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It’s been a frantic few days at NBC Universal, NBC News, and MSNBC. Immediately after the surprising announcement that former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel would be joining the network “on all platforms” as a paid contributor, a civil war broke out among the liberal broadcasters. One of the senior people at MSNBC flatly stated that McDaniel “would not be appearing” on any shows on that network. Chuck Todd demanded an apology from the management to the 60 Minutes host who conducted the new hire’s first and apparently only interview. And now, the News Group Chairman of parent company NBCUniversal has raised the white flag and announced that McDaniel’s contract would be terminated and she would not be taking up her new role. This begs the obvious question of who is actually in charge at that network. Because it’s clearly not the top management. (Wall Street Journal, subscription required)
NBC News cut ties with Ronna McDaniel mere days after it hired the former Republican National Committee chairwoman as a contributor, a dramatic about-face that followed a very public rebuke from some of its biggest stars.
The move, which was announced Tuesday in a memo, caps a frantic four days for NBC News, which had looked to bring in a conservative voice to its political coverage ahead of the presidential election but instead became the target of broad condemnations from observers and employees alike.
“No organization, particularly a newsroom, can succeed unless it is cohesive and aligned,” Cesar Conde, NBCUniversal’s News Group chairman, wrote in the memo. “Over the last few days, it has become clear that this appointment undermines that goal.
