Hiring Phil Donahue to go up against Bill O'Reilly at 8 p.m. is just the
'first step of what will be many, many steps' being taken to shake up MSNBC, NBC
News president Neal Shapiro said Wednesday in announcing the silver-haired
personality's hire.
Shapiro and MSNBC general manager Erik Sorenson made no bones about that fact
that they're counterprogramming and gunning for conservative O'Reilly on Fox
News Channel and coming-soon Connie Chung on Cable News Network.
As part of the MSNBC changes, and one previously leaked to the press,
Hardball with Chris Matthews will move to 7 p.m., and it won't be
repeated on CNBC, starting this summer.
In addition, the multiple plays The News with Brian
Williams currently gets on MSNBC
and CNBC -- five -- will be cut to three.
