Rachel Maddow Replacing Dan Abrams On MSNBC Effective Immediately

Read about Dan Abrams' new media strategy firm here.

Update: Keith Olbermann had Rachel Maddow on "Countdown" Tuesday night to celebrate and discuss the news. In the clip, Rachel said that the show will discuss politics and weird news — like stories on the Iraqi national soccer team and domestic crimes committed by naked men — and that she will remain on Air America.

Watch below:

Original Post: Rachel Maddow will replace Dan Abrams as host of the 9PM hour on MSNBC, the New York Times' Bill Carter reports. Just last month in a Times article by Jacques Steinberg, MSNBC president Phil Griffin declared Maddow "at the top" of a "very short list" for those who should have their own show, though at the time he said he "[didn't] know when" that would be. As Carter reports, the final stretch of the 2008 election season will be Maddow's debut as the host of her own MSNBC show:

Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host -- and one-time general manager of the network -- Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel.

The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams's last program on Thursday. After MSNBC's extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8.

MSNBC is highlighting the date, 9/8/08, connecting it to the start of the Olympics on 8/8/08, as a way to signal what the network's president, Phil Griffin, said "will be the final leg of the political race this year." He added, "We making that Rachel's debut."

Mr. Abrams, who is well liked at MSNBC, is expected to remain at both that network and at NBC News, where he is the chief legal correspondent. He will also serve as an anchor during some of MSNBC's daytime coverage, as well as a substitute host on NBC's "Today" show, Mr. Griffin said.

The last broadcast of Abrams' "Verdict" will air Thursday.

Abrams, the network's former General Manager, told the Times that he understood the decision.

"Putting my general manager's hat back on, considering where the network is right now, it is actually the right call," he said.

Almost immediately, Keith Olbermann took to DailyKos to celebrate the news, brag about his involvement in the decision — "Yes, I had something to do with it," he wrote — and remind readers that though Maddow's rise at the network was quick ("less than five months between first paid appearance and own show"), his was quicker ("I believe I still hold the MSNBC record: I came back to guest host for three days in 2003 and 39 days later I had a contract to do the 8 PM show.").

Comments

[Sarastro]

Perhaps there is still hope for progress when intelligence is promoted.

[michie62]

Congrats to Rachel--I will now have msnbc on from 4pm central to 9pm central every night. Oh Really and his sheep are going to continue to be lost as Keith rocks the news out and then to Rachel. I wish that Scarbourough would leave-along with his merry band of odd ducks. And perhaps Pat Buchanan will now learn some etiquette. MSNBC is not the McGlaughlin Group with their hearing aids turned up so high they have to shout (except for Eleanor Clift--a true patriot, she just screams so that common sense can be heard on that program, the addition of Crowley and some other women commentators who actually condescend to Eleanor is ridiculous). Good for MSNBC, let's hope they can find Abrams something to do that is interesting.

[carlgt1]

How many PhD's work at Faux News?

[luckyt]

BillO the clown has a masters in journalism(he may have gotten it from I. F. U. C. K. U.)

[Jason357]

I didn't realize Abrams wasn't GM at MSNBC anymore. Meadows is better at gabbing than Abrams. Abrams was better with his legal show. I liked hearing various lawyers argue over the merits, or lack of current legal matters. I thought Abrams did a great job on the Duke case, getting the facts out there.

[Reine]

Rachel seems ok. I use to watch the verdict but Dan but then he started going to the far left so I stopped watching him. Obie wanted Rachel & he admits it & he's one guy I won't watch at all. Obie doesn't seem to like most of the anchors so he's not to be trusted at all.

[JohnShank]

Is there any doubt NOW that MSNBC is trying to be the left's version of Fox?

[Gabrielle]

YAH AND THAT'S GOOD...THE LEFT IS RIGHT!

[ninetwelve]

maddow is almost like a coherent, female kieth olberman. i'm looking forward to my tivo.

[Rider3]

YES!!!!!! She is a brilliant, thoughtful woman. She definitely deserves her own show. Go Rachel!

[endymian]

maddow's employment at msnbc is about one thing, maddow is a fraud! serious journalism from the center, ---and not al all, the left---, does not exist in the telejournalism environment of corporate america, let alone at general electric owned msnbc--and ms. maddow has demonstrated that her joy ride from air america to msnbc is about careerism and placing herself as another talking head,
sitting close to the likes of her msnbc colleagues joe scarborough and pa buchannan.

i've watched maddow assume her role at msnbc and it is already clear that she has morphed herself into another corporate tele-face. to expect otherwise, would be like expecting edward r. murrow to have gone to work for the thrid reich press bureau and do his historic reporting of the london blitz. all thats happened here, is that ms. maddow has always been an ego driven carreerist, though a bright one--or a she is one that bit by bit given up, givenout, given in. but now she gets to glow like the useless anderson cooper on cnn, who gets such high marks as a coorporate journalist who can't even report on his closet!

the left loses again, trust me, rachel maddow is not about to slay dragons, and not abouit to be helen thomas!

[clearthinker2008]

lol

[ninetwelve]

there's a bit of a difference between radio and television- audience size and composure. thinking that she should bring her radio personality on screen is a foolish wish. msnbc, though liberal leaning naturally, has it's duty to be more centrist than stephanie miller and the air america crowd. you have to keep joe sixpack watching.

[1099]

So it's OK for Maddow to alter her opinions for a TV audience as opposed to keeping true to what she tells her very limited radio audience? Does that not prove that Air America is too full of extreme lefties which is why it's rating are perpetually in the shi-ter?

[Moka11]

OMG you cannot be serious, An "ego-driven careerist"? There is more "ego" in your comment than I have ever seen from Maddow.
Rachel Maddow has transitioned from radio to tv through nothing but honest humility, eagerness and hard work. To compare her to Anderson Cooper is absurd. To diminish her accomplishment and trash her before she establishes her shows input before it airs is childish.

[bsc]

You are soooooo wrong.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Wow dude! You're pretty irrational.

[Tommygun264]

Now, now, let's not be so hard on Mr. Scarborough - he's had quite a shock.

[Wiz]

Good news. Finally Abrams, next..Mika Ditzy, Willie(am I funny or what) Geist,Contessa ( how cute am I) Brewer, and Courtney ( good thing I'm related to someone)Hazlett. Oh what the hell, get rid of them all and start over. Griffin is the main problem but he's not going anywhere. Can anyone judge talent in that building?

[seakiev]

I agree.....if only they would get rid of the goofy Morning Joe crew and replace them with Andrea Mitchell..­.....she's the best reporter/i­nterviewer on tv.

And congrats to Rachel, I appreciate her intelligent questions and analysis.

[1099]

I agree. They should just run Olberman and Maddow on a 24 hour loop and let them run down their talking points ad naseum to viewers who can sit at home and cheer along with their tv's. That way everyone stays informed and happy.

[gevan]

One for "Ask Dr. Maddow (not THAT kind of Doctor)". Will we ever hear from Kent Jones again? Now?

[noladiva]

That's great about Rachel Maddow -- but I just have to point out that the "poem" Keith was talking about is actually from the text of Handel's Hallelujah Messiah, with the words changed to match Maddow's description.

[MetryJen]

I'm super excited about this, I have to say, because Rachel Maddow rocks. I do have to agree with some other posters, though, that it will be sad to see Dan go. IMO they should've put Verdict to replace the Olbermann repeat, and gave Rachel her own program at 9 EST. Then I could've went from Olbermann, to Maddow, to Abrams to the Daily Show & Colbert, nice and smoothly.

[Halsey]

Metry.."could have went"..? gosh...take remedial grammer..okay? aside from that..Abrams was okay..but Verdict never really captured me. Keith, keith, keith...countdown is great..but my gawd..his ego is scary...why not just congratulate Rachel...instead of saying "I got her the job..AND..I was a star sooner"...­puleeezzzz­...

Rachel is always calm..and intellectual without being "elite" (tongue in cheek)..I like her demeanor and respect her (in spite of her early Hillary bias)...

good job MSNBC...

[1099]

Grammar not "Grammer" smart guy.

[Patrick McCabe]

Rachel's take on Hillary IMO was very honest -- an instinct that she felt about which Hillary we would be seeing tomorrow. Remember after the close call in Indiana? Barack lost by a photo finish after winning big time in North Carolina. The cause of Hillary's win was the "Limbaugh effect" whereas repubs voted for Hillary. It showed in the spreadsheet.

Most felt that Hillary would finally show her support to Senator Obama (how many times did that happen). Rachel's take was that after the fact that she stated that there would be a protracted fight and hillary would not concede. She was right on. Her reporting is sure handed and steady without bias (which is spin), There is truth in what she reports and that is part of her ethics: sincerity.

[Patrick McCabe]

I think KO is like a proud dad of Rachel. Somewhat in awe of her. His ego is what makes him KO -- I agree. But he is a talent like Rachel. Very smart.

[clearthinker2008]

I don't like verdict and glad it's leaving, guest not many did or they wouldn't be getting rid of it.

[Emper0r]

I think she'll do great, but lets face reality here folks. MSNBC is becoming the Liberal's Fox News. Watching MSNBC has almost become a guilty pleasure.

In fact, if you guys want a real good laugh, do this:

Anytime there's a major political event, or something to do with a political figure go to www.foxnews.com and see how they spin it. Then, go to www.msnbc.com and see how they spin it. I remember when the John Edwards affair story first broke. Fox news had plastered on its front page "Is John Edwards political career over?" then I head over to msnbc.com and they say "Can the affair really be proven?"

Maybe I'm crazy, but I get a kick out of how these two networks spin stories in polar opposite ways.

[clearthinker2008]

We need a liberal fox. Sorry, but it's true and long over due.

[ninetwelve]

i honestly think that maddow is as unbiased as any of them in her outward expressions and analysis.

[JJeff88]

Recently, some one observed that if Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, were alive and running today, he'd be labeled a liberal.

Although having a tv outlet that could balance Fox's conservatism would be nice, what I'd rather see from MSNBC - from Matthews, Schuster and Gregory to Obermann and Maddow is non-ideological and non exploitive truth and fairness plus an accurate grasp of reality.

I really don't want to hear more high-decibel blovations from the right or left - or manipulative spin from GOP and Democratic food-fighters. (Whenever 2 pitbulls appear on the split screen, I lunge for the mutant button) I'd rather hear reasoned individuals lay out the pros and cons of any issue in an objective manner.

I think that's what we've been getting from Obermann (Look at his guests - Wulff, Robinson, Alter etc.) despite work-the-ref howling from the right about "liberal bias." I hope we get the same from Rachel M.

[OylGoblin]

That our 'news' programs are fragmented in their viewpoint is not surprising. There are a number of reasons I can think of:
1: Dispassionate reporting of facts is not highly valued by the public.
2: Such dispassionate reporting lacks drama, tends to be dull.
3: Things that are dull don't make money in the media. The media demands conflict and scandal since this is what the public will pay for.

The Murdocks of the world have discovered that they can make money by putting a highly painted face on bigotry and dress it up as news. The American public doesn't have to think too much when they date this trollop. Just do what she says and leave the money on the dresser. Left leaning programs have popped up to mirror Fox's propaganda not out of altruism but rather out of avarice. The producers understand the polls which show roughly half the population rejecting the right wing harangue, ergo, that half will pay to see their version on the telly.

These days, news comes in your favorite flavor like it was ice cream. Even in the best of times the 'news' has always been a murky mix of stories partially told. It always took some sorting out. But changing public values and the prime directive (making money) has made it an even foggier subject. Now when I gather information on current events I consider who said what, who pays them, and if they have a dog in the fight.

[klandish]

I was praying for this to happen Rachael. And I'm an agnostic. Be yourself and let the chips fall where they may. As you were a panelist - let that spontaneous, intelligent, Aries mind fly! It will take your audience to some very fine, deserving places.