MSNBC

MSNBC is an American news-based pay television cable channel, owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal. It provides NBC News coverage as well as its own reporting and political commentary on current events. MSNBC and its website were founded in 1996 under a partnership between Microsoft and General Electric’s NBC unit. As of September 2018, approximately 87 million households in the United States were receiving MSNBC.

About MSNBC in brief

Summary MSNBC MSNBC is an American news-based pay television cable channel, owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal. It provides NBC News coverage as well as its own reporting and political commentary on current events. MSNBC and its website were founded in 1996 under a partnership between Microsoft and General Electric’s NBC unit, hence the network’s naming. In the late summer of 2015, MSNBC revamped its programming; the moves were in sharp contrast to previous programming decisions at the network. As of September 2018, approximately 87 million households in the United States were receiving MSNBC. In 2019, MSNBC ranked second among basic cable networks averaging 1. 8 million viewers, behind rival Fox News, averaging 2. 5 million viewers. In late 2005, MSNBC began attracting liberal and progressive viewers as Keith Olbermann began critiquing conservative media commentators during his Countdown With Keith. On December 23, 2005, NBC Universal announced its acquisition of an additional 32 percent share of MSNBC from Microsoft. On June 7, 2006, Rick Kaplan resigned as MSNBC’s principal commentator. He later held the post for two years, holding it for two days later, until he was replaced by Dan Abrams. In June, Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer said that he would not have started MSNBC had he foreseen the difficulty of attracting viewers. The first show was anchored by Jodi Applegate and included news, interviews, and commentary. The network took over the channel space of NBC’s 2-year-old America’s Talking network, although in most cases cable carriage had to be negotiated with providers who had never carried AT.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, NBC used MSNBC as an outlet for the up-to-the-minute coverage being provided by NBC News as a supplement to the longer stories on broadcast NBC. MSNBC gradually increased its emphasis on politics. In January 2001, Mike Barnicle’s MSNBC show started, but it was canceled in June 2001 because of high production costs. The year also boosted the profile of Ashleigh Banfield, who was present during the collapse of Building 7 while covering the World Trade Center on September 11. In 2007, MSNBC hired opinionated hosts like Alan Keyes, Phil Donahue, Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson; however, this was followed by declining ratings. This branding makeover, however, was followed with declining ratings, however. In December 2013, MSNBC announced its purchase of NBC Universal’s additional 32 per cent share in MSNBC, which solidified its control over television operations and allowed NBC to consolidate MSNBC’s backroom operations with NBC News and its other cable properties. In July 2012, the general news site was rebranded as NBCNews. com, and a new msnbc. com was created as the online home of the cable channel. Microsoft divested itself of its stakes in the MSNBC channel in 2005 and in msnNBC. com in July 2012. MSNBC and Microsoft shared the cost of a USD 200 million newsroom in Secaucus, New Jersey, for MSNBC.