This is not an "I adore Rachel" diary. (although I do)
This is a "wake-up NBC" as you have solid gold in your hand. Now, use it wisely.
Yesterday, the Guardian had this headline:
RACHEL MADDOW, VOICE OF AMERICA
By cutting across the grain of U.S. cable news, the sober minded liberal pundit has become the best talkshow host in America
Here's what The Guardian had to say:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
But what really endears her to American liberals is the way she takes her job and the authority it gives her seriously. Maddow is less interested in the shouting fests that dominate most cable news and instead favours in-depth interviews with experts who are permitted to show their expertise on air without being interrupted. Hers may be the only show on cable news were feminists come on air to speak their minds without being paired off with belligerent sexists who dominate the conversation by yelling over their points.
But Maddow isn't opposed to fair-mindedness. She often brings on conservatives for the same kind of in-depth interviews, and even when she strongly disagrees, she always gives them a chance to air their views (and generally hang themselves with those views). Her show is the exact opposite of Bill O'Reilly's show. Where he cuts people off for saying things he doesn't like, Maddow digs in deeper.
She also gives far more coverage to issues other hosts avoid because they're big downers. Maddow is the only reliable source of televised information on the growing problem of domestic terrorism in the US, and the only mainstream pundit to pay attention to the network of anti-abortion activists that quietly support the few that work up the courage to shoot doctors or bomb clinics. She doesn't treat the rapid growth of the extreme right in America like it's a joke or a minimal issue, as do other hosts, but as a serious threat to our democracy. In her transition to the mainstream media, the only thing Maddow seems to have given up is the thick-framed glasses she prefers to wear off-camera.
When she was on Meet The Press in August, the ratings were the highest they had in months.
Meet the Press" had its highest total viewer delivery since April this past Sunday, averaging 3,359,000 total viewers for David Gregory's most convincing victory in months.
Okaaay, what happened when she was on in October?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
"Meet the Press" had a convincing win this past Sunday, taking the top spot among Sunday talk shows with an average of 3.140 million total viewers. That's 17.6% more than second-place "Face The Nation" (2.670 million) and 19.3% more than third-place "This Week" (2.630 million). "Fox News Sunday" averaged 1.190 million total viewers.
Now granted, I'm not an expert in TV programming, but I don't think one has to be an expert to see what a total STAR Rachel is.
Please NBC, check the video tape of how fair she is with the opposition, check how respectful she is to the guests who are not of the same political persuasion. Maybe even do a poll and see what the public thinks of Rachel as opposed to what they think of David Gregory.
Okay, NBC, I've given you the hint....how smart are you?
