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MSNBC re-signed Rachel Maddow via the 2024 election for $30 million per yr because the community begins its seek for a succession plan. The Daily Beast reported Maddow’s wage determine on Wednesday.
The Rachel Maddow Show will proceed to air weeknights at 9 pm ET till spring of 2022 when Maddow turns her consideration to content material producing and constructing with NBCUniversal. Then, as Maddow’s five-day-a-week present on MSNBC comes to an finish, she’s going to shift focus to a weekly program that can air 30 occasions a yr.
A $30 million wage understandably disgusts the blue-collar working class. While you might be manufacturing merchandise in a scorching store, Maddow sits behind a teleprompter with a workers of sure males and hyperlinks Donald Trump to Russia. However, to her credit score, Maddow’s market worth to MSNBC warranted a wage in that vary. We defined beforehand that Maddow’s group of high-priced, industry-feared brokers would seemingly goal the $25 million annual neighborhood, the yearly worth of Bill O’Reilly’s closing contract with Fox News.
Maddow had an uncommon quantity of leverage over her employer. Obviously, proper? MSNBC is greater than doubling her wage and reducing her workload by greater than 50%. Say that out loud.
Maddow’s leverage over MSNBC was twofold. First, she’s the most important title in liberal media, who attracts round a million additional viewers in primetime. MSNBC viewers tune in when Maddow comes on — then tune out as she indicators off. Maddow is singular in that means. In addition, MSNBC isn’t assured it has a enough inheritor to Maddow on its roster. NBCU is paying Maddow for her upcoming initiatives, a continued presence throughout its properties, and to purchase time. The latter was chief amongst Maddow’s leverage factors.
As you search via MSNBC’s bench and any believable outdoors candidates, you shortly conclude that Maddow is as precious to MSNBC as any single expertise is to any community.
Should MSNBC keep in-house, its choices are scarce. Barring a drastic change in America’s tradition and media protection, MSNBC won’t air three males in primetime. MSNBC executives are excessive on Ari Melber, in accordance to sources. However, it’s uncertain they’re excessive on him positioned between Chris Hayes and Lawrence O’Donnell, who respectively precede and observe Maddow in primetime. Therefore, Nicolle Wallace, Joy Reid, and Tiffany Cross are essentially the most logical in-house alternative choices. Though logical, not one of the three are sturdy candidates.
Joy Reid is essentially the most radical host on cable information. She’s additionally essentially the most reckless. Her schtick is straightforward and ineffective. Joy Reid calls Republicans racist and hints at wild conspiracies in unscripted segments with company. (See Reid tying Ron DeSantis to a intercourse trafficking ring.) Even for MSNBC, Reid is best hidden in pre-primetime, at 7 pm, to appease social media than positioned entrance and middle at 9 pm.
NBC’s prime executives are behind Wallace. However, MSNBC simply expanded her every day present by an hour this yr. Wallace’s Deadline now airs from 4-6 pm ET. Re-shifting the lineup once more with none certainty that Wallace can preserve Maddow’s attain is a pricey danger. Wallace’s persona can be drier than that of most primetime hosts.
For her half, Tiffany Cross continues to be unknown to many MSNBC viewers. Her weekend program, The Cross Connection, has but to make waves in the {industry}. Aside from calling Bill Maher an “angry white man,” after all. That all the time works.
In any of those three eventualities, MSNBC dangers shedding its market share in primetime to CNN. Could Chris Cuomo find yourself a winner in 2021? I hope not.
Even if MSNBC seems outdoors at social media darlings and Democrat politicians to exchange Maddow — the community will discover itself underwhelmed with the outcomes.
See, liberal media produces transcendent stars solely as soon as an period. The style isn’t in a place to make star personalities akin to the conservatives area. Liberal viewers aren’t searching for a commanding presence on-air. It’s unclear what they need in any respect.
By distinction, conservative media is straightforward. There’s a blueprint. Conservative viewers need somebody to present another to offset the mainstream media. GOP voters need somebody to arise for conventional American values that the press tells them are rooted in evil.
Meanwhile, left-wing media in primetime is merely an extension of ABC, NBC News, CBS, the New York Times, and — in latest years — social media. There’s minimal separation on a person stage. There was by no means a liberal Rush Limbaugh on radio. There’s not a left-wing counterpart to Ben Shaprio as a persona on-line. On the TV aspect, there have been two liberal superstars in primetime: Maddow and the deranged Keith Olbermann. With the decline in linear tv, the rise of a third is in doubt.
Rachel Maddow’s contract negotiations totally clarify why networks are reluctant to let a singular title develop past its model. Using MSNBC’s attain, Rachel Maddow constructed her personal model that doesn’t want a community. She solely wants herself. Meanwhile, MSNBC turned depending on Maddow, determined to maintain onto her in any kind.
Therein lies the rationale MSNBC agreed to pay Rachel Maddow $30 million a yr for a part-time schedule.
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