I want my, I want my MSNBC!
So screamed Daily Kos readers Saturday in a post destined to fill your Sunday morning with a much-needed chuckle:
In the past few weeks, it has come to my personal attention that one cable or satellite company after another has been quietly moving MSNBC away from the news channel section of their lineup and into the premium section, or into the stratosphere of three and four digit channels.
As a result, when the ratings came out this week, it was no surprise to see how MSNBC is now a distant third behind CNN and FOX.
The hysterical conclusion:
If we don't do anything about this, we may lose MSNBC's liberal voice all together.
Oh the humanity.
Of course, at least this writer is willing to admit that MSNBC is a liberal voice. But that's where the sanity ended:
Billsreef's diary is one of a half dozen or so stories I've heard in as many days cable and satellite companies have been quietly, stealthily, and with all sorts of bogus excuses, moving MSNBC out of basic cable, and hiding it somewhere else in their lineup.
They can come up with whatever lying excuses they want, but its obvious they do not want people to see a progressive message.
They do not want people to see a progressive message. Hmmm. So what are people getting from ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and PBS?
That asked, as you likely foresaw, all such irrational paranoia must have a conspiracy theory:
Just a few days ago the numbers came out, and as would be expected, MSNBC's ratings have plummeted in comparison while the other "news" networks' ratings have been going up far more rapidly.
If we don't do something, they will use this as an excuse to end liberal programming.
What is needed is true network neutrality. and cable companies should not have control like this to put whatever stations they feel like, wherever they like.
Yep! Cable and satellite companies should not have control over what networks they will offer to viewers, what they will charge for such, and where said channel can be found in the lineup.
Sadly, one could imagine the Obama administration and many in his Party agreeing with them.
With that all as pretext, readers should be aware that cable and satellite companies have not dropped MSNBC. Instead, in some cases, and for whatever the reason, its accessability may have become more expensive and its position in the channel lineup may have changed.
As such, all any of those impacted by these changes need do to remedy the situation is pony up a couple of extra dollars per month and either do an on air search for their propaganda outlet of choice OR -- wait for it -- look at the printed cheat sheet their provider gives them.
Or call their provider and ask where the station has been moved to.
This isn't rocket science.
With that in mind (to Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"):
You place anchors on MSNBC
That ain't journalism that's the way you skew it
Cadres for nothin' and your votes for free!