Opinion: MSNBC buries last two Ethical Edge episodes…cancels series?
MSNBC is going to quietly bury the two Ethical Edge episodes that were taped back in June, a week after Dan Abrams assumed the GM position at the network. The two shows will air back to back early Sunday morning September 24th from 5-7 am. This probably marks the end of the series. Else, why put these two shows on back to back at that hour where nobody will find them?
I’ll miss the show. It was different. It was well done. The topics were sometimes hit and miss but it was a concerted attempt to inform the viewer about subjects that frequently are glossed over. It wasn’t glamorous television but then it wasn’t supposed to be. ICN interviewed host Chris Jansing about the series last year.
But the show’s longform in depth format on non breaking news subjects - the lone exception being the Hurricane Katrina episode - would appear to fly in the face of Dan Abrams’ vision for the network. And, though I was a fan of the show, the ratings would show that I was in the minority. The last episode didn’t even crack 100,000 viewers when sandwiched in between higher performing canned MSNBC programs. So while I bemoan the idea that The Ethical Edge; MSNBC’s one show that was a positive, thought provoking attempt to inform the viewer in a manner devoid of political ideology or tabloid subject matter, is probably cancelled, I can’t bemoan cancelling a series that couldn’t hold an audience. Though the show was haphazardly advertised; sometimes with nothing but same day TV advertising, other times by sending out promo tapes to TV Critics (why didn’t they continue that? It was a very smart move).
Maybe they’ll continue them as segments within MSNBC Live? You never know…
Comment by bravesfan — September 12, 2006 @ 8:50 pm
When was the last time you saw an Ethical Edge segment? Not since June. It’s dead…
Comment by Spud — September 12, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
To be honest with you, I haven’t watched but about a total of 30 mins of MSNBC within the last 3 months and most of that was Imus. I always thought the Ethical Edge shows came on intermmittently anyway but maybe I wasn’t paying attention enough. Your point is well taken though. With the shows airing back to back, it does seem like they just want to be done with it.
Comment by bravesfan — September 12, 2006 @ 9:01 pm
I’m surprised they aired them at all. They could have easily buried them in the tape library, never to be seen again. There are hundreds of tapes in the MSNBC tape library… a couple Ethical Edges buried deep in the back could easily get “lost”.
Comment by Nobody — September 12, 2006 @ 9:47 pm
the show’s longform in depth format on non breaking news subjects - the lone exception being the Hurricane Katrina episode - would appear to fly in the face of Dan Abrams’ vision for the network.
I thought Abrams DID want to increase longform indepth programming; and that’s exactly what he did. As I predicted when it started, it isn’t working so well now that the lead in is Scarborough(the test on Fridays had Countdown as the lead in).
You are correct about the show being haphazardly advertised. The only place I saw anything about it was right here.
The other problem is putting it on the weekend. All of the news channels have this issue. It’s evident to the viewers that when they put a show on weekends, they don’t take it seriously. CNN finally broke the mold with ‘Footsteps of bin Laden.’ Good for them. The next time Greta takes a day off, why can’t we see a special ‘Line-Up.’ Or a special ‘Heartland’ when O’Reilly is off. Or one of the global warming specials. Or the ‘Church and State’ special with Newt Gingrich. Or if it’s around Christmas, the “Who is Jesus” special.
As for MSNBC, instead of Tucker is subbing for Scarborough, they could put in a special ‘Ethical Edge.’
It just appears as if they consider their weekend programming as second rate; so what should we the viewers think?
Comment by erljr — September 12, 2006 @ 9:49 pm
I thought Abrams DID want to increase longform indepth programming; and that’s exactly what he did.
I guess it depends on how you define the programming. What the Edge would discuss is a far cry from what’s been on MSNBC. It’s more along the lines of what CNN might do. And as I said the Edge didn’t chase after breaking news subjects. That’s what MSNBC’s specials have been lately. I’m not saying there isn’t a need for that because there is. But there’s also a need for the other kinds of longform programming as well.
Comment by Spud — September 12, 2006 @ 11:04 pm
Did the Ethical Edge ever do anything on the topic of censorship?
Comment by George — September 12, 2006 @ 11:19 pm
I saw a few shows and thought they were interesting.
Comment by Terance — September 13, 2006 @ 7:44 am
That’s too bad. I only saw the show a couple of times; it didn’t seem to have any regular schedule. The first time was the Katrina show, which was excellent. The second time was…a repeat of the Katrina show.
I really like Chris Jansing, too. When it was announced that she’d be on the “Faith ‘n’ Values” beat, or whatever they call it, I was looking forward to some reporting more nuanced than the usual camera-hogging Falwell and Robertson crew who seem to be the only Christians the cable news networks know about. Le sigh.
Comment by hamletta — September 13, 2006 @ 6:34 pm