There appears to be no end in sight to the recent shake-up at MSNBC, with reports making rounds that Rev. Al Sharpton’s “Politics Nation” is likely to be the next show to get the ax.
The shake-up is said to have been kicked off with the six-month suspension of the highly-popular “NBC Nightly News” anchor, Brian Williams. MSNBC followed up with the announcement last Thursday that it has canceled afternoon shows with Joy Reid and Ronan Harrows— a move that did not come as much of a surprise to those familiar with the shows’ low ratings.
The Daily Beast reports that “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton,” which has been on air since 2011, could be affected as well. The program has performed relatively well since its inception, with its audience consisting of about 35 percent of Black viewers. The popularity of Sharpton’s show cannot be divorced from its somewhat controversial approach of addressing issues affecting the oppressed.
As of late, the show seems to have lost much of its popularity and Sharpton has become the regular butt of jokes.
Sources are saying that the show could be moved from its weeknight slot to only weekends. The envisaged change in the time slot of Sharpton’s show may be a result of MSNBC’s apparent shift from left-focused programming, which the network thinks is no longer as popular or lucrative as it used to be.
“Going left was a brilliant strategy while it lasted, and made hundreds of millions of dollars for Comcast, but now it doesn’t work anymore,” an MSNBC source said. “The goal is to move away from left-wing TV.”
MSNBC President Phil Griffin aims at placing more emphasis on news-centric programming rather than providing a platform with high emphasis on left-wing views and opinions. This, he hopes, will help address the problem of falling viewership figures.
Sharpton has yet to comment on the rumored change in time slot for his show.
It also appears the shake-up will not end with Sharpton. Sources are saying popular hosts such as Chris Hayes, Ed Schultz and Lawrence O’Donnell may also be affected by the ongoing restructuring.
One person who sources say looks safe in the face of the ongoing shake-up is Rachel Maddow. Her show, which currently airs at 9 p.m., will reportedly be moved to Hayes’ 8 p.m. slot while a replacement would be sought to fill the 9 p.m. slot.
http://yourblackworld.net/2015/02/25/will-msnbc-fire-al-sharpton-it-looks-that-way/
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