Maddow in the cable news ratings, so getting her would have both given them a rating boon and taken away the top-rated host from their competition.

It is uncertain how MSNBC is going to fill the void left by Maddow when she cuts back her workload in 2022, but losing the face of the network to the competition would have been devastating.

MSNBC doesn’t have anyone else who has the kind of viewership that Maddow does and is capable of doing the same style of program. For all of the strengths of the other MSNBC hosts, none of them have the unique combination of talents that has led Rachel Maddow to success. Plus, if Maddow left MSNBC, Lawrence O’Donnell, who has been saying for years that he would like to go back to screenwriting and Hollywood, would probably move on as well.

In the end, Rachel Maddow, who wanted to cut back her workload, got what she wanted and got to stay home, and CNN is still fighting to get out of third place.

[CrispyQ]

1. Am I the only one on DU who thinks Maddow is way overrated?

The way she repeats the same fact over & over again, like I'm either a dolt or not paying attention, it drives me crazy.

[babylonsister]

2. She can get long-winded, but I still

love her and watch most of the time. She hand picks the top stories and informs us of their importance. That is priceless. IMO.

[PSPS]

8. Her show should be 30 minutes. She draws everything out just to fill her current hour slot.

[USALiberal]

13. Lol! Ok!

[PatSeg]

42. Yes, that is actually what she does

She often turns a five minute story into fifteen by repeating the same things over and over again, sometimes verbatim. She frequently is filling time. No matter how interesting the story may be, that is really irritating.

[Trueblue1968]

71. She's a talker cuz she's a woman ????? Is that possibly what you're saying.

She is Excellent just as she is. I love her explanations.

[fescuerescue]

74. Protip: Watch the first 5 minutes

Fast forward to the last 5 minutes.

Everything in between is just a repetition of the first 5.

[a kennedy]

10. Yup, you might possibly be.......I really enjoy her program, when I watch.....have actually been taking

a break from ALL news. But do enjoy her the most, along with Nichole Wallace.

[PatSeg]

11. No, you are not

I've gotten in numerous discussions on DU about her and found a lot of people had the same complaints. I loved her show years ago, but now I rarely ever watch her and when I do, it is only for one segment. I watch Brian Williams most nights, but really would like his show to move to an earlier spot. I love his professional delivery, his treatment of guests, and his incredible dry wit, delivered without giggling and animated hand gestures. And most importantly, he does not repeat the same thing over and over again as if his viewers were fifth grade students.

[CrispyQ]

14. I wish they'd move Brian to an earlier slot, too. -nt

[Frustratedlady]

21. I agree. If they moved Brian to an earlier spot, maybe I'd get more sleep.

I like Rachel's background on a lot of her stories, but am irritated by her repeating dates/locations so many times. You can almost tell when she comes in totally prepared. She doesn't do it as much. Rachel seems to get some hot news before it happens...good sources.

I also agree on the hand movements of many of the newscasters. Ari Melber's humor(?) is ridiculous or I'm so out of touch that I don't "get" most of it. I'd also like to see Chris Hayes on All In sit still in his seat instead of bouncing up and down. Joy Reid is getting a little carried away with her volume/fast talking. Hard to keep up with her.

Nicole Wallace is close to Rachel and Brian on my list of favorites. She is similar to Brian in that I can sit back and relax while watching her program.

It's a tough job.

[CrispyQ]

24. I agree with a lot of what you say.

When Rachel has a guest she's excellent. She asks questions others never do & knows how to get her guest to explain or talk in depth about whatever the topic is. It's when she's alone she gets repetitive.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get Ari's humor. Sometimes his guests don't either & it's kind of awkward. I like Chris & had never noticed the bouncing. I'll check him out tomorrow.

[Mr.Bill]

34. It's interesting you would say that,

and I don't disagree, but in the big Rolling Stone interview they did with her a few years ago, she said she thought she wasn't good at interviews.

[PatSeg]

54. Yes, I like her in interviews as well

She looks very engaged and treats her guests with consideration and respect. She doesn't interrupt or talk over them. She actually looks interested in what they have to say. Her interviewing style is excellent.

Yes, I still like Chris Hayes and the wiggly thing doesn't bother me all that much. He is really smart and has a lot to say.

[renate]

32. You summed it all up perfectly! IMHO

I love them all as human beings but the ones you mentioned do all have these pretty glaring flaws. And I hear/read the exact same comments often. Especially about Rachel—I ADORE her but the constant repeating herself is so frustrating.

I should add that I am profoundly and eternally grateful to her for everything she did over the Trump years. It took a lot out of her—I know she struggles with depression—and she did it because she is patriotic and compassionate. I mean it when I say I adore her.

[PatSeg]

43. You summed it up so well

I don't need all of Ari Melber's pop culture and music references and don't find them amusing. Joy Reid talks faster than most people think and frequently cuts guests off as if she wasn't listening to them, but planning what SHE was going to say. Yes, Chris Hayes is much too animated, but some of his presentations are excellent. If only he could sit still! So wiggly.

Nicole Wallace is one of the easiest people to listen to. She is very calm, articulate, and pays due attention to her guests. She seems like she is really listening, not just waiting for them to finish talking. Right now Brian Williams is my favorite. Rachel used to be, but now I rarely watch her anymore.

[vanlassie]

15. Rachel has greatly improved over her early delivery style.

It is dramatically better and has been for quite some time. She has also become somewhat free to express her feelings in a way that is authentic as well as professional. Being on the pinnacle of your game can do that, guess.

[PatSeg]

44. Actually, I liked Rachel better in the beginning

The theatrical animated gestures and giggling are an unnecessary distraction, especially when the subject matter is often very serious. I find her to be authentic and intelligent, but not very professional for a news show. Her style reminds me more of late night talk shows, though that might be a throwback to her radio days.

Rachel's format has moved more toward a news magazine style, which I think would be the best use of her talent and research abilities, rather than a daily show. I believe that is what she will be doing in the future.

[vanlassie]

64. I would rather hear Rachel tell me about a thing

than anyone else. Giggling? I see Very Little Giggling.

[QED]

18. I also watch Brian Williams but in the morning.

I have an early schedule so I DVR his program and watch it while I get ready the next morning.

I've tapered off watching other shows...just too depressing and repetitive.

[PatSeg]

48. Yes, by the time he comes on it is hard

to stay awake for the entire show. I'd love to see him come on at 8:00 or 9:00 o'clock. Initially the show was only suppose to be temporary for election coverage, but apparently the ratings were good enough to keep it going.

[USALiberal]

12. Someone whines about that every week. It's your issue.

[PatSeg]

49. Actually LOTS of people complain

about it on a regular basis, so it is Rachel's and her producers' issue, not the viewers. This has become a very common complaint among people who used to love her show.

[USALiberal]

52. Yet somehow everyone wants her???

[PatSeg]

55. Well, obviously not everyone

And I think over the past few years, more and more long time viewers have grown tired of her. Who knows, maybe she has attracted new viewers. You know, I say this as someone who watched her show every night without fail for years. She was my absolute favorite. Now I can't get through that first endless segment.

[USALiberal]

60. You would be wrong.....

In early 2021, the show achieved its highest ratings in its history, averaging 4.3 million viewers in January and 3.7 million in February, making it the highest rated program on all of American cable television, including non-news programming, and also averaged the most viewers for cable news in the 25–54 age

[PatSeg]

61. Some of her most loyal fans have stopped watching her

though it is possible, she has gotten new viewers who like her style. I'm not disputing the popularity of her show, but I am one of many people who grew tired of her presentation and started turning her off. Eventually, I think there would be more.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Her show is not for those with short attention spans conditioned to short sound bites

I like her slower paced, thorough, in depth examinations of a particular topic. She gives a good accounting of history and context you can’t get anywhere else.

[lamp_shade]

19. Exactly right, FT. She has a way of bringing me down to earth and sorting me

through all those day-long short sound bites you speak of.

[OnDoutside]

20. Lol ! I was just about to say something similar, it's not for those

who just have the attention span for the headlines.

I think she's outstanding, there's no one to touch her.

[CrispyQ]

36. Well that's a little insulting, as were some other comments, but whatthefuckever. -nt

[USALiberal]

45. Deal with it

L

[PatSeg]

50. I do not have a short attention span

but I do not need things repeated to me over and over again. It is not a slower pace that annoys many people, it is the constant insulting repetition.

[jimfields33]

23. I haven't watched her since she had trump tax forms and he was finally

going down. That was the end of that show.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

28. That was for me too

The way she was stretching everything - it felt like she was waiting for a researcher to come in and point out where the there was. Bad reporting on the level of Rather’s Dubya letter.

[USALiberal]

46. Lol, ok!

[jimfields33]

63. You were impressed that night?

[jimfields33]

68. Understand. Perhaps I should give it another try.

Thank you!

[PatSeg]

56. I think that may have been the beginning of the end for me

Stephen Colbert did an outstanding imitation of her with the tax returns afterwards, complete with the excessive hand gestures, repetition, and paper shuffling. After that, I gradually grew tired of the show and the regular hype that THIS was a huge news night, followed a huge letdown.

[Sibelius Fan]

26. Yep. The opening 17 minutes of Rachel working her way thru the thesaurus

in an attempt to say the same thing 20 different ways is lazy and tiresome. When I do opt to tune in to her show it’s after the halfway point.

[USALiberal]

47. I think some people just need really short stories and not details

[PatSeg]

57. "Working her way thru the thesaurus

in an attempt to say the same thing 20 different ways" - Spot on! During that first endless segment, I found myself actually longing for a commercial break.

[vanlassie]

70. This is very old history. I also complained ages ago.

It’s much much better but, you do you.

[PatSeg]

72. I tune in now and then

and I don't see that big of a change. I guess having been such a huge admirer for so many years, I was very disappointed with the direction she and her show went. After Keith Olbermann left MSNBC, Rachel became my favorite for a very long time. I was a loyal viewer until this past year when I realized I was watching her out of loyalty, but hitting the fast-forward button a whole lot.

I still like her and if she does have network specials, I will probably watch them. I think she has outgrown the nightly format and is ready for a news magazine type program.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. I'm not a fan nor foe of her.

Folks I like like her so I'll let it be

[Hekate]

39. You might be in a small club

I put up with occasional nights of repetition because she’s one of the brightest, most in-depth news analysts in US television.

If she were to leave MSNBC it would leave a serious hole in their programming.

[Paladin]

41. Rachel is way the hell better than the rest of the MSNBC crowd. (nt)

[Sunsky]

69. I wouldn't think you're the only one but

I love Rachel. I love her style, it captivates the non-avid news watchers like my hubby. It's the only cable news show that he'll sit and watch for the whole hour. I have friends who also love to watch her show. If Rachel crossed over to CNN, I would definitely go with her. I watch Lawrence as well. My mom prefers Lawrence and Brian over Rachel.

[Sneederbunk]

3. It's the content, not necessarily the style, that appeals to me.

[Pantagruel]

4. Constant repetition

is necessary to get through to an electorate that generated 75 million Trump votes.

[CrispyQ]

9. Yes, but the voters who need to hear her will never tune in. -nt

[PatSeg]

58. Those people do not watch Rachel Maddow

[JohnSJ]

5. CNN may be in third place, but I think that is misleading. Those who watch MSNBC I suspect

are mostly progressive, while those that watch fox are predominately right to and extreme right audience.

In other words people turn to those cable outlets they mostly agree with ideologically

For that reason, I think it would have had some advantage if Maddow went to CNN because the audience would have been not diverse, and not just preaching to the choir

[demmiblue]

6. Well, at least they got Kasie Hunt.

[PatSeg]

59. Ha, ha, ha!!!

[Srkdqltr]

7. She explains things with depth and history. That is why I like her.

It's not all one liners and right now. She puts the history of an event or vote into a coherent story.

[Hekate]

40. +2

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. Chris Hayes and maybe Capehart are the only ones with comparable intellect

But neither currently have the ratings draw. Joy Reid is a possible contender, but has anyone considered…

Jen Psaki is leaving the WH around the same time Maddow ends her nightly show…

Just sayin’…

[Frustratedlady]

22. Yes! I think Jen would be great. She could take a weekend program if she didn't want to work a lot

She is an incredible asset to Biden. However, I saw another young woman fill in for her, but I can't recall her name. She was also good.

I also like Ali Velshi. I would guess he's being considered for his own show (on beyond his Saturday/Sunday show), as he sure fills in a lot.

[gulliver]

25. Quite a change from the Air America days

Wow I'm old

[electric_blue68]

51. I loved Air America, and...

I (we) can say "knew her then!".

I was so mad back then when she left, bc I didn't have cable TV.

I still don't but stream her audio through Tune Ib. 👍

[Mr.Bill]

33. I'm retired and I pretty much have MSNBC on all day.

Sometimes just as background noise, but it's on. This give me maybe a different perspective. After most other hosts talk about the same few stories all day, Rachel will often tackle a completely different subject.

[ZonkerHarris]

35. Just give her MEET THE PRESS. NBC I'm begging you.

[PortTack]

37. I'm sure Rachael maddow realizes she would have a lot less control over content and presentation

Not sure she would sell herself out that way. It would really end her brand

[Towlie]

38. I like to wait until she's been on for 30 min or so, then rewind and fast-forward through the ads.

 
←

Eventually you learn the pattern where the show starts with the most important stuff and is then followed by an interview. The first commercials virtually always follow the interview, so if you're not interested in the interview you can fast-forward through that and the commercials that follow, then start up again with the next subject. I can usually condense her one-hour show by roughly half.

[LiberalFighter]

53. Glad she didn't go there.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

62. I am glad that Rachel is staying at MSNBC

[onenote]

73. How would it have been "stealing"?