MSNBC Goes HD, Launches Dylan Ratigan, Dr. Nancy Snyderman Shows

It's a big day for MSNBC, with the network launching its high definition broadcast signal, unveiling a new daytime lineup (including two new shows), and debuting a new set of on-screen graphics.

Network President Phil Griffin spoke about the shift to HD with Broadcasting & Cable:

"I love our anchors and our people being looked at in hi-def. But this is about being in the neighborhood. You get your regular core audience to tune in, but a good chunk of our [total] audience is people who are flipping around....

"I think you've got to be [in HD] now," Griffin points out. "And I think in a year or two it will definitely make a huge difference. If you want to be competitive in this game, it's the price of entry."

B&C further reports that the HD rollout will be gradual based on service providers:

MSNBC in HD will launch at different times on different MSOs. It will debut on Cablevision on June 29 and on Time Warner in July. By the end of August, MSNBC HD will be available in 11 million homes.

Along with the addition of an HD signal, MSNBC has shaken up its dayside lineup, adding "Morning Meeting" with Dylan Ratigan from 9AM-11AM and "Dr. Nancy" at noon. Carlos Watson will anchor the 11AM hour, Andrea Mitchell will continue at 1PM, and David Shuster and Tamron Hall will co-anchor from 3PM-5PM. There are no explicit plans for the 2PM hour.

"It's the right time," Snyderman told the Daily News about her health show, which premieres with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Elizabeth Edwards and FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg as guests.

Snyderman elaborated on her plans for the show to the Daily News' Richard Huff:

Her show, she said, will be different than others because she has the resources of NBC News and the ability to quickly jump on a story that breaks that day.

"There really isn't going to be anything taped," she said.

"We're raising the bar," Snyderman said. "This is going to be very smart programming. If I don't think something's true, it's not getting on."

She's also realizes she must make medical mumbo-jumbo palatable for the everyman. "That's the burden for me," she said, "to take complicated and dry medical information and make it compelling."

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Comments

[KOisGod]

Carlos Watson is gonna kick A and take names. He was on Ed's radio show this morning and I was blown away by the guy.

[dwill123]

(MS)NBC forcing a move, just like with David Gregory on "Meet the Press". I think the results will ultimately be the same. A drop in the ratings.

[plebeianswillrevolt]

What?

You don't like the caustic, rude, sarcastic, repulsive, obnoxious, interruptive David Gregory? ....... Ok, I haven't watched 5 minutes of it since he replaced Tim Russert either.

Memo to David: YOU STINK....!

But back on point, Dylan Ratigan would make an excellent host of Meet the Press.

[Mij13]

Everything you said - second.

[Daltxlib]

I'll have to decide whether or not to watch MSNBC now. I can't stand Nancy Snyderman. I had the chance to work with her on a big story and I have never met a more arrogant Diva in my life. I'm a regular MSNBC viewer, but I'm willing to give up my favorite programs so as not to support a network that would hire her. I'd rather put up with the innanity of CNN's pseudo-coverage of the day's news rather than encourage Snyderman's success. I started watching ABC News again after she left. Now I'll have to give up MSNBC.

[diamonded]

Right out of the gate she mounted what looked like a partisan defense of Tylenol and is against the black box as a resolution.

[nana4g]

Defending Tylenol's side effects makes no sense. There have been many people who believe it to be "harmless Tylenol" and do not understand that liver damage is very real and serious if Tylenol is not used as directed! She is too wrapped up in herself and does not have any time for anyone else's opinions, including the experts.

[boopboopadoop]

I give her show mixed reviews so far. Arrogant? I don't know. But the NAME of the show
("Dr. Nancy") is enough to make me sick. Check out my comments @ http://chronicfatigue.typepad.com/mj/

[SvK]

Tamron, Watson, Matthews, Maddow, and Olberman are solid..........Ed has his moments...­........Wh­at we need is a Sunday "MTP" style show being hosted by 2 people....One on the left , the other on the right.....Each host gets to interview their guest for 1/2 an hour on a given topic.....­.......the­n there is another 1/2 hour of a panel.....­.Example..­..1st 1/2 hour: Host Laurence O'Donell interviews Boehner on healthcare.....2nd 1/2 hour: Host Chris Wallace interviews Barbara Boxer on Healtcare.­..........­.This way BOTH sides debate the opposition on same topic, AND the host doesn't have to PRETEND to be unbiased..­...Thought­s?

[ScreenName05]

What MSNBC needs is to get some real reporting and intelligent comment. Their first move should be to hire Fareed Zakaria away from CNN. Then look for folks like him to fill in the blanks. I love Rachel but I am seriously tired of Keith Olbermann. I am not sure they have anyone else worth mentioning. The quality of the reporting on MSNBC has gone down dramatically as they try to compete with comedy shows like Jon Stewart and Fox News. Fox news is not a news channel it is a comedy show appealing to red necks. If they want to be taken seriously then they need to move up the food chain, and that means serious reporters not more techno hype and pretty faces.

The downward spiral of television news has been driven by a desire to pull in the ratings. But the ratings reflect the least common denominator. In the U.S. that means the dummies who watch Ophra, and housewives, etc. It does not mean serious news. If that is what MSNBC wants then hire Jon Stewart and Colbert and stop fooling around pretending you are a real news station. (No disrespect to Jon Stewart intended he is the best non-news news show on television).

[cvkathy]

Tired of Keith Olbermann? Bite your tongue!

[BOin08]

we're all tired of Keith...he was useful during the campagin, but he has long since served his purpose...time to go

[jonjon66]

Keith, Rachel & Ed are the only folks with any balls.
Chris Matthew speds too much time defending his "I'm just a white-guy status".
Duh, we can see that.

[diamonded]

Laurence O'Donnell would be the perfect foil for Chris Wallace, in fact I wish Morning Joe would be Morning Laurence...I'm even starting to warm up to Todd

[nana4g]

I cannot stand Todd. I like O'Donnell, he knows what he is talking ab out and doesn't rely on "got'cha" stuff.

[doylesnt]

Why doesnt Phil Griffin put Rosie O'Donnell in as co-anchor with Dylan Ratigan? She has his bad temperament, lack of civility, and abundance of ego. It would boost ratings (he would draw the mud-wrestling viewers) and prove he's not a misogynist. It's interesting to watch his "guests" roll their eyes heavenward as he interrupts their input - just as Mika does when Joe Scarborough puts her down.

CNN is good in the a.m. Worth a try if you like morning news. And they have a hunky weatherman.

doylesnt

[invisible]

Where's Contessa Brewer's slot? She's quite beautiful and one of the few anchors that will take people on.

[jimrs6]

Did they take Pretentious Brewer off the air?

[crayola 08b]

that dylan ratigan is one sexy mofo. :)

[Lion24]

Doctor D u d.

[Beantownbadboy]

I'm giving it my best shot trying to stay awake during Dr.Nancy but I'm starting to doze off. The only thing I've learned so far, is that the ShamWow does EVERYTHING and I just might cave and buy one. WOW.

[Lion24]

I give the new line up.... two weeks.

[Beantownbadboy]

Two hours in more than enough and it's too bad the Suits at MSNBC don't read these comments from viewers and make the necessary changes. Alas, never happen.

[lukebenward]

She's going to side w/ Big Drug Co.'s and large hospitals each and every time I bet.

[lukebenward]

She KEEPS shooting down a "black box" (black box w/ white type) warnings on Tylenol-like products w/ that main ingredient. IS she trying to protect the $$$$ interests of drug companies?

[MediaCritic75]

Ratigan doesn't appeal to me. Snyderman is so mainstream medicine she is boring. I like HD and hope MSNBC will settle on a format that is both interesting and appealing. They seem to be going overboard in filling up all that space right now. CNN hasn't yet gone 100% HD and that is a disappointment since what they do with Anderson Cooper is very good. I agree that CNN has sold out and is pretty boring--All Michael Jackson, all the time, ecch! It is a news story but there are lots of other things going on in the world, Iran, Honduras, healthcare reform, etc.

[honorah131]

I agree, except I find Ratigan more than unappealing (PLEASE STOP YELLING!). Snyderman is rigidly all AMA, we'll hear nothing alternative or forward-thinking from her. And I agree about the Jackson coverage -- please, stop already! At least it's beginning to die down, but I'm still stuck with MJ earworms all day...

[december30]

Dylan Ratigan is too loud and such a know it all. Who wants to watch him is a mystery to me. He is worse than Morning Joe. MSNBC sucks. I am finding it hard to watch anymore.

[Jahbundance]

Ratigan rocks! He's the first talking head since Tim Russert to genuinely outlaw all spin on his show. (O'reilly spins his own.) Example: this morning when the Republican congressman from Michigan started by blaming the Obama administration for GM's bankruptcy, Dylan refused to allow him to continue, and turned to another guest. In two days, I've seen him do this 6 or 7 times. He stops them in their tracks! Yes, he's opinionated but he knows all sides of the issues. Yes, he asks difficult-to-follow multi-part questions of his guests and doesn't allow them time to answer, but it's only his second day and he's coming from hosting a show on CNBC where he had to ride herd. Give him a chance and pray that he continues to force his guests to deal with honest facts only! In that way he can provide a great service for our nation. An informed electorate makes better choices.

[truthglow]

I can't listen long enough to hear this. He's too abrasive and loud. That's not what I want to hear in the morning. I want to hear the news, not fighting and arguing! I had to go back to CNN, after years of watching MSNBC!

[Cubanmom]

Love MSNBC, we watch Keith & Rachel nightly here in the Rocky Mountains. I agree that MSNBC needs to work on their daytime news presentations, their anchors are fine, but they need to work on the news so they can compete against Faux News and CNN.

THANKS MSNBC for being the ONLY Liberal network left! CNN has sold out!

[SandWedge]

It's looked for the past month as if Mika Bzrezinski got a boob job and some collagen. Maybe it was somehow in preparation for the HD switch. Whatever the reason it is silly since it has made her look more fake.

[yoli647]

this morning she was showing her clevage to Joe and staring at him lovingly, sick.

[dj5850]

Look fake......she is fake. The only reason she and that idiot Willie have a job is because of their parents.

[AceOfSpades]

What bothers me is that aside from Carlos and Tamron, which I almost never see because of their time slot, there is absolutely no color on MSNBC. Mind you, I'm not even talking just about Black people. Even though I would rather watch them then the other news networks, it really bothers me that they couldn't find any qualified Black, Asian, Middle Eastern or Latino personalities to host shows.

[bdough]

they are too busy studying for their employment test

[sfirx]

LOL!!!! I guess they figured minorities already have BET, Spanish Channels and channel 18. What do you cal it when you can only find qualified Whites? Maybe they do need an employment test for journalism too and we might see more minorities every night, because what we have is the thought that the majority group will never take the news seriously if we have a minority on the screen. A White guy can have no college education, i.e., Peter Jennings, Rush Limbaugh, and people have no problem referring to them like they are the smartest people in the world. Only in America can this happen. We almost had a VP who had to go to like 6 different colleges in order to graduate, but for some reason people keep comparing her credentials to Obama's. I have no problem with MSNBC lineup, but just want to tell people to not get caught up in this liberal conservative stuff, because they are all pretty much the same thing.