Can Ventura save MSNBC? (Fewer than 100 people watch MSNBC nightly in the Twin Cities!)

Minneapolis Star-Tribune ^ | Janauary 22, 2003 | Neal Justin

[Timesink]

Jesse Ventura will be the host of a talk show on MSNBC this year, sources close to the deal confirmed Tuesday, but he faces a challenge that might be as tough as his run for governor.

MSNBC started in 1996 with great promise, primarily because it could use the resources of NBC News. But the cable network has struggled to find an identity and an audience. In the first two weeks of January, it averaged 397,000 nationwide viewers during prime time, well behind Fox News' 1.3 million and CNN's 941,000.

[Timesink]

MSNBC:
FIERCELY INDEPENDENT!!

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[Atlas Sneezed]

"Fox News...has surpassed CNN in national ratings thanks to flashier graphics and brassier personalities."

Keep living in denial, Comrade Red Star Tribune Reporter!

[Aeronaut]

Ventura won't raise the twin cities audience by much. Minnesootans are really tired of the gasbag.

[prairiebreeze]

The only reason that I ever tune into MSNBC is because our cable service doesn't carry FoxNews. And CNN is so intolerable so much of the time that I have to click somewhere just to help preserve my sanity. This is only a marginally effective strategy though----Freep helps me hold perspective and sanity together now----Thank Goodness!!

[Reactionary]

Haha. Yeah, the nitwit actually thinks that Fox is doing well because of graphics.

Let the Stalnist fruitcakes keep believing that and we'll own Hollywood in ten years.

[litehaus]

"Can Ventura save MSNBC?"

Got a question worth asking??? LOL...........

[hoosierskypilot]

'Zactley! Not only can he not save MSNBC, he can't even save himself.

He's boring. And that's even when he has something to say.

There might be interest, initially, as a novelty. But people will tune him out, after, say, two or three months.

Look for him to go back into wrestling.

[SwinneySwitch]

About like he saved the XFL!

[Petronski]

Viewership is even worse in the Twin Cities. During the 9 p.m. hour -- a likely slot for Ventura -- the number of households tuned in is often fewer than 100.

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

[Calvin Locke]

Ventura's show has started?

Seriously, I haven't seen/heard *ANYTHING* from MSNBC promoting it.
I generally don't watch MSNBC unless I'm checking out real "breaking" news.

Who died? Phil? Puff Ball?

I'm also surprised since Ventura is all promotion anyway. And I still remember the constant promos for Keyes, and to a lesser extent Phil.

Even the radio spots for Puff Ball stick in my mind, although only for the purposes of complaining to the Consumer Fraud office.

Jesse let them get away without a similar show of support?

[Brookhaven]

In addition, NBC President Andrew Lack, who played a major role in running MSNBC, has bolted for Sony.

And this is a BAD thing? I'm suprised he wasn't fired (which is the traditional thing done to executives that run a business into the ground.)

[Lee_Atwater]

Look for him to go back into wrestling.

I saw on one of the wrestling sites that he had talked to Vince McMahon about working for WWF (WWE). With wrestling ratings in the cellar he might be a good draw as an announcer plus an occasional match.

I'm sure MSNBC will tell him to do one or the other, but not both.

[Brookhaven]

They just don't get it. I watch a movie when I want entertainment. I watch a sports channel when I want sports. I watch a news channel when I want news. And when I want someone's opinion I ask my wife. How hard is this formula to figure out?

The part they haven't figured out is news junkies, as a group, like to think. If you listed the things news junkies liked to watch, you would end up with "the learning channel", "national geographic", or "court tv" on a lot of people's list. What you wouldn't find often would be "MTV", "Jerry Springer", or "the Soap Opera channel".

[The Wizard]

PMSNBC fiercely independent????????????????????????????????ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[N. Theknow]

Get DirecTV; get FoxNews. They're giving away the equipment now.

[CyberAnt]

"that illusion of no-nonsense, that shtick of sincerity"

President's Bush's "no-nonsense" is not an illusion, and his sincerity is real - not phoney!

[Veggie Todd]

Working in Ventura's favor is his mix of charisma and attitude, which is similar to that of the king of cable news, Bill O'Reilly.

Oh, please. O'Reilly has his faults, but Ventura couldn't carry O'Reilly's jock. What a joke!

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

Ventura to MSNBC : “Permission to come aboard?”

[Wait4Truth]

I wonder who he's going to go up against on Fox...O'Reilly? Greta? Hannity & Colmes? He will lose to all three.