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

[michiganman2]

when is msnbc HD coming to comcast??????

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

My question also--time to write to Comcast and request/complain.
http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/contactus/ContactUs.html

[Marcospinelli]

With the results of the last two elections, the American people have signaled that they reject Republicans, conservatives, and yet that hasn't been reflected in the media. Not on MSNBC, obviously not on Fox (Fox even lost their token faux-liberal, Alan Combes), and certainly not on CNN. The problem is not just with the hosts on these networks, but with the guests brought on to discuss whatever the big story of the day is.

The only result of the elections, particularly the 2008 one, has been the rolling out of unknown 20-something political analysts who interrupt each other as they spew their political party's talking points. There is no considered discussion, original content. If you tune into MSNBC throughout the day, it's as if it's the same script replayed all day on different hosts' programs -- It's like watching the same play performed by different high school casts all day long.

True liberal voices and perspectives rarely get presented on the cable channels. Free Speech TV is the only reliable source, but consider that that range of programming comes at the price of premium cable packaging.

The Fairness Doctrine went a long way to balancing out political and intellectual thought and discussion in US media. There's a direct correlation between Reagan's elimination of the Fairness Doctrine and Republicans' dominating US politics and government.

Corporate media can't be trusted to present all sides to an issue on its own -- It requires regulation to make it happen.

[SvrWx]

So, you are not about free market? About the market deciding what people will watch? If people don't want to watch MSNBC, then they won't. Why do you think that O'Reilly has the biggest audience?

[JustJoy7]

Because there are more gullible dummies than there are smarties. Some people can read, others have to be read to. Some people can think, others have to rely on the O'Reilly's of the world to think for them. Why couldn't you have figured that out.

[bloodyhands]

Truer words were never spoken.

It's not a matter of free enterprise.
It's about monopolies and the damage they do to the free market.

[dillydawg]

Well said. Faved.

[Dbos]

How about bringing back BOzos circus

[lincheryl]

Try Fox News at any time of day.

[knute123]

I was pretty bummed in the lineup change this morning. I don't want two hours of Dr. Nancy when I'm getting ready for work. I want Contessa! I want news...not just healthcare news.

I'll give it a chance, but I'm not liking it yet.

[cosmicbullfight]

I agree. I can't imagine why MSNBC wouldn't stick to a rolling news block in mid-morning to challenge the Newsroom on CNN.

[takeyourballandgohome]

I got a clip of Dr. Chopra and Dr. Nancy with Meredith this a.m. Scheduling does not allow me to watch many segments. I was embarrassed for Dr. Chopra as Meredith only used him as a prop for Dr. NAncy, who not all of us enjoy listening to. I agree also with 'the face'...what on earth is wrong with these people!!!!

[rhettab]

Where's Norah O'Donnell??? I think she's wonderful and even straight women like to look at her.

[ECB]

Where's Contessa ?

[rhondadavis28]

yes norah contessa .....where are you

not a fan of the 6am till 1pm lineup

wait for Andrea then 5-10 all good

ed little too extreme too

[GiannaX]

I definitely won't miss Contessa and that Melissa person from CNBC. The two together gave new meaning to the word airhead.

[GiannaX]

I believe Norah did a piece on the Today show this a.m. Maybe she's working for the network now?

[realpolitic]

Dylan Ratigan is a very good reporter who is on the side of the little people.

[Rolfe Norman]

I love MSNBC's new look. I'm looking forward to catching Dylan Ratigan's new show. I also love the two-hour block with David Shuster and Tamron Hall. MSNBC is building a pretty good line-up!

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

Nooooo, not Tamron, say it ain't so. I like her, but not for hard news.

[lincheryl]

Shuster is one of my favs. Reports the facts, is fair, and is not in a vanity/ego place. I wish he would get the morning show. His personality lends itself to morning much more than ranting Joe and clueless Mika.

[Bulbul]

Nancy was on GMA for many years..
Other day when I saw her on NBC eve. news. I did not know who she was and the voice was the giveaway.
A lift here , a tug there is one thing, this face have been stretched drastically, and it was pretty to begin with..Why ?
Go figure...

[SotallyTober]

Sorry, Dr. Nancy's show just doesn't do it for me. I switched to the cooking channel instead.

[agandia]

Rachel Maddow's show was awful at first. Now it is the best hour of television political commentary around.

[arcanepsyche]

I think it's the exact opposite. Her show is starting to suck recently.

[takeyourballandgohome]

Never awful, but I agree. I waited in anticipcation for her first show, emailed her/it but no reply...told many about it, only to have KO as her guest for most of the show.

[nodakjob]

RAchel Maddow ROCKS!!!

[BeachBubbaTex]

Rachel is just one of those people who I never can criticize for long. Even when she goes on a week-long tear (used to do it all the time on radio)... I always came away more enlightened. I also love her choice of guests.

NBC didn't have the rocks or they would have made her host of Meet the Press.

[MyGuyO]

Watched Miss Nancy this morning, but I didn't get a good feel for the show. I tuned out about 1/2 hr. into it. Will give it more time. (Aside,I remember Doc Nancy when she was co ancher on Good Morning America with Charlie Gibson and Joan Lundon.).

As to MSNBCs new graphics, like the background, but please do we have to have the stock market numbers on all the time!

Have a 52" tv ...the reason it was bought was for the wide screen, see big clear picture. We also have the feature where can turn on "captions" w/sound off. Now with all stations blocking out the screen with many smaller boxes featuring different feeds it defeats the purpose of having a large screen TV not to mention all the news writings all over the screen. Pretty soon we will be reading news sideways on the screen.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

Pretty soon we'll go back to reading newspapers

[SuesW]

lol

[nodakjob]

I've always liked Dr. Nancy Snyderman, but quite honestly a half-hour medical show is a great plenty regardless of how wonderful is the show's host.

[BeachBubbaTex]

Why not focus on weekend programming? High def "Ed"? That's the surest path to the wallets of the millennial generation?

[libster4]

and get rid of those gawd awful prison documentaries~

[arcanepsyche]

That makes them the most money, so they won't stop airing it until there's a more profitable alternative.

[lincheryl]

Does anyone actually watch those?

[underoath]

The screen change i guess is supposed to look like a computer.

[arcanepsyche]

Quite obviously.

[LeftWingX10]

Dylan Ratigan . I knew those Berkeley roots would sprout at the Pro-Regressive MSLSD ..
let the Weeping & Blaming begin . . how about the tagline . . ."Bush Did It" . . I like it

[michiganman2]

does anybody know when comcast is supposed to get msnbcHD?

[GeorgeP922]

This is gonna suck, I DVR the shows every night, and now in HD they will kill my weak 2001 technology Motorolla DVR that does what, 10 hours of HD?

[KataVideo]

The light on my vcr has been blinking "12:00am" for the last 20 years.