NBC Chief Jeff Zucker On Charlie Rose: Fox Business Sucks, Morning Joe MSNBC's "Most Underestimated Program"

Silicon Alley Insider:

Remember that NBC U (GE) -News Corp. (NWS) war? The one being waged across multiple networks and TV personalities? It's still on! Charlie Rose threw NBC U chief Jeff Zucker some red meat on PBS Tuesday night when he asked about the competition between CNBC and Fox Business Network.

Zucker: "It has focused us and made us better. Really, at this point, Fox Business Network is not in any way a threat to CNBC. It's not even, frankly, in the same universe with us."

Meanwhile, Zucker says, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, who represents the network's attempt to lure Fox News viewers, is tearing things up: "Morning Joe" is "probably the most underestimated program on that network." Take that!

Read the whole story: Silicon Alley Insider

Comments

[pennythecat]

"Morning Joke?" Horrible show.

[bigironal25]

As big an asshole an Imus was in the morning, he was light years ahead Joe, and I just can't take the way Mika lets that asshole brow beat her on a daily basis!

[VivaZapata]

while joe was away, mika held down the fort nicely and encouraged a more dignified approach to guests. hell, she even helped me appreciate her dad more when he was on the show, something i didn't do when he was secretary of defense.

[ROBOT8]

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, THE TRUTH IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE STATE." -- Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda, 1933-1945

[JadedAggie]

Well he is absolutely right that Fox Business is a joke. Their commentators simply ramp up expectations for stocks they are invested in or are funding their clients in. Then they say I'm so sure of this stock I bought into it myself and idiots listen. Then when it goes up they sell and it tanks.

Morning Joe is hit or miss on whether each individual day is a good day or a fox news day. Sometimes Scarborough actually does show up and give fair handed and intelligent analysis. On other days he shows up spouting Republican talking points that have no validity and shouts down Minka who just lays down to the brow beating. I disagree with those who say it is better without him though since he is almost always replaced with Pat Buchanan who makes me feel like dry heaving for the short amount of time I can suffer through the show.

[ErnestineBass]

Happy to say I've never seen a minute of it.

[incontempt]

Morning joe is too simplistic at times and definitely better without Joe.

[ENK727]

Yeah.. the show is better without him!! They should dump him and call the show... "Mornings with Mika" I like her and Willie a lot better. Oh and while they are at it STOP HAVING BUCHANEN on. This guy just makes my skin crawl.. yuck

[noamjunior]

Morning Joe is underestimated, in that it sucks much more than people think it does. Scarborogh is another repubi-con hack who had to move to TV when the voters got tired of him

[iheardthisbefore]

Correct.....it really should be "Morning Somebody Else".

[VOTER]

Joe had a scandal in Florida which may have helped him decide to leave politics.

Did he or didn't he leave somewhat unexpectedly bringing about a special election?

A young female intern died in his office and many questions were asked but never answered.

I can't recall the victim's name. It is on Google.

Also I believe the coroner brought into the matter had a horrible reputation and

no longer had good credentials. ??????????????????

[pithymaxim]

Joe Scarborough is tremendously sharp. However, he rarely displays this acumen for three main reasons:(1) his supervening ego, which belies feelings of vulnerability;(2) his blind allegiance to the GOP, because he is brainwashed and owes them his fortunes;(3) his fervent religiosity. When he's in control he's excellent. Unfortunately, it seems his inner demons too often get the better of him.

[Melissa]

Zuker can't be that dumb. He must realize the contempt people hold for NBC and MSNBC. Even The Today Show is terrible.

[CammyV]

ITA about Today. I have watched it every morning for as long as I can recall, but when they bought on Viera to replace Courik, it just lost credibilty IMO. She is not an asset to the panel and I have stopped watching at all. Wonder how many other viewers have left because of this.

[RabidRightRebel]

Your observations are mutually exclusive. No one can be both tremendously sharp, have a blind allegiance to the GOP, not to mention being a religious fanatic. At least one of these must be wrong and as I will take your word that he is a religious fanatic and he has demonstrated that he is blinded by his allegiance to the GOP, he simple can not be that sharp.

Fortunately for MSNBC if they want to attract Republicans the last thing they need is intelligent people who will actually analyse events rather than spewing dogma. Keep it simple is not just a saying with the rabid right it is a way of life.

[raker]

Scarborough is as big a horse's ass as O'Reilly or Hannity. Morning Joe exemplifies why there isn't a single news program on TV worth watching. Crap like Fox trounces the competition, who are forced to try to out-crap Fox to take back the dull, stupid viewers, and it's a race to the bottom. Local news in Boston went this way. Maybe it's the same all over. The news is utterly unwatchable. It isn't even really news, so it doesn't matter anyway.

[verlaine]

Morning Joe is TRASH and Joe Scarborough is a smarmy, clueless, knuckle dragging neanderthal.

[drzoon]

as a working producer... who has produced more than my share of "trash".... "smarmy and clueless and knuckle dragging neanderthal" is that TV does best.

heck... I DON'T WATCH FREAKING TV.... why should you?

[ejay579]

You forgot "mouth breather".

[w&cheneysuck]

http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Joe%20Scarborough

[CammyV]

I hate to agree with this poster, but Listen, when Mika joined Morning Joe, she was so elegant and dignified and professional;
Her presence was an intriguing juxtaposition to Joe's brashness and Willie's silliness. I applauded her for taking a stand about/and refusal to read the Paris Hilton junk.
I don't know why she felt that she had to change; perhaps management urged her to be more animated or felt her persona was too aloof. Unfortunately, she's lately reminding me more of Robin Givens ( sidekick of smutmeister, Howard Stern).
Just my opinion, but I feel she is compromising her intellectual & professional integrity with this nonsense. I really like and admire her, although I'd never seen her on-air before Joe, but she shouldn't let the 'suits' force her to be someone that she is not comfortable being. Perhaps when she is on air, and caught up in the 'reverie' of Joe and Co., she feels like she has to be somewhat goofy to fit in or even get a word in, but she needs to Tivo the program and watch herself.

[VOTER]

MSNBC'S MORNING JOE SHOW IS DEFINITELY WORTHY OF FOX FAKE NEWS VIEWERS

BUT IS NOT FOR ANY AVERAGE INTELLIGENT PERSON.

It is Horrible! MSNC sold out, AGAIN!

"Giggle, giggle, giggle." Mica's contribution.