MSNBC Primetime Shake-up. Ed Schultz Moves to 8pm; Lawrence O’Donnell Back to 10pm

[tishaLA]

Ed Schultz, whose “The Ed Show” on MSNBC began the year at 6pmET, before moving to 10pm, is now going to lead off MSNBC’s primetime at 8pm. “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” will move back to its original 10pmET timeslot.

The changes take effect Monday. <...>

MSNBC’s primetime had its last shakeup in January when Keith Olbermann left the network abruptly on a Friday night. The following Monday, O’Donnell began airing at 8pm and Schultz moved to 10pm.

Since Olbermann’s departure, MSNBC has experienced a ratings fall-off at 8pm. For the month of September, “The Last Word” was down double digits: -22% in Total Viewers and -35% in A25-54 viewers vs. last September when Olbermann was in the timeslot. At the same time, Schultz at 10pm has experienced growth, topping CNN’s “AC360″ for the last quarter, but falling behind Cooper for the month of September. Additionally, “The Ed Show” grew MSNBC’s 10pm audience during Q3 +38% in Total Viewers and +22% in A25-54 viewers vs. the show that was in the time period in Q3 2010, which was “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.” TVNewser

Makes sense. Even at 10 ET/7 PT, Ed has been outdrawing LOD. And LOD's delivery seems better suited for a later hour IMO

[RockaFowler]

1. Lawrence fit better at 10p anyway

But this means that Big Ed will become even bigger Head

[dana_b]

2. hmm.. maybe it's not so much that LO

isn't doing well but that more folks are tuning into KO at that time. We'll see after Ed moves to that time slot.

[rurallib]

3. I keep thinking Comcast's next move will be the Michael Steele Show.

[CarmanK]

4. And now ED will be seen on Fridays.

That is good for all of us. Those prison stories are a real mess. Why can't nbc do some real muckraking?? There is so much material out there. I would like to see some real research. Lou Dobbs had a good show with Pilgrim, Romer etc... They knew their stuff. Have to admit, I used to love Wolf Blitzer but lost interest and John King just got on the celebrity wagon. Where is Brown??

[YvonneCa]

5. I pretty much stopped watching MSNBC at all...

...after Keith left. They took on such a centrist posture that they seemed to shut out progressive discussion. I've noticed that...since OWS has pushed back from the left...they seem to be trying to recapture their progressive audience. JMO.

I'll continue to watch Keith...at 5, 8, 11p.m. and again at 9a.m. in the morning here on the west coast. :7 And I will catch Rachel sometimes in between...

[KittyWampus]

6. I have some sitcoms that go on at 8, so I'm glad about this. I'd prefer to catch L.O. at 10

[flamingdem]

7. Good. Working people go to sleep by 10pm, that's Ed's constituency

Lawrence is better at 10

[badhair77]

8. This means no LO on Fri nights.

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. That's what they get for dumping KO! His viewers followed him to Current.

The same thing will happen to Ed. I'll just catch Ed's show when it repeats later. :)

MSNBC isn't very bright. This is the same network that FIRED Phil Donahue, who had the HIGHEST RATINGS ON MSNBC at the time, just because he wouldn't be a cheerleader for the idiot-in-chief's war in Iraq. Can you imagine canceling a show that had the highest ratings on your network? STUPID!

[musiclawyer]

10. You are missing a lot by not watching Lawrence

He may mot have starpower like Keith and loudness like Ed but he's like an insider telling you what's really going on in DC He predicts pretty much....everything correctly months in advance. Small example, Donald Trump flameout (using politics for tv ratings only). Big example, the GOP torching POTUS in the debt ceiling debacle. Yesterday he did a cutting edge shame/hypocricy piece on Congress for not legalizing marijuana. NO ONE in the mainstream media has called out Congress for this until LO did.

That being said, I can see why ED would go first. He's right for the times--populist, aggressive and loud. Less wonky. He has carved his own niche among working folks. I'm sure MSNBC has run he demographics and thinks Ed can improve that timeslot.

[tishaLA]

11. Like he predicted T-Paw as the republicon nominee?

Or that there was NO WAY the health care reform was going to pass? Yes, LOD likes to repeat clips when he gets things right, but he's often wrong, too.

Anyhow, I do watch him most of the time. But I think his slow, quiet style is better suited for later in the evening.

[Snotcicles]

12. They should have put L.O. at 7PM Schultz at 8PM and the tweety rerun at 10PM.

But we are talking about MSNBC here.

[justiceischeap]

13. Better yet, extend Rachel to two hours instead of one. nt

[Snotcicles]

15. I'm following Lawrence O'Donnell. Regardless of what MSNBC does. nt

[madrchsod]

14. sounds a lot better....