It is a day of change at MSNBC as the network has canceled the extremely low rated Ronan Farrow show. The cancellation of Farrow comes on the same day that the network also canceled Joy Reid.
MSNBC’s daytime changes continued Thursday with the cancellation of “Ronan Farrow Daily,” an MSNBC spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap.
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The network will move “Way Too Early” host Thomas Roberts to the 1 p.m . to 3 p.m. timeslot, where he’ll host a news show.
It’s about time.
Farrow’s program was the lowest rated show on any of the three cable networks. As I wrote, when the news of Reid’s cancelation was announced, “Ronan Farrow’s ratings are so bad that he is finishing behind a newscast on Al-Jazeera America. On February 4, 2014, Farrow had 22,000 total viewers compared to 44,000 for Al Jazeera America (AJAM). The former Current TV is available in fewer homes than MSNBC, so a smaller network is doubling Farrow’s viewership. Joy Reid was also struggling in the ratings, but her show was not performing as badly as Farrow’s. Plus, any chance that she had to be successful was destroyed by the fact that Farrow was her lead in.”
Joy Reid didn’t deserve to get the axe. Ronan Farrow’s cancellation was long overdue. Farrow’s show never worked. He was almost painful at times to watch. Farrow wasn’t a television person, and it showed. It got to the point where putting Farrow’s show out of its misery was the humane thing to do.
Thomas Roberts is MSNBC’s utility player, and he will almost certainly generate higher ratings than Farrow. Moving Roberts to 5 AM ahead of the slumping Morning Joe always felt like a waste of talent. MSNBC might have been better served to have Roberts take Farrow’s spot and leave Joy Reid at 2 PM, but apparently Reid has to pay for Phil Griffin’s terrible decision to hire the untested Farrow.
The good news for viewers is that it looks like Phil Griffin’s wonk obsession might be coming to an end. The other long-rumored move to be coming is that Chris Hayes will be moved out of 8 PM. Once Hayes is moved to a timeslot that better fits his talents, MSNBC will finally be on a path towards righting the ship.
Update: An MSNBC spokesperson tells PoliticusUSA that MSNBC is moving towards a more news driven lineup between 11 AM-3PM ET. It looks like the wonk experiment is over at MSNBC.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
Canceling who?
I never watched Farrow because it was too icky, but I watch Joy Reid whenever I can. Too bad, she doesn’t deserve to be cancelled.
Well I hope they don’t ax the cycle, ed schulz, or wagner.
I really wish they’d can morning joe! I can’t stand that man.
MSNBC is overlooking its biggest problem, ‘Morning Joe”. MJ is worse than Hannity.
I’m as liberal as they come and I enjoy Morning Joe. I don’t mind listening to ideas and drivel from the right, and I’m glad that MJ viewers aren’t such tender violets that they can’t bear to hear something that doesn’t conform with our political thoughts. We’re NOT Fox viewers.
If anyone should have been cancelled it’s Joe Scarboroug. Mila and Willie could easily do the show. I no longer watch MJ. I now watch and enjoy CNN. I can understand cancelling Ronan but Joy was refreshing. You will miss het energy. Honestly, I feel that Phil Griffin should be replaced MSNBC is losing viewers because he is not directing and not creating thoughtful and concise programing. I really enjoy MSNBC but it needs New direction.
Joy Reid is one of my favs. Not fair that she should suffer for the overexpectations of Farrow.
I haven’t watched Joe Scarborough in years. The very last straw for me was his lack of respect and poor programming skills that left Doris Kearns Goodwin languishing in the green room. He kept telling her and us that she was on next and then he allowed his buds to dominate the conversation. When the program was over he said oh we will have to have Doris another time.
That was the very last time for me. She is a knowledgeable and gracious person and she sure didn’t deserve to be treated so badly. Done with him.
And definitely not happy about Joy.
I second that – get rid of Morning Joe!
MSNBC is all I watch, but it deserves to die. When Maddow makes it a joke to “send you to prison in 5,4,3,2,1…” and MSNBC faithful are fed almost constant prison programming from Friday night until Monday, it’s certain they don’t give a crap about their demographic.
Wish they would bring Bashir back loved his show.
I completely agree about the prison programming.
Apparently, nobody wants to listen to liberals 24/7. That’s why both CNN & MSNBC are plummeting in the ratings.
Actually, we’ve just gone online.
I gave Ronan Farrow a chance but it was indeed painful to watch him. He seemed to be a kid, reading from a teleprompter. There was no sense that he had a point of view about what he was saying and his efforts to be the wizard he was set up to be didn’t work. I’m sorry he didn’t succeed but I’m afraid he was used for ratings not because of his skills.
I agree that Bashir should be back, and Joy should not be cancelled
Reid’s failure is not Farrow’s fault no matter what you racist SOBs say. Both didn’t succeed but every time a black media person fails it has to be racism. You didn’t say it this time but you meant it. Screw you. We should talk about so-called “affirmative action.”
Who the hell thought that Ronan Farrow should have his own show in the first place. There was nothing to him, personality wise except he was a cute, little, dull, white boy. I could have done that show and brought in more ratings with my eyes closed. I had a live cable access show once and got more folks calling in 40 I mean what did he bring to the table? He didn’t have any bass in his voice, he isn’t funny nor essentric or brilliant like Rachel Maddow. Rachel, Joy and Melissa are the three smartest women on tv. If Rachel goes that’s it. I’m done….oh melissa too.
Chris Hayes needs to go completely. The most hyper nerdy nauseating one on MSNBC.
He makes me nervous just looking at him. Why he has been on so damn long is a mystery to me. [WINK]
24/7?
I think that speaks more to Fox viewers than anything else. Propaganda at its finest.
Why not have Reid go to The Cycle and have Abbey leave?
If I wanted to hear the BS habitually spewed on MJ — I could use my remote to tune into Fox. I used to watch as I don’t live in a ‘bubble’ but it has become so bad, that I thought I was watching Fox on many occasions.
I wish they would have kept Joy Reed and cancelled Andrea Mitchell. Alrhough a consumate journalist,she is inept as an anchor. The way she constantly trips over her own tongue, i feel embarrassed for her.
I’m going to miss Joy.
Hell, I even miss Keith Olberman and the Young Turk!
As for smirking Joe and his arm candy, thank God there’s ‘New Day’ on CNN. [WINK]
I long ago basically “Cancelled” MSNBC..not because of the people who are on camera..but the Low Quality BS Corp Message Directives from the Top of MSM Corp Food Chain….It is They who Suck and Restrict Factual, in depth, investigative Old School Credible Journalism”. Imo-They (Corp/Griffin)have ZERO interest in what “we” think nor are they interested in pleasing the audience….It seems they all want a “Dumbed Down Gullible Tabloid News” type audience, imo-that’ll sit there believing it’s actually “News”…Corp Messaging is all they care about. We would likely All be better off with NO Corp Media at all. At least it’s Not worth my time. I finally accepted the fact Edward R Murrow, Huntley/Brinkley & Cronkite are No longer welcome in todays News Media for Entertainment Only.
Phil, as you said goodbye to Olbermann/Bashir/Reid/Farrow et al-I say Good Riddance MSNBC. You finally lost even me. Good job.
Ronan, Yes…Reid, No! With Reid sandwiched between Ronan and the cycle (ugh) I’m afraid I was guilty of not always tuning in. And please, leave Chris where he is!!
What the heck? Did Murdoch and Ailes buy MSNBC? Cut Joe, put Joy back and bring Martin back! If I wanted RWBS, I would tune in to Fox
I like Joy a lot. Can’t watch Andrea Mitchell any more. I detest Morning Joe. Their love song to the Koch Brothers was absolutely my last straw. I used to watch a lot but too right wing for me. Come on MSNBC, get your act together on Scarborough. His rants are losing viewers daily.
Morning Joe has got to go. I too watch CNN now in the AM. Joe belongs on Fox with his know nothing buds. American TV news deserves better.
MJ ,I just stopped watching MSNBC,til Joy came on.If you get rid of Rev ,I am done.I really enjoyed MSNBC but all these new programming changes have me looking else ware.Joy is the best and because this station can’t see that ,is probably why you are loosing viewers!Joe gotta go!
MSNBC has, for whatever reason, taken a right turn. Morning Joe is nothing more than a republican stump. MSNBC gained a liberal/progressive leaning audience through the likes of Keith Olbermann, Martin Bashir, Rachel Maddow and Ed Schutz. It would appear that whoever has been put in charge of programming is using his position to put MSNBC out of business so that it can be bought for a song by Ailes or Murdoch. I wouldn’t be surprised if the talks haven’t already begun. Sadly, money talks as we have seen through the propaganda machine known as FOX (I refuse to put news after their name)and what audience wishes matter little. Had audience wishes been heeded Keith Olbermann would not be gone, nor Martin Bashir and Joe Scarborough would have been history long ago. Chuck Todd is now continuing his Republican agenda on Meet the Press under the same guise as his predecessor, effectively shaming the previously intellectually stimulating program.
Sadly, MSNBC becomes another FOX.
Ronan Farrow had the right name and connections (Mia and either Sinatra or Woody), and he has potential, but he needs more time to age properly. Right now, he just acts like a high school nerd who’s afraid to ask anyone to the prom.
I stopped watching MSNBC faithfully when they suspended Olbermann. I only watch Maddow now with occasional glimpses at others.
As for Morning Joe, MSNBC needs to find someone to counter his more-and-more frequent ridiculousness. That giggling, bubble-headed piece of candy floss isn’t it. She’s so cloyingly fake, she makes my teeth ache. Get someone in there to make strong, true, and valid points. MSNBC could triple their ratings if they had more “down in the trenches” types instead of the mostly vapid, mind-numbing crap they visit upon us.
Chuck Todd. You just made me grind my teeth into powder. He makes me sick, and why anyone would hire him (other than Fox or possibly CNN) is beyond me. Alas, we’ve lost the skilled and honest journalists like Russert, Cronkite, Jennings, and Murrow, to name a few. Integrity is mostly gone until you consider Maddow and Amanpour along with very few others.
Whilst I understand we live in a 24 hour newscycle domineered mostly by what Kardashian butt/cleavage/freakshow is on display now, that’s no excuse. We deserve – and should demand – the highest form of journalism and reporting. Fox is a joke and will always be a joke. But others such as MSNBC and CNN can and should try to redeem themselves. There’s still time.
As a sidebar, I find it ironic that so many rightwingers yell about the liberals who refuse to work and “live off the gubmint”. Yet rightwing Fox has the highest ratings during weekly daytimes, the times when most people are at work.
Why do progressives fret over MSNBC and it’s low ratings? Most progressives get their news from alternative sources anyways.
Let’s be honest MSNBC struggles because its host are not talented for the most part and lack entertainment value. I hate Fox News but they feed their viewers what they want to see and hear, and that’s conservative propaganda with a side order of over the top entertainment thrown in.
The attractive blondes who are there onset I’m sure have bona fide news credentials, outside of offering older white retired male viewers some eye candy(yeah right).
The prison programming and caught on camera marathons have to stop!