NEW YORK — Since MSNBC switched on a decade ago, the question has hung over its executives' heads: Is there really a need for three all-news networks?
MSNBC's energetic legal correspondent turned general manager, Dan Abrams, said it's a fair query, but one that really should be addressed to his competitors at CNN. "I have no interest in being anything like CNN," said Abrams, a surprise appointment to replace Rick Kaplan last month. "The biggest weakness of CNN is I often find myself dozing off as I am watching. I rarely find CNN's coverage to be compelling."
In contrast, Abrams is determined to make MSNBC's programming "a little edgier, a little faster and more urgent" than before. Clearly, he's not afraid to fight, which may be a useful trait. MSNBC, which celebrated its 10th anniversary over the weekend, has spent virtually all its existence behind Fox News Channel and CNN in the ratings, groping for an identity and even a reason to exist.
Abrams, 40, is the ultimate example of what can happen to the office busybody. After years of peppering his bosses with memos and suggestions about what MSNBC could do better, they finally said, "OK, you try it."
Veteran executive Phil Griffin is watching over the first-time manager from NBC News headquarters in New York. "He has a passion and love for MSNBC and cable news and that's what you need," Griffin said. "He understands. He's been there and he's seen what's worked and what hasn't worked, and that is so important to us going forward."
Abrams has moved swiftly to make changes. Tucker Carlson's show was shifted to the late afternoon to fill Abrams' old time slot, renamed "Tucker" and beefed up with new segments like "Beat the Press," a daily review of news coverage. It even praised CNN's Larry King last week for his reporting on the scene of a New York building collapse.
Joe Scarborough's hour is being refocused to concentrate on news of interest between the two coasts.
The boldest move was to cancel Rita Cosby's show and institute a two-hour block of documentaries starting at 7 p.m., the prime-time centerpiece in the West. The "Dateline NBC" production team has contributed shows on life inside a prison, illegal border crossings, how crystal meth affects users and what states do to remove children from unsafe homes.
Test-driven on weekends, these documentaries draw bigger audiences than MSNBC's talk shows and are something the network does better than its rivals, Griffin said.
