Rachel Maddow Gets Primetime Show on MSNBC
Air America host, frequent Olbermann sub replaces Dan Abrams at 9 p.m.
By B&C Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/20/2008 9:14:00 AM
MSNBC contributor Rachel Maddow will host her own primetime show on the network, replacing Dan Abrams in the 9 p.m. slot. The new show is slated to begin Sept. 8.
Maddow, 35, has hosted The Rachel Maddow Show on the liberal Air America radio network since its inception in 2004. She began on MSNBC as a regular panelist on Tucker before being named a political analyst in January 2008 and becoming a fixture in the network’s presidential-primary-election coverage. In April, she began substituting for Keith Olbermann on 8 p.m. program Countdown.
Abrams, a longtime MSNBC host and chief legal correspondent who served as the network’s general manager from 2006-07, hosts legal-oriented program The Verdict. He will continue to appear as an on-air contributor.
"Rachel is unbelievably talented and brilliant; her breadth and depth of knowledge of politics and news is astonishing, and I'm so excited to give her a place to really showcase what she can do," MSNBC president Phil Griffin said in a statement. "We've established MSNBC as the place for politics and the destination for viewers who want the smartest take on the day's developments. Adding Rachel into our primetime lineup makes perfect sense."
On Abrams, Griffin added, "When Dan served as general manager, he really laid the groundwork for MSNBC's success today, with ratings growing 62% under his watch. Dan helped to establish MSNBC as the place for politics, launched our political 'Super Tuesday' coverage and was vital in positioning the network for its current success. Dan is the best legal analyst in the business. Our primetime focus is now politics, so this move will enable Dan to focus on what he does best."
