Variety’s Michael Learmonth writes about changes CNBC will be making in its summer primetime programming. Learmonth also recaps CNBC recent history…

After years of falling ratings and a potential challenge from News Corp.’s upcoming Fox Business Channel, NBC U toppertopper Bob Wright shook up the net in February 2005, bringing in Hoffman, a CNBC vet and general manager of NBC affilaffil WVIT in Hartford, Conn., to replace Pamela Thomas-Graham.

Hoffman’s tenure has been marked by big changes in CNBC’s Business Day programming, but none as obvious as the cacophony of tickers, flashing Chyrons and graphics with more sound effects than a Fox NFL telecast. But the changes have been more than cosmetic: the average number of daily guests — CEOs, traders, pundits — more than doubled from 42 to 87.”That’s about getting a diversity of opinion, qualitative debate and making it a place where there is an intellectual energy that plays out on the air,” Hoffman says.

An emailer wrote in to note that CNN had a bit of trouble with its taped Tony Snow interview on Late Edition. The tape froze and Blitzer had to ad lib a spell before they pulled the plug and went to break…

Variety’s Brian Lowry pens a very cynical and sarchastic piece on MSNBC…

If history is any guide, NBC brass would like nothing more than a quick fix. So as opposed to tinkering and tweaking, why not brazenly embrace every cheap trick and stunt broadcast news employs — including NBC News’ tawdry streak, exemplified by “Dateline’s” Internet pedophile sting “To Catch a Predator” — and roll them into one?

Think of it as “Network” scribe Paddy Chayefsky’s satirical vision conveniently assembled in one place, and let the critics be damned. In a sense, MSNBC will simply leap ahead to where TV news is inexorably heading anyway, using Fox’s brassy profile as the jumping-off point, starting with the new slogan: “MSNBC: Because We Love America, Hate Pedophiles and Care About You.”

It gets better…or worse…depending on your point of view…as Lowry dreams up a bunch of new programs MSNBC could air..