May 26, 2012

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Kos Kids Complain About Not Being Able to Get Their MSNBC

By Noel Sheppard | May 03, 2009 | 11:13

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I want my, I want my MSNBC!

So screamed Daily Kos readers Saturday in a post destined to fill your Sunday morning with a much-needed chuckle:

In the past few weeks, it has come to my personal attention that one cable or satellite company after another has been quietly moving MSNBC away from the news channel section of their lineup and into the premium section, or into the stratosphere of three and four digit channels.

As a result, when the ratings came out this week, it was no surprise to see how MSNBC is now a distant third behind CNN and FOX.

The hysterical conclusion:

If we don't do anything about this, we may lose MSNBC's liberal voice all together.

Oh the humanity.

Of course, at least this writer is willing to admit that MSNBC is a liberal voice. But that's where the sanity ended:

Billsreef's diary is one of a half dozen or so stories I've heard in as many days cable and satellite companies have been quietly, stealthily, and with all sorts of bogus excuses, moving MSNBC out of basic cable, and hiding it somewhere else in their lineup.

They can come up with whatever lying excuses they want, but its obvious they do not want people to see a progressive message.

They do not want people to see a progressive message. Hmmm. So what are people getting from ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and PBS?

That asked, as you likely foresaw, all such irrational paranoia must have a conspiracy theory:

Just a few days ago the numbers came out, and as would be expected, MSNBC's ratings have plummeted in comparison while the other "news" networks' ratings have been going up far more rapidly.

If we don't do something, they will use this as an excuse to end liberal programming.

End liberal programming! Bear in mind that these same people advocate a reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine so as to eliminate conservative talk radio. Yet, despite virtually all media watchdogs as well as polls finding a distinct liberal bias in the press, the Kossacks actually believe MSNBC is the only liberal voice out there.

And here's the solution:

What is needed is true network neutrality. and cable companies should not have control like this to put whatever stations they feel like, wherever they like.

Yep! Cable and satellite companies should not have control over what networks they will offer to viewers, what they will charge for such, and where said channel can be found in the lineup.

Sadly, one could imagine the Obama administration and many in his Party agreeing with them.

With that all as pretext, readers should be aware that cable and satellite companies have not dropped MSNBC. Instead, in some cases, and for whatever the reason, its accessability may have become more expensive and its position in the channel lineup may have changed.

As such, all any of those impacted by these changes need do to remedy the situation is pony up a couple of extra dollars per month and either do an on air search for their propaganda outlet of choice OR -- wait for it -- look at the printed cheat sheet their provider gives them.

Or call their provider and ask where the station has been moved to.

This isn't rocket science.

With that in mind (to Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing"):

Now look at them librals, that's the way you do it
You place anchors on MSNBC
That ain't journalism that's the way you skew it
Cadres for nothin' and your votes for free!

*****Update: I'm getting e-mail messages from all over North America concerning this issue, and wanted to add that cable and satellite providers do INDEED make pricing and placement decisions based upon -- wait for it!!! -- capitalist, free market principles. These may include what they are being charged by the networks in question, and what the ratings are for those networks.

Horrors!

Without checking EVERY provider, I will first refer to the one I currently have. On ATT Uverse, all three cable news channels (CNN, FNC, and MSNBC) are available with basic service. They are also all nearby one another in the channel lineup.

Prior to Uverse, I had Dish Network. Both CNN and FNC are available with basic service. MSNBC costs three dollars more per month, but is near the other two in the channel lineup.

A quick check of DirectTV finds all three networks available in that provider's Choice Package. I can't tell from their website how near these channels are to one another in the lineup.

Comcast in my area offers all three in its standard package with them quite proximate to each other.

As such, in my area, only one of the four prominent providers charges more for MSNBC than CNN and FNC. However, it is in my opinion a more expensive provider in general. That's why we dumped it in December!

Hint, hint!