Al Sharpton joins MSNBC
After weeks of speculation, MSNBC announces Al Sharpton will host the 6 p.m. hour weekdays on the network.
Al Sharpton joins MSNBC
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
It's official. The Rev. Al Sharpton will take a full-time gig on MSNBC, beginning Monday.
Sharpton will host the 6 p.m. hour, called PoliticsNation, weekdays on the network, joining the 7-to-10 p.m. lineup of Chris Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell and Rachel Maddow.
"I am very happy and honored to join the MSNBC team as we collectively try to get America to ’Lean Forward,’ " Sharpton said in a statement, echoing the network's official motto, which, executives swear up and down the flagpole, has absolutely nothing to do with the word progressive, or, heaven forfend, liberal. They swear up and down. You decide.
"It is a natural extension of my life work and growth," Sharpton said. "We all learn from our pain and stand up from our stumbling, and one must either learn to lean forward or fall backwards. I'm glad they have given me the opportunity to continue my forward lean."
MSNBC President Phil Griffin met Sharpton more than 20 years ago when Griffin was a Today Show producer and the reverend was a guest, and they've been buddies for years. Sharpton has been filling in in the time slot most of the summer.
Black journalists have complained that Sharpton himself is not a journalist, a profession they see as more appropriate for the 6 p.m. hour. Lots of people have complained that Sharpton helped lobby in favor of the deal that allowed Comcast to purchase NBC-Universal, which owns MSNBC, and many more are sure bring up the Tawana Brawley mess from days gone by in arguing that Sharpton shouldn't be a TV host. His reference to pain and stumbling may refer to that.
No matter. He's the new man in town. “I’m thrilled that he’s now reached a point in his career where he’s able to devote himself to hosting a nightly show,” Griffin said.
This man is neither a Reverand or a journalist. On top of Tawana Brawley, you can add the Duke LaCrosse case, and any other event where headline Al runs to with Jesse to steal camera time and feign outrage util they extort money from companies and communities. Now that MSNBC has hired him, they're going to have a hard time firing him when his ratings start low and remain abysmal. If they try to fire him he'll claim he is being put out by the GOP conspiricy— jcc1960- It's Obama's network, so he probably was pulling the strings to get this POS friend of his on the air. Funny thing - watch the clips of him on youtube making a fool of himself.— Beethoven987
- He is as bad as David Duke.— tr88
- jcc you forgot his involvement in the Freddie's Fashion mart disaster. protesting a dispute between a black landlord and a Jewish tenant, Sharpton inflamed the crowd by telling they need to oust "Jewish interlopers" from Harlem, someone took Sharpton's hatespeech to heart and torched it resulting in 8 dead.http://articles.sfgate.com/1995-12-09/news/17821991_1_clothing-store-record-shack-sikhulu-shange— tr88
- I guess Rev. Wright was already booked.— hey buddy
- hey buddy, since you mentioned reverend wright on the day of the earthquake, I think you might enjoy this. It brings tears to my eyes.//http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHi99Pjqrro
— tr88 - I wonder if O.V.Catto, Fred Hampton or Malcolm X would of accepted a position and full-time gig on MSNBC.— nativeamericaneagle
- Ha ha, as if MSDNC isn’t an enough of a joke they hire a race hustler, shake down artist and racist like “Rev.” Al! His show is kind of funny though; watching a guy calling “conservatives dumb” while reading off a teleprompter with a 1st grade reading level is amusing. Congratulations MSDNC “Rev.” AL is an excellent mouth piece for progressivism; I look forward to the day you TRY to fire him!— CobraKai
- Perfect- He fits in very well with Mr. Radical ManCow, Sgt. (I know nothing, NOTHING!!!) Schultz and the "leg thriller" Madthews!!!...Now Racist Al!! Really, they need to bring back Groucho Olbermann to make it complete...completly INSANE!!! MSNBS...LOL!!!— sarah89
- Right! As if Brainwash TV (Fox Network) is any better, you Philadelphia Racist are a pathetic joke. Why don't you act like real racist and go burn something (sarcasm)!— taycom
- Wow, remind me never to watch this network - although until this article, I assumed it was defunct by now anyway.
Why does anyone watch the Left/Right Wing propaganda networks anyway? All of them have the maturity and discourse of a three year-old. Think for yourselves people.— evolutionary - taycom-racists don't burn things these days they hide behind the fact that they say they support minorities even after 50 years of sutley doing everything to help keep them from progressing foward so they will continue to vote Democratic, all the while blaming the other side for being the racists. Do you really think most people are against Obama because he's black (really only 1/2) or because he has failed to live up to the promises he made and the country is no better than when he came in, no change and little hope??? It's the Libs who have played the race card even after the majority of the folks voted the way they did!! Sad!!— sarah89
- Hey Taycom if calling Sharpton a crumb makes me a racist than I'll wear that tag like a badge of honor.— Bubba James
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