NBC hires and then quickly fires Ronna McDaniel after backlash from on-air hosts

[bmw]

I decided to post this here rather than in the politics forum because I'm more curious about the broadcasting side of this than the politics. NBC hired former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor, and then quite a few of various NBC and MSNBC hosts, including Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and others used their airtime on the network during their shows to publicly criticize the move.

NBC has since decided to fire McDaniel.

Is this normal behavior in the broadcasting industry, that on-air personalities can use their airtime to criticize hiring or firing decisions made by their boss, and then their boss actually changes course? Or would the normal course of action be the critics getting fired?

[zzand]

It would seem to me that having the point of view from the other party would make for interesting viewing. It seems in this case the talent didn't want the opposite point of view because it would blow up a lot of the misinformation that is a hallmark of their broadcasts and the network caved. I hope she takes whatever legal action maybe available to her.

[km1125]

Not "normal" but probably just the beginning of a trend.

[Round Six]

Does seem odd these commentators will face no backlash for critiquing their bosses. Pretty much what they did. Grumble and gripe over the air that those in authority over them made bad choices.

[MWmetalhead]

McDaniel's RNC bashed the MSM news organizations regularly and characterized election coverage as "fake." Well-seasoned journalists took offense to the fact someone who views them with disdain (or at least pretended to do so) would be drawing a paycheck from NBC Universal and perhaps roaming the same hallways as them on occasion.

She also repeatedly refused to appear on their airwaves as a guest over the last few years, if I remember correctly.

While I think the on-air pushback was over the top, and I think those with dissenting viewpoints should be welcomed in most cases, I can definitely understand why the journalists whose work her organization (the RNC) routinely insulted would be upset by her being added as a paid contributor.

It should also be pointed out that many NBC journalists expressed disappointment and disgust - albeit privately - when Chelsea Clinton was briefly hired as a correspondent many years ago. She either resigned or was cut loose after several weeks, I cannot remember which.

MSNBC is a top 10 cable network. Meet the Press is a Sunday morning institution. NBC News has long battled ABC News for evening news ratings supremacy. I am sure executive management does not want to risk a mass exodus of on-air talent. CNN would love to have some of those folks join them, I suspect.

An interesting aspect of the rebuke Chuck Todd and others gave network brass on Sunday morning is that it overshadowed what I thought was a truly awful pre-recorded MTP appearance by retired Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Breyer. That guy was too scared to answer most of the questions he was asked. He even refused comment on the events of January 6.

[Matt]

Not "normal" but probably just the beginning of a trend.

How many other election deniers and insurrection deniers have been given airtime?

[km1125]

Not "normal" but probably just the beginning of a trend.

How many other election deniers and insurrection deniers have been given airtime?

WTF does that have to do with "Is this normal behavior in the broadcasting industry, that on-air personalities can use their airtime to criticize hiring or firing decisions made by their boss, and then their boss actually changes course?"

[Matt]

Not "normal" but probably just the beginning of a trend.

How many other election deniers and insurrection deniers have been given airtime?

WTF does that have to do with "Is this normal behavior in the broadcasting industry, that on-air personalities can use their airtime to criticize hiring or firing decisions made by their boss, and then their boss actually changes course?"

The boss hired her without any type of real interview process - what would you expect the reaction to be from a bunch of leftist crybabies?