MSNBC moves Tucker Carlson...into the time slot OPPOSITE JON STEWART. [View All]

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Primetime slot right 'Situation' for MSNBC

By Paul J. Gough Sun Jul 31, 5:55 PM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=597&e=1&u=/nm/20050731/tv_nm/msnbc_dc

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - MSNBC is moving low-rated rookie "The Situation With Tucker Carlson" to 11 p.m. ET to make way for Rita Cosby's new show and also to open up a West Coast front in the cable news war.

The former "Crossfire" co-host moved to MSNBC this year after a well-publicized break with CNN. "The Situation" bowed in the 9 p.m. ET slot in June with ratings that haven't matched Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" or even CNN's top-rated show, "Larry King Live."

But MSNBC president Rick Kaplan said Friday that ratings weren't a factor in relocating "The Situation" to the final hour of six hours of live primetime programing in cable news. Kaplan said and 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT live show has been in the plan since well before "The Situation" debuted. At that time, Fox News reruns "The O'Reilly Factor" and CNN airs "Lou Dobbs Tonight" for the West Coast.

"It's a prize that's waiting to be taken," Kaplan said. "The idea of just turning your schedule around and running it for the West Coast is not aggressive enough." Kaplan said 20% of the cable news viewership comes from the West Coast and it's too important to not have something available live in cable news. Carlson said he's happy in the new time slot, noting that it's what he's wanted all along. "It's literally groundbreaking. It's obviously a show that belongs at 11 (ET), we designed it for 11, everything says 11 o clock," the La Jolla, Calif., native said.