Progressive Silence On Television
Last week, MSNBC debuted a new prime-time political show hosted by Rachel Maddow, a progressive radio host on Air America. The debut attracted more viewers than both Larry King and Glenn Beck's programs, on CNN and CNN Headline News, respectively. After one week on air, Maddow's was MSNBC's highest-rated show on Tuesday, with Keith Olbermann's Countdown in second place. When Olbermann announced Maddow's new show last month on the progressive blog Daily Kos, he wrote to its readers, "Yes, you had something to do with it." Maddow's show is one of the few success stories of the efforts by progressives to see more progressive voices on TV. In fact, the day before Maddow's debut, MSNBC announced it was pulling Olbermann and Chris Matthews from its election coverage -- a move the New York Times said was a "direct result of tensions associated with the channel's perceived shift to the political left." Despite Olbermann and Maddow's rating successes, MSNBC and the other networks still don't seem to be getting the message: Americans want to hear progressive voices on television.
But, apparently, the media's corporate owners do not. Don't want to give the rabble any ideas, you know...
Posts
If "progressive" means Maddow's brand of smug, condescending commentary, no wonder people aren't getting the message. I forced myself to watch most of her program last night, and she is even worse than Olbermann, if that is possible.
ReplyDeleteno wonder people aren't getting the message.
ReplyDeleteHuh? Were you reading? There are lots of viewers, the issue is whether the media will air them.
Please read it again, slower this time.... if it helps:
The debut attracted more viewers than both Larry King and Glenn Beck's programs