Al Sharpton is a ratings smash for MSNBC--move him to prime time!

[DuaneBidoux]

I have to admit I was hesitant about getting Al Sharpton his own show but the data is showing he is pulling in tons of African American viewers to MSNBC...and if you've watched his show you know he could definitely be an influence in mobilizing AA voters next year.

Write MSNBC and get him moved to the nine or ten o'clock slot. This dude can be a force!

<http://newsone.com/nation/news-one-staff/sharpton-ratings-smash-msnbc-1-among-black-viewers/>

As an aside if you haven't seen his blueberry pie on the face ad it is awesome and I laugh everytime I see it.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOWcFHnYfuo>

[90-percent]

1. Why 9:00 PM?

If the great Keith Olbermann can stake his lot on 8:00, then Al can too.

-90% Jimmy

[DuaneBidoux]

4. Well, it was just a thought...I guess I should have just said "prime time"

I think both Rachel and Ed are in good slots and personally I don't think that Al and Keith are really competing for the same viewers. As you read the article you may have noticed that it particularly pointed out the pull of Al for African Americans. I think this might be because, face it, up to now they have had no current events/political shows catering to them or their concerns. I couldn't know but I'll bet Keith is not pulling in those same kind of viewers.

Thus I wouldn't really see him competing with Keith in the same time slot.

I would leave all that to others to do the detail planning and analysis for best time slot but my larger point was prime time instead of his current slot.

[90-percent]

6. My apologizes

I had it printed in my mind Al was on at 8:00 PM.

I was mistaken. He is on at 6:00 PM. 57 yr crs syndrome.

Your point is well taken. I like Al. In his interviews, I often say to myself: "Holy SHIT, did Al just ask THAT GUY what I thought he asked?"

-jim

[DocMac]

13. LOL CRS Syndrome. My mother used to tell me I had that a lot. nt

[targetpractice]

2. He's growing into the role...

I was skeptical at first because he seemed to have difficulty with time managing the interviews... Segments would abruptly often end with "Okay, gotta go!"

Plus, I really like Cenk.

But, Al's rockin' it now.

[vaberella]

43. Really?

I always thought it was Cenk who did that. Because from time to time with interviewers he would interject his own point of view and go on a mini-rant. To the point where nothing was discussed except for Cenk's views. I felt that Al had a good handle of his guests and actually GAVE them the time to speak.

[valerief]

3. CNBC? nt

[DuaneBidoux]

5. Thanks for the catch. Changed.

[Empowerer]

7. You are so right

When Rev. Sharpton first went on the air, some people trashed him and criticized MSNBC for risking losing the young demographic that Cenk attracted. At the time, several of us tried to point out Sharpton could attract an even larger following by bringing in diverse audience who had not previously been on board. That's exactly what's happening. And, on top of that, he's a damned good host - smart, quick, entertaining and always well-informed and right on point.

I am delighted that people are seeing the Rev. Al that I've been familiar with for a long time - and are learning that he's not the caricature that he's been portrayed to be.

[AtomicKitten]

8. I wasn't a believer but am one now. I never miss his show.

I record Rev Al and Rachel regularly and try to catch the others when I can.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. I never had a doubt that Al would bring in a whole new demo for MSNBC.

I'd given up on the whole MSNBC lineup until Al came along. I'd love for Al to do a weekly roundtable kinda thing that includes Prof. Melissa Harris-Perry. I love the way she can break down very complex ideas into language that any viewer can understand.

Go Al! Even if he remains in the 6 pm slot, can't we have at least one repeat? My TIVO has missed a couple of episodes, and since there's no repeat, I don't get my Rev Al fix. :hi:

[Number23]

22. Yeah, MSNBC (along with a whoooole bunch of other "liberal" outlets) was in desperate need

of some serious outreach to other constituencies. Glad to see that they were smart enough to do it and that it's been successful.

I wasn't sure that the ol Rev could pull it off. I was seriously NOT a fan of his for a very long time, but when he ran for president in 2004 and didn't embarrass himself nearly as badly as I though he would, I gained a bit more respect for him. And his full-throated support of President Obama has made me like him that much more.

[Tarheel_Dem]

30. Let's face it, MSNBC needed some diversity, especially since they cater to a progressive crowd.

Rev. Al in primetime would be great, but even though I don't watch them, I don't really want to see any of the other hosts lose their spots. Like you, there have been times when I wasn't such a fan of Rev. Al, but he's redeemed himself quite nicely in my eyes.

[vaberella]

44. Ain't that the truth. Whenever I said MSNBC was practicing institutionalized racism,

I got heavy backlash. And it was undeniable they were. The only channel with a good number of people of color was CNN at the time. MSNBC had only one, Tamron and they rarely gave her anything seriously juicy to bite into. Then there is FOX and they have absolutely no one of color----except Juan Williams commentary. They're only regular of color was Tamron.

[Tarheel_Dem]

48. It was institutional, and it was shameful. How do you set yourself out as a progressive outlet,

and none of your anchors are people of color? WTF? It was a bit hypocritical, and it was damaging to the "progressive" brand. I'm glad MSNBC decided to insert a break in the hate for one hour each day, and they're obviously being rewarded for it, in the form of ratings. You can only cater to hatred for so long, before it becomes redundant and boring, and people like me just tune out. :hi:

[EffieBlack]

58. Exactly!

It was astonishing how tone deaf MSNBC was for so long. Even more astonishing was how blind many DUers were to it, even going so far as to defend MSNBC.

Frankly, I was tired of the Howard Beale approach to news commentary and had little interest in listening to certain hosts yelling at me every night, pretending to be "speaking truth to power" when, in reality, they were little more than highly-paid entertainers playing a role. I pretty much tuned out most of the evening shows. But Al Sharpton is a breath of fresh air.

[Tarheel_Dem]

61. Al is refreshing because he's had actual skin in the game. He's gone to jail.

He's marched many a mile, while others sat on their elite asses, in climate controlled studios, with too much rouge, and a script that called for them to be upset. One can certainly have their differences with Rev. Al, but there's no questioning his committment to the poor & middle class. :hi:

[Empowerer]

54. I definitely feel your pain on this one

Everytime I brought up MSNBC's "all white all night" lineup, I was attacked for "playing the race card," etc. It was very interesting how quickly and vigorously people here spouted right wing talking points in defense of clear racial discrimination by MSNBC. The main argument seemed to be that the fact that no blacks were given hosting slots on the network wasn't due to racial bias but simply meant that MSNBC picked the most qualified people for the job and they all just happened to be white. Yet when I asked if they would feel the same way if MSNBC just happened to hire only blacks as hosts, folks seemed to think that THAT would be evidence of "reverse discrimination." It was absolutely fascinating.

That said, I'm delighted that Rev. Al is starting to get the respect he's earned and deserved.

[flamingdem]

32. He was fabulous today supporting Obama against the pugs

he puts out the support with emotion we should see from representatives!

[Rosco T.]

10. Do we put Barney Frank's show before or after his?

Seems inevitable

[Inuca]

19. I doubt it

but would LOOOOVE it.

[Rosco T.]

24. Never say never...

how about a show like Bill Press and Paul Begalla had, except with Rev.Al and Barney Frank?

[1776Forever]

11. I really like Rev. Al and have listened to him often on his radio show too. I do however like the

time his program is on right now. I see nothing wrong with it as it is 9:00 pm on the West Coast when he comes on. It is going to be good to have him on and I look forward to watching him!

[Hutzpa]

12. I have to apologize to Rev. Al Sharpton

I was not all that convince of him being on MSNBC but he has proven me and a lot of
people wrong with his show, it is an absolute smashing show, the information that
he is able to get out from his contributors are a gem to watch and tailored for
prime time.

Kudos to Rev. Al

Keep the good work Sir.... :thumbsup:

[vaberella]

45. It's because people were easily swayed by nonsense from the media criticizing him.

Most don't really know what he does or fights for. They think he's someone who only thinks on race and is throwing the race card around. This is coming from people who don't realize that race in effect does play a crucial role in politics. If the numbers on how devastating the economic fall out affected African Americans or people of color as compared to Whites... He fights for his community but he also fights for everyone who face marginalization, persecution, and abuse. I like that this show gives him another venue to get the message he's tried to convey all his life to a larger crowd. He love him in Harlem.

[democrank]

14. Go Rev!

[musiclawyer]

15. Good for Al

Al should lead into Ed. Get rid of Chris M. Waste of space
But even Rachel said that Chris Hayes has the best "news" show on TV. If you have not seen it, or dont want to get up that early on weekends, tape it. It's incredibly informative and entertaining.

Chris Hayes will be the next star on MSNBC eventually.

[safeinOhio]

16. I find him to be the only

true Christian preacher on tv. He only preaches to those that twist religion.

[southernyankeebelle]

17. I always liked him and I am white. He sticks up for the right things and it

doesn't matter if your white or black. Poor people are the ones he really helps out the most. I respect him. I like his show. I wish they would put more like him on saturdays and sundays right behind Chris Hayes show.

[boxman15]

18. I finally sat down and watched a whole show of Al Sharpton's yesterday.

He's great. I admit, I haven't been his greatest fan throughout the years, but he knows what he's talking about. I'll be sure to tune in regularly, and I think a primetime slot would be great for him.

[SpartanDem]

20. Next to Maddow it's my favorite MSNBC show

it's also nice people are getting to see him for who truly is, not the narrative that had developed in the media.

[ellisonz]

21. He's on fire!

And his personal trainer has done a great job :-)

[glowing]

23. I like his Blueberry Pie commercial.. It is a hoot.

There those Republicans are with Blueberry Pie all over their face.. LOL.

[Rhiannon12866]

42. I liked that one, too, made me laugh...

It's really a perfect description... :thumbsup: :D

[DCBob]

25. Al is great.. he really gives it to the GOPers.

Keep it up Rev.. we need you!

[jenmito]

26. He should take one of Chris Matthews' slots since his show is on twice-5pm and 7pm. n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

33. I vote for the 7 pm slot, since it's much closer to primetime. He'd be a great lead in to primetime.

Since his ratings are good, hopefully they'll add a repeat show to the lineup in case you miss the first run.

[jenmito]

52. Yeah, I agree...

5pm is even worse than his current 6pm time slot. I wasn't thinking. That would be a strong line-up.

[trueblue2007]

27. rev al is fantastic

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flamingdem]

31. some of here KNEW he'd be great but we had to fight the cenk loyalists

go Al!! Thanks for posting this news.

[Tarheel_Dem]

34. The "Cenk loyalists" were hoping he'd crash & burn. Some of us knew different.

;)

When I stopped watching MSNBC, they had gone so negative that I swore I'd never go back. They won me back with the addition of Rev Al, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. From the clips that were posted here, Cenk's show would have been right at home over at Fox.

[EffieBlack]

35. Exactly

Rev. Al has demonstrated that a progressive host does not need to trash President Obama in order to be a "straight talker."

[Tarheel_Dem]

41. You are so right. He proved the usual cynics wrong, and proved to MSNBC that...

there's a hugely underserved and very diverse audience of folks on the left, who were looking for an alternative to the constant negativity. And Cenk's bullshit about "holding his feet to the fire" was just cover for Obama hate, and had a very limited audience.

[Enrique]

36. Cenk keeps it real

you won't see him doing cheezy skits like this with Newt Gingrich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuZk3vtUuQ8

Al: "My producers tell me a surprise guest is on the line. It's a surprise, it's not scripted at all!"

Newt: "Hi Al it's Newt Gingrich! Happy birth day!"

Al: "Oh wow, what a surprise. I didn't know it would be Newt Gingrich! This wasn't scripted!"

Newt: "Al, you and I have very different politics, that is why it's so entertaining that I am calling you!"

Al: "Yes, Newt, we're like an odd couple!"

Al and Newt together: "ha ha ha ha ha!"

[EffieBlack]

37. LOL!

You really can't get over it can, you?

[theaocp]

39. Yea, that's pretty bad.

My problem isn't with Al's going after Republicans. I'm just not impressed with that. Talk about setting the bar low. Challenging the system is what it's all about, but I wouldn't expect anyone who thinks Cenk would "feel at home" at FOX to understand that. Apparently, they're comfortable with the system. Good luck.

[vaberella]

47. Al Sharpton is "the system"?! WTF?! I've never heard anything so absurd & ridiculous in my life.

Do you know who Al Sharpton is? Do you know what he's been fighting for all his life and the people he's fought for? You call him fine with the system? You don't know Al Sharpton or what he does. It's clear by your ridiculous commentary. Cenk probably wasn't born when Al was in the trenches with the best of them---getting sprayed with fire hoses and bitten by dogs. But you sit there and type that he doesn't "challenge the system." La-dee-dah, I've heard it all. I'm sure Cenk was never brutalized by cops for his beliefs and imprisoned or seen friends killed because of them fighting the system. Al Sharpton has.

Don't sit there comparing the work of Cenk on a youtube show to the grassroots mobilization that Al Sharpton has been doing for over 40 years in different cities all over this nation!

[theaocp]

50. You seem comfortable with T_D, so I'll take a smilie from him.

:rofl:

And, yes, Al represents the current political system. It allows him to play his attack game on Republicans without really challenging the system itself. Deal with it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

53. Thank you Dr. West.

:rofl:

[Ikonoklast]

56. Have him say hello to Tavis for me, mmmk?

:P




I listen to Rev. Al every night, he is really coming into his own. Republicans go up against him on the air at their peril.

[Tarheel_Dem]

57. Exactly. His critics are literally seething with envy, which makes his success all the more....

delicious. By the way, Tavis who? :rofl:

[Empowerer]

55. And whenever he DOES "challenge the system," he's accused of being a race pimp - often by people

right here.

The truth is that some people have a very elitist and narrow view of what it means to "challenge the system" - and they think that a well-paid 30-something who has done little in his life and career besides sitting in a television or radio studio or at a computer spouting his opinions is the ultimate "challenger" of "the system."

[Tarheel_Dem]

40. "Real" is in the eye of the beholder. Cenk is fringe & right where he belongs.

;)

[theaocp]

51. Only when you buy into the Republican framing of where

"the fringe" is. You continue to be led by the nose. ;) indeed.

[vaberella]

46. Agreed...however many made it seem as though Al was usurping Cenk.

My perspective was that Cenk did not conform his show from his usual TYT rant fest to a logical show on Q&A where you'd learn something. Not to mention Al brought in some fresh faces who's been in this line of work for years. All in all I find Al super impressive and I was loving him since he started filling in for Cenk. I actually religiously tuned in when he was there; while Cenk would turn me off.

[Greybnk48]

38. That's because he's radiates honesty and sincerity. It oozes

out of the T.V. and makes him a joy to watch. He's a titch rough around the edges, which ads to his charm. I LOVE the Rev's show.

[Mudoria]

59. He's OK... much rather see Chris Hayes at that 8 pm time slot

His weekend morning shows are the best thing on MSNBC.

[Tarheel_Dem]

60. Different strokes for different folks. It doesn't matter who you like, it's the numbers.

;)

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Phx_Dem]

62. Sharpton's blueberry pie commercial is by far the best thing on cable news!

I laugh everytime I see it!

:rofl:

[Tarheel_Dem]

64. I love that commercial!

:rofl:

[center rising]

63. Sharpton is better than Olbermann

but not as good as Maddow.