MSNBC Makes It Official: Dan Abrams, Morning Joe Join Lineup

Abrams Leaving Post as GM of MSNBC; Griffin to Assume Day-to-Day Management

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/24/2007 3:00:00 PM

MSNBC officially announced that Live with Dan Abrams and Morning Joe will permanently join the cable network’s schedule.

Live with Dan Abrams had been airing on MSNBC for the past three months, while Morning Joe had been on the air since May, but until now, the network maintained that a final programming decision had not been made on the fate of the two shows.

Abrams, who had been general manager of MSNBC, will leave his post to host his primetime show. NBC News senior vice president Phil Griffin will step in and assume day-to-day management of the network. Shannon High-Bassalik will also join MSNBC as its managing editor, overseeing live news and breaking news coverage.

The announcement comes as MSNBC is preparing to shift from its Secaucus, N.J., headquarters to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. According to NBC, the management changes will take effect upon completion of the move, which is slated to take place Oct. 30.

"As MSNBC moves into 30 Rock and Dan moves to anchoring a primetime program, it's the right time for me to assume a more direct role in the management of the network," Griffin said. "Dan leaves the general-manager role with the network in the best competitive position in six years, up 62% in the target demographic in the last 15 months, and he will enable us to continue to grow our primetime audience as host of Live with Dan Abrams."

Abrams will see his profile raised with the new changes. In addition to securing his 9 p.m. show, he will become NBC News’ chief legal correspondent, expanding his reach beyond the cable network and into other areas of NBC News programming.

Live with Dan Abrams will continue to air at 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

Morning Joe, hosted by former 9 p.m. Scarborough Country anchor Joe Scarborough, will air from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. weekdays.