Carlson spoke admiringly of her in a 2019 New York Times Magazine profile, and when his name came up as we fished, Maddow recalled bumping into him at an event for the first time in a long time. According to data from MoffettNathanson, Maddows ratings share in 202111 percent of MSNBCs total ratingswas higher than that of any other solo host in all of cable. I wanted tips from him about how to be better on TV. Wagner rejoined MSNBC this past February as a senior analyst and substitute anchor, which positioned her for the elevation to 9 p.m. To say shes got a tall order would be an understatement, but MSNBC president Rashida Jones doesnt see it that way. I think, writ large, if they ended up with, like, a hit award-winning podcast, and a hit movie, and a docuseries, and a serial TV show, and Im covering the State of the Union, and some of the time Im doing The Rachel Maddow Show, thats probably a better deal for them long-run than me just doing TRMS and killing myself and not being able to do anything and, ultimately, having a shorter career because Im burning myself out. I didnt end up doing much work.. MSNBC named Alex Wagner as Rachel Maddows timeslot replacement for the four days a week the network's biggest star is not on the air, but insiders have questioned why executives would attempt to replace Maddow with a previously canceled host who "never moved the needle on television.". And on Monday, out on the lake, as we drilled small holes and fiddled with our tip-up traps and Vexilar transducersits a more high-tech sport than youd thinkit occurred to Maddow that this was the first Monday in 13 years that she wasnt about to be live on air five nights a week, with no end in sight. A stark admission to avoid culpability took place. Rachel Maddow is staying at MSNBC - but not in the same role she has held for the past thirteen years. I was underneath my desk trying to plug in the laptop, she recalled. And I want my staff to all stay employed, and I want them to be able to shift between different types of projects, just as I am., Did she think they would agree to all of that? The early days of her MSNBC program featured amiable debates with Pat Buchanan. The journalist had been filling one of the top time slots, 9 p.m. every weeknight, but decided to scale back her program to pursue other projects. ", MSNBC FLOPS IN MAY: NETWORK HAD SMALLEST MONTHLY AUDIENCE SINCE 1999 AMONG VIEWERS COVETED BY ADVERTISERS. The story of George W. Bush getting a sweet gig in the National Guard so he didnt have to go fight in Vietnam was true. At this point in our conversation, Maddow did something very Maddow, reaching back into the past to make a point about the present. Maddows other projects include another podcast, another book, two potential movies and two potential TV shows, one of which actually sounds a little more than potential. Long enough that when she had a melanoma scare within months of Mikula ending up on deaths door with COVID, it sunk in that she didnt want to be working 60 hours a week until she retires. e on-air personality for more than a decade Credit: Getty The podcast, scheduled to debut this fall, was her first pitch under the Surprise Inside umbrella. "The Rachel Maddow Show" has been without its namesake host since February, when she announced a several-week hiatus to work on other projects. Fourth Watch editor Steve Krakauer, a former CNN producer who now covers the media industry, feels the "bizarre arrangement" is not going to solve the networks ratings issues. In a 17-minute, 26-second monologue that kicked off the May 16 episode, two days after 10 African Americans were gunned down by a white supremacist inside a Buffalo supermarket, Maddow gave viewers a long and winding history lesson that stretched back to the 1940s, when a fascist mob set upon Black workers in Detroit and Theodore Bilbo embraced the now ubiquitous great replacement theory during his Senate reelection campaign. Maddow, at 49, has been behind the desk for almost a decade and a half. It may surprise people to hear Maddow speak so matter-of-factly about someone whose views are abhorrent to her. For all intents and purposes, that's a pretty fancy and expensive way of saying she's in between jobs at the moment, the same answer many of us give when asked what we're up to these days. The last time she and I caught up before my final deadline in mid-June, it was the thick of the January 6 hearings. Google Doodle celebrates 'La Superba', Tornado warning in Little Rock, Arkansas as residents shelter from 'extremely dangerous, potentially deadly' twister, Seven chilling clues in Ariana Taylor's disappearance after doll mistaken for missing mom's body and crashed car found, 5 shock details in Isabelle 'Izzy' Tichenor suicide from 'bullying' claims to teacher 'telling girl, 10, she smelled', Urgent warning for dog owners over dangerous BBQ brush after pet almost died twice. Maddow had been absent from her show since February but doesn't think she will go on another hiatus. 1 Rachel Maddow has been MSNBC's most high-profile. "The show was canceled, and she left and ended up at The Atlantic. It was a big moment for the network, and Maddow was fully in the game, not off burying her nose in historical research for some project that wouldnt see the light of day until months or years down the line. We met up in the parking lot of a frozen lake rimmed by low-slung mountains, Maddow in buffalo plaid, a baseball cap emblazoned with the logo for YUM fishing baits, and tortoiseshell Coke-bottle glasses that the folks at home dont get to see when shes all made up for the cameras. During Maddows absence, her show averaged 1.6 million viewers compared to 3.1 million for Fox News "Hannity," which airs in the same 9 p.m. Its potentially higher risk, higher reward, right? Its MSNBC., Maddows view of the industry is less fatalistic, if a bit jaded. Like, Im not becoming a painter., Nonetheless, you can see why Maddows retreat from the nightly schedule is a pickle for the suits at 30 Rock. Krakauer understands why MSNBC would attempt such a bizarre scenario, as Maddow remains the "undisputed ratings draw for the network, and if they lose her entirely they need to essentially build primetime from square one," but he does not think it will be a successful arrangement. Maddow has signed a new multi-year deal with MSNBC's parent NBCUniversal, as Insider's. Mark McKinnon, a political consultant, said that Wagner might be able to bring a refreshing shift to the cable news format. Trumps Relationship With Jared and Ivanka, Blood & Ink: The Scandalous Jazz Age Double Murder That Hooked America on True Crime. But it is an old idea. Air America Radio broadcast the same-named syndicated talk show Rachel hosted for five years from 2005 to 2010. The Rachel Maddow Show is one of the highest-rated programs in cable news, and its host is an influential voice for American liberals. They talked to Spotify, Showtime, CNN. Top-rated MSNBC host Rachel Maddow plans to return to her desk at the network on Monday after taking a month-long hiatus for a film project. The 49-year-old journalist revealed that she will. But contrary to popular belief, she hasn't actually stepped down from doing any work. In a worst-case scenario, youre supposed to pull apart the orange handle things, stab the ice in front of you, and claw your way back onto solid ground. Vanity Fair writes that Rachel's contract allows her to "pursue projects in a wide range of formats, from documentaries and streaming specials to movies and books.". Plaintiff Devin Nunes, a former Member of the House of Representatives, alleges that he was defamed by defendant NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Rachel Maddow ditched MSNBC for several week to work on other projects. Perhaps thats why she so firmly rejected the premise of my follow-ups about staying relevant and her legacy and all of that. She has at times eked out wins over rival Sean Hannity while keeping CNNs rotating cast of 9 p.m. hosts in third placeoften distantlyever since The Rachel Maddow Show started to regularly trounce Larry King Live more than a decade ago. Legal Statement. See you! The world is on firefiguratively and literally. My focus is less about: How does this one hour perform in this one space? she tells me. MSNBC TAPS ALEX WAGNER TO FILL RACHEL MADDOW VOID DESPITE NETWORK'S HISTORY OF SCRAPPING HER PROGRAMS, "Alex Wagners 4 p.m. show there was a disaster both in ratings and behind the scenes where it was known for chaotic management," the former staffer continued. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. An MSNBC spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the show will be called MSNBC Prime when Maddow is absent. (The much-maligned segment, to be fair, was the spark that ignited a landmark New York Times investigation that did manage to unearth the mother lode of Trumps tax returns, as Times reporter Susanne Craig explained during an appearance on Maddows show the following year.). "By structuring the hour this way, MSNBC isn't giving its audience the host it craves for more than 20% of the week, while hampering Wagner or whoever got the job from being able to fully establish the hour for themselves," he continued. But just in case., It was a Monday in early February, on Maddows home turf of Western Massachusetts. But why she is stepping away from her show and Where Is Rachel Maddow This Week are something that all are in search of. Amid a history of receiving hate mail and death threats, health scares, and having to cover awful current events on a daily basis, it would make sense for even a public figure like her to want to step away from a bit. Rachel told the magazine. Thats radical. So I said, Okay, lets see if it works. She did that first day, she beat Larry Kingvirtually unheard of at the timeand she created something brand new., Those epic openers continue to distinguish Maddows now weekly show. Todays day one, she said. I mean, I know 49 is old, she said with a hint of sarcasm, but Ive just done, like, eight hours of live prime-time television in the past week. Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. I feel like Im on the edge of my seat, and Im convinced of the IMPORTANCE OF THIS MOMENT., Back on her porch, Maddow talked about the physical toll her work had taken over the yearsschlepping back and forth between Manhattan and Massachusetts every week, feverishly toiling at a desk 10 hours a day, every day, with bad posture and a dash of scoliosis. What will success look like for, say, a long-form Rachel Maddow podcast, or limited series, or film adaptation? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. None of us could have ever guessed this trajectory., Local radio led to Air America, which led to regular appearances on MSNBC, which led to a political analyst gig, which led to substitute hosting for Countdown With Keith Olbermann, and, finally, just two months before Barack Obamas historic election, Maddows own hour as Olbermanns lead-in. Maddow is one of the highest-paid news anchors on television, earning $7million annually as a news anchor at MSNBC, according toThe Street. The Rachel Maddow Show (also abbreviated TRMS) is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET time slot Monday evenings. All rights reserved. A court decision came in with a pure document-dump timing this past weekend. Fox News Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. NEWS reporter Rachel Maddow will officially continue her other projects outside her show, while MSNBC named a permanent replacement host for the show on June 27, 2022. Experts question whether Wagner has the charisma and brand power to draw such a massive audience. Story tips can be sent tobrian.flood@fox.comand on Twitter: @briansflood. "One day of Maddow is better than zero," Krakauer said. It is not a new concept, she said, her voice rising as she peered into the camera. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "I'm going to. Fans of the MSNBC nightly news-focused show hosted by Rachel Maddow have had to adjust since she left the five-day-a-week format in May. The show now only airs weekly on Monday evenings on MSNBC as opposed to the nightly time slot it once held throughout the week. Before we set off, she showed me the cozy lakefront fixer-upper shed purchased weeks earlier with her longtime partner, the photographer Susan Mikula, about 30 minutes from the couples 164-year-old farmhouse. MSNBCs other crown jewel, Morning Joe, is the networks power center, commanding influence within the establishment corridors of New York and Washington. As per the NY Times, she went on a hiatus since she was engaged in several other works at the same time.She had some podcast projects to focus on and to produce for her upcoming novel-based movie, Bag Man. Chuck Todds weekday show was moved to the NBC News streaming network as well. All rights reserved. Long enough that she had begun to worry, as she explained to me between nips from the pickerel down below, that she was losing the ability to be able to sort of have the energy and the intellectual bandwidth to do other kinds of work.. But he was always kicking around the business and has always been talented. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. All ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research. But he was always kicking around the business and has always been talented. But in this environment, where we know the cable universe is changing, this allows us to get more Rachel in more places., Changing indeed: With viewers increasingly unmoored from their traditional cable packages, MSNBCs linear television business was in a dicey position even without the headache of losing a ratings powerhouse four nights a week. Outside of Trump beginning his 2024 campaign this weekend, I don't see a way for MSNBC to regain its primetime ratings unless Maddow decides to re-engage with the network, or leaves entirely and allows them to rebuild from the ground up. Through my own reporting, I was able to piece together how it all went down. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. During the first week of her hiatus this past February, the 9 p.m. audience plummeted 26 percent and stayed down for weeks before soaring back above 2 million upon her April 11 return. It has been reported that shes looking to scale back or even exit her daily program because of professional burnout. The second quarter also featured Maddow scaling back her workload to once a week, as she began hosting "The Rachel Maddow Show" only on Monday nights last month. A few months later, I asked Maddow what she thought of the Times recent series that unpacked how Fox News Channels number one host weaponizes his viewers fears and grievances to create what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news. What Maddow found most interesting about the series, she told me, was an interactive analyzing Carlsons rhetoric from 1,150 episodes of Tucker Carlson Tonight. The critical takes of her Russiagate coverage didnt just come from Maddows tormentors on the right. Americans rights are being rolled back. Rachel announced last month that she would host her show only on Monday nights starting next week as opposed to five nights a week. Maniacs and racists massacre innocent people, innocent children, and our leaders are too polarized, or too feckless, to take any meaningful action. Brad Adgate, an industry analyst, told the Post that a challenge will be getting viewers to feel the urgency to watch Wagners show that they felt for watching Maddow. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Im gonna be here every night working for the next few weeks or so. I reframed the question: What does she want her legacy to be? ET. Maddow was embarking on a new chapter in her career, a foray into the wilds of our multiplatform media future, in which her success and influence would no longer be so neatly quantifiable. Then Jimmy Horowitz, who oversees global dealmaking for NBCUniversals film and television portfolio, negotiated the salary. Rachel's MSNBC show's schedule has changed. It was really nice to see him, she said. Im still working! That was great. And thats not a fatalistic thing. The temperature had plunged to something like 12 degrees over the weekend, but now it was in the mid-30s, ideal for our piscatorial excursion: more than enough ice to minimize your risk of a frosty death, warm enough to keep your hands from falling off. She told Stephen Colbert in 2019 that she had a lot of respect for Sean Hannity. MNSBC's Rachel Maddow reveals real reason her show is now on once a week as fans slam host for 'quietly quitting' Chris Bradford Published: 7:38 ET, Apr 12 2022 Updated: 11:29 ET, Apr 12 2022 PRESENTER Rachel Maddow will only host her show once a week from May following her two-month hiatus. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The eleven people, speaking on the condition of anonymity with CNN , said the move is a "significant challenge" that will leave MSNBC looking for a new plan for the 9 . Jeff Zucker, president of CNN at the time, toyed with the idea of hiring Maddow for the networks ill-fated streaming service, CNN+. Like, this is high stakes, really important, and DETERMINATIVE OF OUR FUTURE as a country. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The judge concluded that Maddow was far too silly to be taken as a credible news source. I dont know anybody whos ever asked for it. Its potentially higher risk, higher reward, right? Distractify is a registered trademark. MSNBCs "The Rachel Maddow Show" has struggled without its namesake host. Intrigue began swirling last summer with leaks that Maddow was thinking about leaving the network for new opportunities. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public profile via her frequent appearances as a progressive pundit on programs aired by MSNBC. It is an old and stupid and dangerous idea. "The widespread conventional wisdom among 30 Rock insiders and TV news veterans is that, when it comes to Maddow, MSNBC never had a bench.".