Although it's not uncommon for networks to reshuffle programming, MSNBC is overhauling its entire prime-time lineup starting this week. And that's left some observers wondering whether the network can remain relevant in the ultracompetitive cable-news environment.
As reported last week, the network's signature talkfest, Hardball with Chris Matthews, will move from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST, followed by The News with Brian Williams, which had recently moved one hour earlier, to 8 p.m. MSNBC Investigates will now air at 9 p.m. Of the entire 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. lineup, only Headliners and Legends will stay put, at 10 p.m. (There are changes elsewhere, too: Newsfront with Banfield & Holt moves to 5 p.m., followed by another edition of MSNBC Investigates at 6 p.m.)
The shakeup is part of a push by the network ? a joint venture between General Electric's NBC unit and Microsoft ? to boost ratings. While the three major cable news networks ? CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC ? each posted year-to-year growth in the just-completed second quarter, MSNBC still trails considerably. In prime time, Fox News, aided by Bill O'Reilly, now leads the pack with a .67 household (coverage area) rating (up 37% over the same period a year earlier), followed by CNN (.59, up 7%), with MSNBC a distant third (.38, up 6%).
Erik Sorenson, MSNBC's VP and general manager, says the programming moves should provide better flow throughout the evening.
?Our philosophy is, if you remain aggressive and put your best foot forward, the audience will find the story,? he said. ?The centerpiece maneuver was moving up Brian Williams and giving it more distance between its 10 p.m. telecast on CNBC. And we felt that Chris Matthews could offer the best possible lead-in support.?
He added that the network already has a head start in finding its own niche. ?MSNBC's strength has always been with younger viewers, and in the second quarter we remained the youngest-skewing news network,? Sorenson said. Indeed, MSNBC's average viewer age is a relatively youthful 51, compared to 58 for CNN and 56 for Fox News.
Launched five years ago this month, MSNBC set out to revolutionize the cable-news business by giving NBC a 24-hour news outlet complete with familiar talent, an established franchise (Dateline) and tie-ins to the broadcast network and CNBC. But even though ratings are growing (thanks in part to a rapidly increasing subscriber base, which is set to reach approximately 70 million by next year), some observers believe the network has never quite found its way.
?While cross-pollination between network and cable is certainly not a bad thing, the future in this end of the business seems to be more about getting news online and not on the air,? said Dave Walsh, president of the Walsh Entertainment Group, a Los Angeles-based media consulting firm. That means that MSNBC may be struggling in vain to reach younger viewers who are planted in front of their computers. ?Because MSNBC tends to skew younger, this is something that could affect them more negatively than the other news networks.?
?When you think of MSNBC you don't necessarily know what their image is, and the growing Internet news presence is only going to become a major hindrance, more so perhaps to them,? said Walsh. ?Although Fox News has made a name for itself thanks to The O'Reilly Factor, and CNN remains the primary (and older-skewing) force for breaking news and Larry King, MSNBC still can't seem to decide if it's more news and entertainment. And repackaging segments of Dateline does not help in establishing a separate identity.?
But Sorenson believes MSNBC's focus on subjects outside the Beltway gives it an advantage. ?While CNN and Fox News tend to overobsess about politics, we know there is more to news than politics,? he said, ?and we focus on other issues like law enforcement, the justice system, cultural news and business news. That sets us apart from the others.?
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