Demote \De*mote"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demoted; p. pr. & vb. n. Demoting.] [Pref. de- + mote, as in promote; cf. L. demovere to remove.] To reduce to a lower grade, as in school.
Commentary: MSNBC apparently was stung by liberal-bias blasts
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- MSNBC's Bully Boys, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, have apparently been overshadowed by Tom Brokaw.
Olbermann and Matthews had been dominating the network's content -- and image. They gained a reputation for shrill, liberal, utterly unbalanced chatter, creating an image for MSNBC as the Fox News Channel of the left (although Fox has routinely crushed MSNBC in the crucial component of audience ratings).
Olbermann and Matthews received a public rebuke over the weekend, though. The New York Times (NYT:15.25, +0.02, +0.1%)reported that the network, a unit of General Electric (GE:, , ) , has lowered their profiles from anchors to analysts. Meanwhile, David Gregory's star rises, as he will be the anchor during the coverage of the upcoming presidential debates. Read New York Times story.
I wouldn't be surprised if Brokaw had had enough with the Bully Boys. During a panel discussion in Denver, Brokaw said Olbermann and Matthews had "gone too far" at times. He stressed that they were "not the only voices" on MSNBC, the Times said, citing the Washington Post.
The NBC News community admires Brokaw so much that his sentiment might as well have appeared in 128-point type.
Brokaw and Williams
Perhaps Brokaw -- with the backup of Brian Williams, his colleague and successor as evening-news anchor -- intervened at NBC and suggested (strongly) that MSNBC was becoming a captive of the left and an embarrassment to NBC News' reputation. The Times correctly described Matthews and Olbermann as "politically incendiary hosts."
Video: Media Web Minute
Jon Friedman says the news network is seeking a more objective tone in contrast with the liberal identity established by Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann. (Sept. 9)
Don't think that MSNBC is completely severing its ties with the left. Liberal radio star Rachel Maddow recently joined MSNBC as the host of a prime time program. And, even in their new roles, somehow I doubt that Olbermann and Matthews' voices will be muted much.
As always, ratings are what count in television programming. MSNBC almost doubled its total audience compared with its performance at the 2004 national conventions but it remained mired behind News Corp.'s (NWS:, , ) Fox News and Time Warner's (TWX:, , ) CNN. (News Corp. is the parent of MarketWatch, the publisher of this report).
Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, told the Times: "The bottom line is that we're experiencing incredible success."
MSNBC has long perplexed the leaders of NBC and parent GE. Its Web site has received honors and awards for excellent coverage. But the cable network has struggled to attract a large audience.
Olbermann, in particular, has tried to create a distinct style. He has made no bones about his distaste for President Bush's policies and has succeeded in attracting plenty of publicity for his attacks on Fox's Bill O'Reilly, the No. 1 star in cable news. Interestingly, you could make the case that Olbermann is to the left what O'Reilly is to the right -- an outspoken, brusque, uncompromising hero.
It must irk Olbermann that MSNBC is giving him a lower profile. He has, in the newly minted tradition of CNN's Lou Dobbs, sought to become the face and voice of his cable network by latching on to a cause. Dobbs is now synonymous with the hot-button immigration issue. Olbermann has criticized Bush in strong terms.
With support waning for the war in Iraq and the current administration dropping the ball on everything from Hurricane Katrina relief to gas prices at the pump, Americans have become disillusioned with Bush's rhetoric.
Olbermann shrewdly sensed the rising tide and jumped into the fray in the hope that his brand of tough talk would solidify his hold on MSNBC in time for the 2008 presidential election. Traditionally, the network's stars rise and fall on the basis of their reviews during a presidential campaign.
But the influential Brokaw, it would seem, has reminded NBC News that a pretense of objectivity and decorum means more than loud chatter.
Olbermann and Matthews should've seen this coming, in a way. When Tim Russert died unexpectedly of heart disease a few months ago, NBC immediately appointed Brokaw to fill his seat on "Meet the Press."
Brokaw's star, once again, is on the rise -- and so is his influence at NBC.
But the Bully Boys are on the decline at MSNBC, for now.
MEDIA WEB QUESITON OF THE DAY: Do you believe that Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams trumped Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews?
Feel free to send email to jfriedman@marketwatch.com or join the online community of Media Web readers by posting comments directly to the MarketWatch.com site. 
Jon Friedman is a senior columnist for MarketWatch in New York.
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