MSNBC's Liberal Stance: Decision Based on Profit, Not Politics

by David Goetzl , July 1, 2011

Keith-Olberman

Did NBC Universal see Fox News thriving with its conservative-leaning approach and decide to swing to the other end of the political spectrum? Nope -- it just sort of happened, said former NBCU chief Jeff Zucker.

"There was not a secret meeting that said, hey let's go left with MSNBC," Zucker said in an appearance at the PromaxBDA event last week.

He said Keith Olbermann emerged as a liberal voice with an anti-Gulf War stance and drew an audience. MSNBC placed a companion show behind it, and things sort of moved in that liberal direction, with profits, not politics, the guiding strategy.

"That was a business decision," Zucker explained. He noted MSNBC's ratings troubles before the new approach, saying for its first 10 years "we couldn't get arrested."

Does a liberal-leaning prime time line-up on MSNBC chip away at the credibility of the NBC News brand? Zucker said if that were the case, "Today," Brian Williams and "Meet the Press" would not continue to thrive.

"The viewer can distinguish," he said, much like people realize the editorial page is different than the rest of the newspaper.

Olbermann has since moved to Current TV. Lawrence O'Donnell has replaced Olbermann in the 8 p.m. slot and his "The Last Word" had its 100th episode Friday.

cable tv, politics

2 comments about "MSNBC's Liberal Stance: Decision Based on Profit, Not Politics ".

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Dave O'Mara from Logan Marketing Communications, July 5, 2011 at 9:35 a.m.
I don't know who Zucker thinks he's fooling. If business had anything to do with NBC's decision, they would have gone right.
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Derek Vogel from Vogel Designs, July 5, 2011 at 1:26 p.m.

@Dave - I totally agree. Liberal TV has proven to a ratings bomb. It may not have been a strategic decision to go left, but it definitely follows the political leanings of Zucker and the rest of the NBC execs. Just like Fox follows Murdoch's. Bottom line: there are still far more right-leaners in this country than left-leaners (thank God)...