Tammy Haddad Out As Chris Matthews EP

We hear that "Hardball" exec producer Tammy Haddad is officially out thanks to Chris Matthews becoming the lowest-rated host on MSNBC primetime. Matthews — a front-and-center face at MSNBC and certainly a go-to pundit on all things political, including election coverage in November and chosen as to moderate one of MSNBC's two kickoff presidential debates in April, along with NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams — has seen his ratings clock in consistently below Keith Olbermann — who is getting a network try-out this Sunday — and even Dan Abrams, who stepped in for Joe Scarborough amidst some changes to the show, yet still manages to consistently beat Matthews' ratings. Only Tucker Carlson , who is on at 4 and 6 pm, has lower ratings on the network.

Haddad, who has been with "Hardball" since 2004, caught, er, heck from Matthews last month when he unwittingly dropped an "s-bomb" on the air when he didn't know he was being broadcast. Rumor had it that Matthews wanted Haddad out after the episode, but there was no fallout, at least not then.

Last July, Haddad was named Vice President, Washington, for MSNBC, and MSNBC General Manager Abrams had this to say about her: "'Hardball' is the smartest political program on cable, and one of the reasons it is so good, is Tammy Haddad. She is one of the most tenacious, driven and energetic producers out there — she takes tremendous pride in her work for the network and for Chris Matthews and we are thrilled to have her on our team."

From the same press release:

"Tammy has been my friend for over twenty years," said Chris Matthews. "She is a big-time winner who delivers on her grand ideas."

Haddad has a long and storied career of success in cable news, including pioneering "Larry King Live" for CNN, being part of the team to take NBC's "Today Show" to number one, and was called "the most influential woman behind the TV news camera in Washington" last year by U.S. News' Paul Bedard. That she will land on her feet is a foregone conclusion; for Matthews, an old face at a network with new stars rising, things may not be so easily predicted.

We hear that MSNBC will be making the announcement shortly; email queries to the network have not yet been returned.

Update: Confirmed by TVNewser, which has more.

Clarification from MSNBC: "Tammy remains MSNBC's VP, Washington and will continue to oversee all of our political coverage, including super Tuesdays, primary coverage, debates and the College Tour."

Comments

[whizkid]

We have longed wanted something more from Chris Matthews.
I've emailed him for years with no response.
Even John Gibson will answer email.
His role in the failed Mondale campaign confirms his Beltway cred.
But look. Talent needs to let production and programming know about the audience. Cause they never really know though they will endlessly make talent think they do.
Chris has been too lazy to recognize what his product should consist of. Keith has been vigilant enough to be on target.
The producer goes. The talent better get hip to how the product jibes with the audience.

[Abycat]

That's it. Fire the manager when it's the
players on the field who suck! Mathews is
such a suck up. It's embarassing to watch.

[joanie]

My biggest aversion to Matthews is seeing him sooooo obsessed with Hillary Clinton. He can't carry on a conversation without referencing her "out of the blue". A person could say Michal Vick was brutal to dogs and he would typically say Hillay has a dog and I wonder if she treats the dog bad. It is to the point of being psychotic.

[lacitepq]

Ha, ain't that totally the truth. He;s obsessive when it comes to Hillary. Between that, the Ann Coulter appearances and airing that youtube video with the girl who was crazy about "Hill" I've had enough. It's embarrassing to watch. Matthews is capable of better but he seems to be appealing to the low-brow crowd these days.

[nochickenhawk]

Mathews is a disgusting punk. He claims to have a college education but won't document his so called degrees awarded. He is what you might refer to as an undocumented fraud.

[hillaryj]

...why not let he and that little spolied brat Tucker both go????

[hillaryj]

..........why let someone else suffer just because "Tweety" got his feathers ruffled???? He is such a joke!

[FunGuy13]

I am just sick & tired of all the yelling by "talking heads" who are total morons and always seem to be wrong 99% of the time. We need reporters/­newscaster­s that have an excellent command of the facts who can challenge political blowhards when they boldfacely spout their misinformation on TV...Chris Matthews is a perfect example of an unprincipled "fawning talking head" that swings with wherever the wind blows & yes, he drools/spits too much & is full-o-$hit!

[StillAmused]

An aerial "sling" rescue for Tammy... so she'll be clear when the doddering Matthews finally implodes.

[JimLarkin]

ron christie gay???? but.....but hes married!!!!

[markydefad]

He married RuPaul, right??? and Ron's the bottom, right?

[fredamae]

who is any better?...none of them get the facts straight, only mis-or-und­er-reporti­ng/spinnin­g facts....
i give up trying to find the real news, even if they report the real facts without spin, how can one tell the difference? i cant believe any of them...cre­dibility=z­ero

where have the Walter Cronkite's gone?

[Desiderata]

Where have you gone, Walter Cronkite?
Our nation turns it's fractured minds to you.
Woo-woo-woo.

What's that you say, Keith Olberman?
Walter's on his boat and has sailed away.
Hey-hey-he­y__hey-hey­-hey.

[TerryFL]

.

I was issued defective gaydar, but every time I see Ron Christie on "Hardball", I think that he could never be on a show like "Will and Grace". He's just too damn over the top gay. No one would ever buy it.

.

[imusintheevening]

But TerryFL, I can imagine there is a Christie/Mehlman gay porno out there but it is being witheld by executive privilege.

[TerryFL]

.

Way too scary...........

.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Well finally people see the real Chris Matthews. He needs an attitude adjustment. You can see that he thinks he is so very important. But he is rude, and arrogant. He is on the wrong station. He is a republican butt kisser and maybe he needs to move to fox noise news. I am not crazy for Hillary but he never says anything nice about her. He doesn't really look close at the republicans.

[anangryamerican]

Get rid of Matthews AND that pathetic Tucker...u will increase rating!

[TovSquirrel]

who made this guy a 'pundit' anyway

[wayoutleft]

fineman has been matthews best asset. he lost it for me when he started to slobber on mccain, when conventional wisdom decided on the basis of no evidence whatsoever that millions of us wanted mccain to be president, matthews bought in and spent months sucking up to mccain. i like keith- but matthews' hamfisted attempts at banter with various beauties isn't nearly as gross as olberman feeding off the difficulties of hollywood starlets for filler (and of course coming off morally superior)