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Brian Williams to Anchor MSNBC Iowa Caucus Coverage


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Apparently, NBC has announced Brian Williams will be a co-anchor with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC Iowa Caucus coverage on Feb. 1. Good move. I don't approve of what he did causing him to lose the Nightly News job (although Lester Holt is excellent now on "Nightly",) but I still think he's one of the best I've ever seen for anchoring long-form live events such as election night coverage.

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Apparently, NBC has announced Brian Williams will be a co-anchor with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC Iowa Caucus coverage on Feb. 1. Good move. I don't approve of what he did causing him to lose the Nightly News job (although Lester Holt is excellent now on "Nightly",) but I still think he's one of the best I've ever seen for anchoring long-form live events such as election night coverage.

 

I actually was surprised that we didn't see him on MSNBC's inauguration coverage. My one thing is that they're pairing Williams, a straight news guy, with an opinion person in Maddow. MSNBC has done this before when the Olbermann-Matthews blew up when they put David Gregory in the host chair alongside Olbermann but I still think it's an odd signal to send.

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My one thing is that they're pairing Williams, a straight news guy, with an opinion person in Maddow. MSNBC has done this before when the Olbermann-Matthews blew up when they put David Gregory in the host chair alongside Olbermann but I still think it's an odd signal to send.

 

I totally agree, it does look and feel odd. This while they are trying to get a bit of separation going.

 

I think they have made some progress toward a more news oriented format...but anytime they start mixing up opinion/journo stuff ,it feels like they are perverting the efforts underway to return to more traditional programming.

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I actually was surprised that we didn't see him on MSNBC's inauguration coverage. My one thing is that they're pairing Williams, a straight news guy, with an opinion person in Maddow. MSNBC has done this before when the Olbermann-Matthews blew up when they put David Gregory in the host chair alongside Olbermann but I still think it's an odd signal to send.

What inauguration?

 

On the other note, wouldn't Kate Snow have been a better co-anchor, with Rachel and Chris on the sides commentating?

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I think he meant State of the Union.

 

As a liberal I thought their coverage was fine. Brian and Rachel got along well and had good chemistry together. This type of coverage is what in my view Brian does best - he's quick on his feet when the situation is fluid.

 

A lot of liberals would be pissed if Rachel Maddow (as she's their biggest star) were pushed to the side on election night. I didn't find it any different from say a network news election coverage where you will have pundits/former staffer putting their 2¢ in but rather having their staff serve that role. Rachel Maddow although a liberal can be equally as fair/objective (maybe I'm looking through rose colored glasses) with interviews when republican politicos are brave enough to go on MSNBC prime time.

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I think he meant State of the Union.

 

As a liberal I thought their coverage was fine. Brian and Rachel got along well and had good chemistry together. This type of coverage is what in my view Brian does best - he's quick on his feet when the situation is fluid.

 

A lot of liberals would be pissed if Rachel Maddow (as she's their biggest star) were pushed to the side on election night. I didn't find it any different from say a network news election coverage where you will have pundits/former staffer putting their 2¢ in but rather having their staff serve that role. Rachel Maddow although a liberal can be equally as fair/objective (maybe I'm looking through rose colored glasses) with interviews when republican politicos are brave enough to go on MSNBC prime time.

 

I did mean the State of the Union so my apologies for that.

 

For me it goes like this, and you have seen MSNBC largely shed their more opinion programming during the day for more news (which I think is a good thing) but either you do more straight coverage or more opinion coverage on election night. But when you have one straight anchor and one opinion anchor leading your election coverage, you're trying to have it both ways. You can have Williams leading the show with Maddow there for analysis or you have Maddow leading the show and just do all opinion.

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