As NewsBusters has been reporting, MSNBC's ratings have been plummeting all year.
As strange as it might seem, network chief Phil Griffin believes the cure to be - wait for it! - bringing Ed Schultz back from his failed stint at weekends to the 5PM slot Monday through Friday.
In a memo to staffers obtained by TVNewser, Griffin wrote:
Starting Monday, August 26, “The Ed Show” is moving back to weeknights, now at 5 p.m. ET. “Hardball with Chris Matthews” will move to one, strong run at 7 p.m. ET.
Chris and the “Hardball” team have been the cornerstone of our evening lineup, pulling double duty for us at both 5p and 7p for years. This move will help us enhance the flow of our weeknight programming and concentrate Chris’ audience to one key time period. And this allows us to bring Ed’s powerful voice back to the Monday-Friday schedule. Ed connects with our viewers and I’m happy to have him back five nights a week. I’ve been thinking about making this change for quite a while and I know now is the right time with the right shows.
HAHAHA!
So THIS is the guy Griffin thinks is going to save his tanking network?
MSNBC's Schultz: Democracy is Dead in Detroit, Republican 'Parasites' to Blame
Schultz Exploits Oklahoma Tragedy to Blast 'Racist' 'Conservative Plot' to Privatize Education
MSNBC’s Schultz Admits He Doesn’t Know Much About ObamaCare, Still Fawns Over Law
Ed Schultz: IRS Targeting Tea Party Shows Why GOP Should Embrace Obama Plan to 'Simplify' Tax Code
Ed Schultz Blames 'Right Wing' for DOMA, Forgets it Was Signed by Clinton
Ed Schultz to Radio Show Caller: I Don't Shill for GE! I Shill for Obama!
Latest Ed Schultz Whopper: Obama Tax Hike on Wealthy Not Actual Tax Hike
Unlike Conservative Media, We Don't 'Make Stuff Up' at MSNBC, Proclaims Ed Schultz
Gun Laws in Chicago 'Don't Even Exist,' Sputters Clueless Ed Schultz
Clinton Not Tried in Senate After Impeachment, Ed Schultz Comically Insists
When one looks at that list of headlines - just my favorites from this year! - especially those reflecting Schultz being one hundred percent wrong, one has to wonder how he possibly could have a show on a cable news channel let alone weeknights.
But this is what Griffin thinks will save his struggling network.
And he wonders why MSNBC has at times been relegated to third and even fourth in cable news this year.
On the other hand, it really has become delightful watching this farce of a so-called "news network" collapse before our very eyes.
I can't wait to see Griffin's next move.
Stay tuned.
