I blame MSNBC, which gave Sharpton a soap box so that he could preach his hate.
Blame Comcast and the FCC. Comcast was in the midst of acquiring NBC, and Sharpton threatened to make a fuss at the FCC.
I think Comcast uses pMSNBC as a "steam valve" to appease the racist/progressive/con artist/Dem-Rino plutarchy crowd.
Years ago, it was speculated that MSNBC's only value was that of a placeholder on the cable bandwidth, and its monetary value as yet another shopping channel far outweighed its political "news" and commentary.
Times have changed, and its value as a bribery enticement akin to outrageous book advances, gives Comcast an edge on a number of levels.
This time, Al may have hit the tar baby. Kill-a-cop is sticking to him despite furious backpedaling.