Cenk Uygur On Leaving MSNBC: Network Told Me To 'Tone It Down,' Didn't Want To 'Challenge Power'

Cenk Uygur--the progressive online talk show host whose brief tenure as an MSNBC anchor ended on Wednesday--tore into the network in a lengthy monologue on Wednesday night, saying he had turned down a smaller role on MSNBC because he had been told he was too combative towards "those in power."

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Speaking on his "Young Turks" show, Uygur said that, though the ratings for his show had been satisfying MSNBC executives, his "tone" had not. According to his version of events, his departure from the network was the culmination of a lnegthy struggle with MSNBC management who wanted him to be more buttoned down.

Uygur said that, in April, MSNBC president Phil Griffin called him in for a talk. Griffin allegedly told him that "people in Washington" were concerned with his tone on the show.

"'Outsiders are cool, but we're the establishment,'" Griffin said, according to Uygur, who said he was also told to book more Republicans on the show. He claimed to have been stunned by the conversation, and said he ignored Griffin's advice.

MORE - with VIDEO:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/21/cenk-uygur-msnbc-leaving_n_905415.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

It's "cool" guys like Phil Griffin and Barack Obama in middle management who keep the Establishment in power. They are "cool" enough to be acceptably tolerable bosses in creative departments, and smart enough to spot and recruit talent, but when it comes down to it, they're just hatchet men for the less cool corporate types upstairs who actually run things.

Don't be fooled by the Phils and the Baracks. They aren't our friends.

:thumbsup:

I'm pretty sure I know who those "people in Washington" are. They're the old guard at NBC - people like Tom Brokaw, the ghost of Tim Russert, and a few sycophants like Chris Matthews, Chucky Toad, and Morning Joke who make a career out of sucking up to them.

They're the same people who got rid of Keith Olbermann and would like nothing better than to shove Rachel Maddow out the door. Fuck the ratings - we don't want any hippies at NBC!

I just don't see how these asswipes are gonna tolerate Sharpton for long.

....I have no doubt he'll use it (as I believe he SHOULD). They'll be trying to straightjacket him too, soon. MSNBC seems to have a bit of a rep for that now - with Keith and now Cenk having virtually the same complaints about them.

Like all "establishment" media, they are a bit narcissistic about their own POWER (need I mention Murdoch?) - and that speaks to fact that these establishment outlets hold far too much power in controlling what we see and hear from them every day.

They serve their own power - not the public. They serve their own profit margins - not the public.

does anyone here believe that it would be illegal to mandate that if your broadcast, cable, (or maybe internet site even) is going to call itself "news" that the corporate owners of that newsroom CANNOT legally be allowed to collect more than, say 10% of revenues generated by that newsroom as profit? Meaning, that 90% of the revenue generated from that broadcast must be put BACK into that newscast in an effort to make it at least somewhat independent from executive meddling and influence? I cannot find a good reason that that couldn't happen....

Opinions?

to implement.

might help to build up the numbers at Current TV, especially if
people like Cenk Uygur join Keith Olbermann.

I sure hope Fox News will be investigated some time on this side of
the Atlantic also.

....the FCC has already stated that it considers the Murdoch scandal limited to the UK so don't expect much there. Of course we know that is not true but the U.S. chooses to wink and look the other way when corporate crime is committed, whereas in other countries it is rooted out and punished.

DFER democrats for ed reform, a bunch of hedge fund bullies paid him off to look the other way while they proceed to destroy public education in New York City.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-04-01/news/29435670_1_national-action-network-sharpton-education-equality-project/2

The lineup look weak with just his show on an island. I'm sure those "Vanguard" shows are good television, but I'd like to see Schuster do a news hour before Keith.

I imagine he'd be one of those who spits when he talks & knocks stuff over because he gets so excited. Not what I want in a newscast.

So, this explains why all morning every morning is dominated by that fuck-head Joe what's his name, dead-intern guy, and the dumb blonde.

MSNBC is not liberal folks. The prime time people are permitted to sing to the choir because everyone else (the non-hard-core political junkies) has turned the channel over to dancing with the stars, etc.

I thought he was starting to hit his stride as an interviewer. I look forward to Al Sharpton growing into his new position as he hones his interviewing skills. Hopefully, he won't back down to pressure either.

no doubt.

Big Ed better be watching his back.

I give him less than 6 months.

Why, folks like Boehner, Cantor, McCain, Bush, Cheney, Bennett, Rove, Hughes, Cheney, Bush, Palin, Bachmann, Bush, McConnell, West, Cheney, Kyl, Hatch, Coburn, Walker, Snyder and the rest can barely get a word in edgewise, confined as they are to every show on Fox, Meet the Press, Face the Nation, The Chris Mathews Show, Morning Joe, and The Next Food Network Star. How would we ever know what any of them thought if they're not on your show, being handled with kid gloves? Straighten up and fly right, Mister!

Very right, that is.

He was no more inflammatory than Ed or Larry. And Al Sharpton just being on Tv makes people's heads explode.

Cenk addressed the other MSNBC hosts in his video, did you watch it? He explains the difference.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x602151

His whole deal is brag how "edgy" and what an "outsider" he is. But Ed Schultz is still louder than he is.

I'll be honest, I was totally indifferent to the guy. Which is probably worse in that business than hating him.