Dylan Ratigan Joins MSNBC

Dylan Ratigan, who left CNBC in March reportedly in search of a broader platform, has joined MSNBC.

The network announced today that the former host of CNBC's "Fast Money" will be anchoring 9-11 AM weekdays beginning June 29.

Last month, Ratigan told Business Insider's Henry Blodget that he wanted to address "major policy failures in America" through at a larger news platform than CNBC. When asked which outlets he had in mind, Ratigan, who had been rumored to be in talks with ABC, rattled off the names of several networks.

"Pick them," he said. "ABC, CBS, HBO, MSNBC, CNN, FOX."

"MSNBC is on a terrific roll, and adding Dylan really bolsters our lineup of strong personalities," said network president Phil Griffin in the announcement. "Dylan will be the perfect complement to 'Morning Joe' and he rounds out a great team in the morning."

"I am grateful to Phil Griffin for this incredible opportunity to create a program and collaborate with the impressive talent that makes up MSNBC," Ratigan added. "While I look forward to broadening my scope in covering the multitude of issues facing our country today, what draws me to MSNBC is that they have offered me a 2-hour forum to discuss any and all political issues with no directive other than to provide compelling content. Which apparently now I actually have to do."

Comments

[amacd]

MSNBC, thank you, thank you , thank you, for bringing Dylan Ratigan back.

Dylan IS the personification of Howard Beale to the vacuous network wasteland of "cable chatter" (as President Obama famously just described it in his interview with Brian Williams).

Dylan brings incisive insight and knowledgable factual information COMBINED with emotion and empathy, as opposed to the inane and vacuous 'emotion' and content-free 'shrill' ONLY, that is the standard WWF fare of cable newsieness.

As George Lakoff reinforced in his fabulous "The Political Mind", language is the neural highway to cognitive thinking, and essential to resolving and distinguishing 'contested concepts" like democracy and Empire, and thus intelligent discourse (with words and concepts) is necessary to perfecting and protecting our democratic Republic from Empire.

I will even forgive MSNBC for appealing to the self-limiting 'twitter' un-dialogs of the new Orwellian 'double (short) speak', although I continue to consider twitter being a perfect marketing name for a communications service designed for bird-brains.

BTW, Huffington should seriously consider, in this same vein, your rather short text limit for serious political discourse --- when most serious and principled left/progressive web sites do not enforce such limits on speech.

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine

[subgeniuszero]

Me personally, I love MSNBC -- Keith and Rachel are my primetime TV of choice. But they won't be taken seriously as a major competitor to Faux Noise until they can broadcast actual NEWS and OPINION a total of 24/7. I am so sick of turning on my favorite "news" network just to see Caught on Camera, To Catch a Predator, Lockup RAW, and a thousand lurid -- not to mention exploitative -- documentaries about some-or-another famed criminal case.

Please, MSBNC, grow up and leave the tabloid industry to the yellow rags, and bring us high-quality news ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.

[kndam72]

yep, and add to that with some panache

[aquarius2001]

And they gave him 2 friggin hours!??!!

[aquarius2001]

MSNBC added Dylan Ratigan! And THIS is why I don't even watch MSNBC anymore. (At least not until Rachel, Keith, and Mathews are on). Dylan is WORSE than Joe Scab and Mika combined! (Well, maybe not that bad, but he's awwwwwful!!!)

[murphysgirl]

They shouldn't have given him two hours!! This guy doesn't know when to shut up!!! Every time he's on Morning Joe, I cringe. He never lets anyone get a word in edgewise..

[kndam72]

and the simple fact that he even considered faux news as an option discounts him IMO.

[oregonbird]

Good lord. ANOTHER middle-aged white guy? Thanks, MSWhatever -- I'm really happy to see the diversity of the US, not to mention MY STATE, CITY, and NEIGHBORHOOD, displayed on my favorite news network. Yep, I go to you for news. But do I get what I need? No. I get news filtered through the brain whorls of a bunch of guys who grew up in one, ONE particular culture.

Oh sure, some are midwest, some east coast, a few from the coast where the sun sets... big deal. They grew up knowing that they could step into what they wanted. They went to school knowing they would make it home. When they stepped out at night, they didn't know for d@mn sure that seeing a black&white was going to end in being harrassed. College was about getting into the one they wanted, not about working eight hours then going to night school.

Sure, things are changing. But you STILL going to the same pool -- picking out people who lived priviledged lives and have a particular mind set. Cenk Ugyar. How about picking him up, and bringing on the panelists he chooses?

[givepeace05401]

Repeat of earlier post.

Nine years into the new century, almost thirty years of 24 hour news coverage and yet the news is pretty much presented in the same way it always has. In the year 2009 we are still begging for diversity in perspective, personnel and journalist integrity.

Our nation is experiencing an exciting (and somewhat scary) generational and demographic change; it would be nice if our communications media aggressively tried to keep up.

[MESGAIN26]

dang no wonder msnbc rateings are in the dumps and switching chairs isn't going to get them back they need news faces one joe in the moring bufoon is enuff we don't need any more republican i stop watching until 8pm keith oldberman and rachel msnbc is becoming fox little sister pfffffffffffft

[yellowdogminnesotan]

I couldn't agree more, but if you like Keith and Rachel, try ED. His show is amazing. Plus when Lawrence O'Donnell hosts WATCH OUT! It's the perfect antidote for Morning Schmo!

[aquarius2001]

Sorry. Ed's just not quite cutting it for me. He's better as a guest rather than host.

[aquarius2001]

Absolutely! I also like Chris Mathews.

[Teritt]

Hey Dylan, just in case you're reading these posts, I have a suggestion for a storyline that the MSM isn't exactly picking up on (except for NPR and a few business magazines). Do a feature on IBM and their patent to offshore jobs without harming their US tax breaks. You could explain how they are getting away with bypassing WARN laws, how they cut over 10,000 jobs in the first quarter without announcing it or even confirming the numbers, or especially how they targeted older workers to save paying their health-care costs. See if you can find out how much they actually paid in taxes. Find out how many patents they actually acquired by buying companies since they are so forthcoming on being a patent leader. Explain 'Project Match' - where they 'invite' laid-off employees to apply for IBM openings in the BRIC countries and they will pay local wages and will not provide any assistance in moving expenses. See how the union movement in doing in Iowa. Just a thought...or maybe a hope.

[jonjon66]

Ratigan is a clown who should be on Faux News or the circus with Rush.

[rabiddog6708]

Ratigan......what's in a name?......everything.

[sf girl]

I don't like him. I sat in on a taping once and he acted like a jerk. What you see on TV is not always reflective someone's real personality.

[Totto]

How well I know. When the camera's off. . . .

[Putt4Doe]

CNBC efffed up! I was a loyal 'Fast Money' viewer - but CAN"T STAND Melissa Lee!!! The show has lost it's MOJO big-time, it's not the same. Melissa Lee isn't an anchor/moderator - she a reporter at best.

I'll be watching Dylan on MSNBC as he was one of the few CNBC anchors that didn't 'read the script' of the GE puppet-masters like a bunch of brain-dead pods.

Good for you Dylan - best of luck to you!

[Teritt]

Unfortunately the GE puppetmasters still control MSNBC.

[LeftLeaner]

I luvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv him!

He's the only financial person who tells it like it is.

The rest are just sheep for the big corps. and Wall Street.

So glad he's back.

Smart move by MSNBC.

Welcome back, Dylan :)

[madashellvoter]

Did he ask the big questions after the big meltdown? Or how about before, or did he give the Wall-Streeters a free pass?
I watched him once several months ago when he had All en Stanford on, he asked the disgraced Texas Billionaire “How do you like being a Billionaire?” Are you fu^%$ing kidding me. That was the one and only time I’ve watched him.

[PAposter]

What the heII did he tell us...he's an opportunist, period. I can't stand him.

[aquarius2001]

DITTO!!!!!!

[hopefull2008]

I wonder who is moving out to make room for him, hopefully it's Contessa Brewer.

[bboyy]

I think you are sexy, will watch everyday