Rev. Al Sharpton's Support for Comcast Purchase of NBCUniversal Raises Questions About a Possible MSNBC Job

Rev. Al Sharpton threw his support behind Comcast purchase of NBCUniversal, parent company of MSNBC and that raises issues about a possible job on the network.

Could Rev. Al Sharpton be up for the 6 p.m. slot on MSNBC because of his support for Comcast's purchase of NBCUniversal, which owns the cable network? Isn't a little disingenuous for MSNBC to have suspended Keith Olbermann and Joe Scarborough for making political donations and then jump in bed with Rev. Sharpton, who quite clearly is a political influencer and not a journalist?

Mr. Sharpton, the president of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization, was one of the many activists and boldface names who agreed to support Comcast as it sought government approval for its takeover of NBCUniversal.

The Comcast chief executive, Brian L. Roberts, and the head of the company’s lobbying effort, David L. Cohen, met with Mr. Sharpton and other representatives of minority groups to talk about their bid early last year. That meeting, Mr. Sharpton said later, was the most important factor in his decision to support Comcast and urge the Federal Communications Commission to approve the NBC deal. Comcast then used the support of Mr. Sharpton and other civil rights activists to promote the proposed merger to government officials.

Rarely, if ever, has a cable news channel employed a host who has previously campaigned for the business goals of the channel’s parent company. But as channels like MSNBC have moved to more opinionated formats, they have exposed themselves to potential conflicts.

The possible transition for Mr. Sharpton — from political influencer to television talent — highlights the complex relationships that can arise when cable news channels employ activists who take sides instead of journalists who don’t. Source: NY Times

I'm not here to throw cold water on Rev. Sharpton's possible rise to network television, but I believe he is too deeply connected to influencing political discourse in this country to be a fair and balanced host, unless of course, that's what MSNBC is seeking to accomplish. I should also note, MSNBC hasn't said that Sharpton is being offered a show, but where there's smoke, there's usually a fire. If they offer his a spot, it's not criminal, but just not ethical given his lobbying efforts.