MSNBC debuted on cable television on July 15, 1996, and now, MS NOW is weirdly putting on the screen a celebration of MS NOW’s 30th anniversary, when it just changed the moniker last November.An announcer proclaims: "Celebrating 30 years… Delivering journalism that informs, empowers and strengthens our democracy."When it began, it really came across as an NBC News farm team.
"NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw was still proud to be associated with it.On Oct.
29, 1996, Brokaw interviewed former Soviet dictator Mikhail Gorbachev on the show "InterNight," hailing him as a "courageous, far-seeking prophet" who ended the Soviet Union.Brokaw even gushed: "Perhaps one day again we'll see you in political office in Russia.
We know that you've devoted your life to peace and to changing your country and those of us who have gotten to know you count ourselves among the privileged."MSNBC in the early days was much more ideologically diverse than it is now, with conservative hosts like politician Alan Keyes, Laura Ingraham and that guy who hosted "Scarborough Country," who now hosts its left-wing version, "Morning Joe." Pat Buchanan and liberal Bill Press had a "Crossfire"-style show.MS NOW'S NICOLLE WALLACE REVEALS SHE STOPPED AIRING TRUMP PRESSERS IN FIRST TERM, LAMENTING THEY 'HURT' HERMSNBC hated the Iraq War and loved the protesters.Reporter David Shuster announced to "Hardball" host Chris Matthews in 2003: "The size of the demonstrators, at least here, at least in Europe, seems to underscore, Chris, that there are now perhaps two world superpowers.
There’s the United States and then there are those millions of people who took to the streets opposing U.S.policy."MSNBC host Rachel Maddow pressed former Vice President Kamala Harris on her view that Pete Buttigieg was too big a risk to choose as her running mate on Sept.
22, 2025.(MSNBC/RachelMaddowShow)The shift to the left became defined by rants from hosts Keith Olbermann and Matthews.
Olbermann routinely accus...