MSNBC’s Ed Schultz Leaving Primetime, Moving to Weekends
In a shocking announcement on March 13, Ed Schultz announced that his nightly show The Ed Show on MSNBC will be ending in April. Schultz will move from 8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday to a Saturday-Sunday show from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
In his reasoning for the switch, Schultz tried to spin his move as a "big opportunity:"
MSNBC will be expanding its weekend programming and this opens a big opportunity for "The Ed Show" and my brand…I want you to know that I raised my hand for this assignment for a number of personal and professional reasons. My fight on "The Ed Show" has been for the workers and the middle class in this country. This new time slot will give me the opportunity to produce and focus stories I care about and I know are terribly important to American families and American workers. [See video after jump.]
Schultz then reiterated to his audience that:
I'm going to be here at MSNBC for a long time. I'm not going anywhere. I invite all of you to join me Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This will start in April.
Recently, rumors have surfaced that MSNBC was looking to remove Schultz from its primetime lineup, potentially replacing him with Ezra Klein from The Washington Post.
Of course, no details of his replacement have been made at this point. Schultz will now join the MSNBC weekend programming which features To Catch a Predator and Lockup.
See relevant transcript below.
MSNBC
The Ed Show
March 13, 2013
8:58 p.m. EDT
ED SCHULTZ: The big finish tonight, a big personal and professional announcement. MSNBC will be expanding its weekend programming and this opens a big opportunity for "The Ed Show" and my brand. I will be leaving this time slot at 8:00 p.m. eastern and moving to Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. I want you to know that I raised my hand for this assignment for a number of personal and professional reasons. My fight on "The Ed Show" has been for the workers and the middle class in this country. This new time slot will give me the opportunity to produce and focus stories I care about and I know are terribly important to American families and American workers. I am proud of the work our team has done here at 8:00 but I have to tell you, sitting behind this desk five nights a week just doesn't cut it for me. I want to get out with the people like I did in Wisconsin. I want to get out and tell their stories all over the country. This show has been a show that has been a voice for the voiceless. That really was my mission when I came here to MSNBC and it remains. I'm going to be here at MSNBC for a long time. I'm not going anywhere. I invite all of you to join me Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This will start in April.
