The Ed Show
Encyclopedia
The Ed Show is an hour-long weeknight news commentary program on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

. The program is hosted by Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
Edward Andrew "Ed" Schultz Is an American television and radio host and a liberal political commentator . He is the host of The Ed Show, a daily news talk program on MSNBC, and The Ed Schultz Show, a talk radio show, nationally syndicated by Dial Global, promising "straight talk."-Early...

, who hosts the nationally syndicated radio program, The Ed Schultz Show
The Ed Schultz Show
The Ed Schultz Show is a radio program hosted by Ed Schultz. It was formerly broadcast from KFGO in Fargo, North Dakota. It is heard on a network of over 100 stations , including seven of the 10 largest radio markets...

. It debuted on MSNBC on April 6, 2009, at 6 P.M. ET. It moved to 10 P.M. ET, filling the time slot previously occupied by The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program on MSNBC. The program airs live at 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time Monday-Thursday, and is hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell...

when that show took over the 8 P.M. ET after Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program that airs on Current TV, where it began airing on June 20, 2011. The program was broadcast on MSNBC from March 31, 2003, to January 21, 2011. On MSNBC, the show presented five selected news stories of...

was cancelled.

On October 19, 2011, network president Phil Griffin announced that the show would begin airing in the 8 P.M. ET slot beginning on Monday, October 24. The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program on MSNBC. The program airs live at 10:00 P.M. Eastern Time Monday-Thursday, and is hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell...

 moved back to it's original 10 p.m. time slot. This is the third time slot "The Ed Show" has occupied since it debuted on the network.

Format

The show uses a multi-camera, video and graphics driven format not seen on other MSNBC programs, with the first block of the show being especially fast-paced (during the Op-Ed segment). Schultz originally did most of his segments standing, but eventually moved to a sitting format. The graphics package used by The Ed Show is very different from others used on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

, using orange and black graphics while other programs use blue and white.

On April 11, 2011, MSNBC incorporated a new logo, a new studio, a new color scheme, using more blue than orange, and a new segment at the beginning of the Ed Show, which has Schultz standing while doing a monologue about a chosen subject in front of a screen that flashes graphics such as charts and archive footage.

Suspension

On May 23, 2011, Schultz volunteered for indefinite suspension from the network without pay after calling Republican Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...

 a "right-wing slut" on his radio program. While he was suspended, Thomas Roberts filled in for all shows except the June 2 show. The show that night was guest hosted by Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...

.

Segments

  • Club Ed – brings liberal comedians (most commonly Lizz Winstead
    Lizz Winstead
    Lizz Winstead is an American comedienne, radio and television personality, and blogger. A native of Minnesota, Winstead was co-creator of The Daily Show along with Madeleine Smithberg, and served as head writer....

     or Stephanie Miller
    Stephanie Miller
    Stephanie Catherine Miller is an American comedienne and host of The Stephanie Miller Show, a progressive talk radio program produced in Los Angeles and syndicated nationally by Dial Global. Talkers magazine ranked her as the 24th most important radio talk show host in America for 2010.-Early...

    ) to provide commentary.
  • Psycho Talk – Schultz plays a clip of someone on television or radio saying something he deems reprehensible to the point of being nutty. He proceeds to analyze the statement and criticize it, concluding the segment with the words, "and that is Psycho Talk."
  • takEDown – similar to Psycho Talk.
  • Rapid Response – panel debates
  • Fired Up (also called Op-Ed) – Schultz provides a topical editorial
    Op-ed
    An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...

    .

Ratings

In May 2009, according to Nielsen data
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...

, The Ed Show finished well behind CNN and Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...

 at 6 pm, averaging 500,000 total viewers and 160,000 in the 25-54 demographic numbers, which were down 13% and 35% respectively compared with May 2008 when David Gregory
David Gregory (journalist)
David Michael Gregory is an American television journalist, and moderator of NBC News' Sunday morning talk show Meet the Press.-Early life:...

 was anchoring the hour.

However, ratings for the Ed Show were significantly higher in 2010 compared to 2009. Ratings were up 8% in the coveted age 25-54 demographic and up 2% overall

Guest hosts

As of 2011, regular guest hosts include Thomas Roberts
Thomas Roberts
Thomas Roberts may refer to:*Sir Thomas Roberts, 4th Baronet , English MP*Tom Roberts , Australian artist*Tom Roberts , director of the film In Transit*Thomas Roberts , American news anchor...

, Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...

 and Chris Hayes
Chris Hayes
Chris Hayes may refer to:* Chris Hayes , American football player* Chris Hayes Canadian ice hockey player* Chris Hayes , American musician...

. Cenk Uygur
Cenk Uygur
Cenk Kadir Uygur , is the main host and co-founder of the liberal Internet and talk radio show, The Young Turks . A naturalized U.S. citizen, Uygur was born in Turkey and raised from age eight in the United States. He worked as an attorney in Washington D.C. and New York before beginning his career...

, Lawrence O'Donnell, and David Shuster
David Shuster
David Martin Shuster is an American television journalist who has been an anchor for MSNBC and who has also worked for Fox News and CNN. He anchored MSNBC Live weekdays from 10-11am and 3-4pm ET and filled in for Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow on their respective shows...

have also guest-hosted.

Controversial statements

On May 23, 2011 on his radio talk show, Schultz called Laura Ingraham "a right-wing slut". He apologized to her on his television show the next day, announcing that he was suspending himself from television:
What matters is, ... what I said was terribly vile, and not of the standards that I or any other person should adhere to. I want all of you to know tonight that I did call Laura Ingraham today and did not make contact with her, and I will apologize to her, as I did in the message that I left her today. I also met with management here at MSNBC, and understanding the severity of the situation and what I said on the radio, and how it reflected terribly on this company, I have offered to take myself off the air for an indefinite period of time with no pay. I want to apologize to Laura Ingraham, I want to apologize to my family; my wife; I have embarrassed my family; I have embarrassed this company; and I have been in this business since 1978 and I have made a lot of mistakes; this is the lowest of low for me.


The suspension lasted for one week.
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