MSNBC Turns Savage
Fox News guarded the secret formula for years. While CNN lost ratings and MSNBC tried to gain them, Fox continued to rise to the top. The secret formula: Rush Limbaugh-like far-right conservative hosts who carefully craft their programs to appear balanced, overly patriotic and in favor of what they consider 'family values.'
MSNBC, on the heels of its highest-rated primetime program, has decided in its ultimate wisdom to cancel that successful program. After nearly seven months on the air, Donahue got the boot. Ironically, America's most outspoken lesbian, Rosie O'Donnell, joined Donahue, America's most outspoken liberal, on his final show, about avoiding war with Iraq. In addition to progressive guests, the unashamed liberal Donahue often hosted ultra-conservative guests such as Jerry Falwell, Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, and anti-gay author and radio talk show host Michael Savage. Donahue is an outspoken ally to groups who most often are marginalized.
But Donahue didn't have the formula. Tune into highly rated Fox News programs or listen to Rush Limbaugh and you'll quickly get a sneak preview of what the once-balanced MSNBC will soon become. A network spokesperson told the Washington Times that MSNBC is not trying to reinvent itself. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, folks. MSNBC's 'static' image includes changing the station's slogan from 'America's News Channel' to 'NBC News on Cable 24/7.'
Get a new slogan, fire the liberal, and hire the most conservative folks you can find. It sounds like reinventing to me. And it looks suspiciously like they've raided grandma Fox's recipe box. While MSNBC also told the Times that the network has no political views and is 'bringing in people with opinions from all over the political spectrum,' their actions are speaking louder than their words. The network didn't stop with dumping Donahue. They added republican pollster Frank Luntz, former republican Representatives Joe Scarborough and Dick Army, and ultra-conservative San Fran radio talk show host Michael Savage.
Let's take a look at the 'opinions from all over the political spectrum.' Frank Luntz appears at least weekly on the network, with 'America's Voices.' But when an anti-war college student walked out because the pro-war students drowned him out, Luntz berated the student on the air. In contrast, when a Republican guest was in a similar situation on Donahue last month and walked off the set, the man was asked back for a one-on-one with Donahue. The Princetonian reported that two professional polling organizations censured Luntz for, among other things, 'giving the public unreliable reports.' He also served as a strategist for the failed Republican Contract with America.
Armey is best known in the gay community as the former Speaker of the House who called openly gay Rep. Barney Frank, 'Barney Fag' in a news conference and later made additional anti-gay slurs. As Speaker, Armey was a strong opponent of federal hate-crimes laws.
Savage, author of Savage Nation, has come out against the women's movement, immigrants, and homosexuality in general. In his book, he gives suggestions about how to pick up a liberal woman. 'Let her know that you love all gays even if they've raped young boys.' And he blames the 'She-Ocracy' for indoctrinating children into homosexual lifestyles. 'Picture your kid. With a wave, he hops on the bus, lunch pale in hand. He's off to kindergarten. When he gets there … he waits for the teacher to speak. And speak she does. She applauds homosexual perversion.'
Listen to his show and you'll likely hear diatribes likening homosexuals to perverts and pedophiles. When GLAAD tried to inform readers about the dangers of 'Savage,' he retaliated with threats to use a 'favor' from the Bush Administration to investigate and find any illegal activities of organizations that criticize him.
Scarborough may be the tamest. While in Congress, he was described by The New York Times as 'one of the most conservative House members,' but at least acknowledged, even in the anti-gay hay day of the Contract with America, that 'we have all had friends who are gay and understand that they are not the demons that they're made out to be.'
The new crew of retired conservatives plus a should-be-retired pollster will make MSNBC appear more like the rest of conservative cable news. Gone will be the days of Desmond Tutu, Rosie O'Donnell, or anyone speaking out against war. In are the days of twisted polls, one-sided opinions, and 'I can yell louder than you' rhetoric. While Phil may be gone from MSNBC, we can hope he'll find a new home at a network that will appreciate diversity in viewpoints.
FarenTalks@aol.com
GLAAD ON SAVAGE
Neal Shapiro, President, NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112-0002. And Erik Sorenson, President and General Manager, MSNBC, 1 MSNBC Plaza, Secaucus, NJ 07094-3500.
www.glaad.org/action/alerts_detail.php