Wow. This is almost as strange as when Donald Trump used to fire cabinet members and other high ranking officials via tweet. News is breaking about some of the details of Ronna Romney McDaniel’s departure from NBC a few days after MSNBC made it clear that they weren’t going to book her. A couple of these details caught my eye, one, that McDaniel is seeking legal counsel, which we reported on here earlier today and two, that the network did not speak with her personally. If that’s the case, that is very strange.
Why it matters: The ex-RNC chair’s hiring set off a rare on-air protest over the weekend from top network talent, renewing criticism over cable news’ lucrative — and often controversial — alliance with former government officials and party flacks.
- McDaniel is exploring legal options over the termination of her contributor deal, two sources familiar told Axios, after Puck News reported Tuesday the network was planning to let her go.
- A source familiar with the situation told Axios that NBC News did not personally contact McDaniel regarding the network’s decision.
State of play: Conde apologized in the memo NBC News staff for hiring the ex-RNC chair saying, “it has become clear that this appointment undermines” the goal of a “cohesive and aligned” newsroom.
- Conde wrote that the decision to drop McDaniel was made after “listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you.”
If the network didn’t personally contact her, then it let her find out about her termination in the newspapers, social media or TV, which I have to say strikes me as very wrong. That is simply not a professional way to handle anything. I’m really surprised to hear this. It made complete sense that an idiot like Donald Trump would fire cabinet members via tweet, but a major network fires air talent and does so without the courtesy of a phone call?
Or, maybe this story means to say that Ronna’s agent or PR director, whatever she has, was the person contacted. Odd that this fact is ambiguously presented.
I also find it intriguing that McDaniel’s lawyering up. For what? I can understand her wanting to get a maximum payout, but I wonder if she wants to contest the actual firing and claim that she should be allowed to perform the contract. That would be crazy if she wanted to stay there when she’s so clearly and resoundingly unwanted. Again, just speculating that maybe that’s something she’s negotiating for or maybe she just wants every dollar that she can wring out of NBC by way of severance.
And I can’t say as how I blame her for that, although to persist in a lawsuit frequently backfires on people. Look at Kari Lake right now. She threw in the towel today in her suit against Stephen Richer, an elections official in Arizona. All that she wants now is to pay him damages and make the suit go away because she doesn’t need the optics of an ugly lawsuit while she’s running for the U.S. Senate.
If I was McDaniel, I don’t know if I would want to draw out this fracas with NBC. It isn’t going to make her look any better, or enhance her chances of employment elsewhere. Sometimes, in a high profile gig like that, you just have to take your lumps and wait for the air to clear and then see what your options are down the road, rather than making the biggest stink that you possibly can, and in doing so screw up your own career in the long haul.
The Washington Post coverage of this story today says, “One of NBC’s major failings in the matter, network employees and rival media executives agreed, was not securing buy-in from the network’s stars before hiring McDaniel.” That is almost unbelievable. It goes to prove up that network executives apparently live in an ivory tower bubble.
In any event, Ronna made it from the announcement of her hire on Friday, through her one Sunday appearance and now it’s Tuesday and she’s history. Anthony Scaramucci himself gives her a point three Scaramucci.
And mark my words, there will be some kind of a corporate shake up at NBC. This was a big, stupid, expensive and embarrassing mistake. Somebody’s head will roll. The head of the legal department at Fox News ended up being fired after the Dominion lawsuit was settled, even though he basically had nothing to do with what the anchors said on the air that got them into the mess to begin with. Point being, when a screw up costs a big company money, somebody has to pay. That’s just the way of things in corporate America.
Part of me says well boo effing hoo about McDaniel’s fee fees. However it’s a classless move by NBC and even stupid because it actually gives her ammo to get a better settlement from them. However, you note there’s a question as to whether her agent or some other official representative was told and if they said they’d handle telling her what she had to assume was coming that changes things. I’ll bet a dollar that’s how it went down. Or maybe, just maybe they did reach out and she saw who was calling and didn’t answer her phone! If a honcho at NBC can prove via their own phone records attempts were made to contact her and voicemails to call back ASAP weren’t responded to again that changes this entire story.
My guess is that she’s getting her own version out there to get a better gig on RWNJ media. It’s actually not a bad strategy on her part. Sleazy as hell of course but look at who we’re talking about. It’s a pretty good bet NBC wants this in the rear view mirror as quickly as possible and a couple of weeks of NBC bashing by McDaniel and RWNJ media might be tolerable for them. As long as she doesn’t push too hard. If she’s not careful and NBC does have “receipts” they might just decide to bury her in court.
Not really sure how far Ronna thinks she can get in a lawsuit–even with a “contract” (just curious but was anything actually signed or was it just an offer on the table described as a “hire”?). NBC is a PRIVATE employer and unless there was an actual, physical document–which would’ve taken a few days (and probably a week or more) to really nail–that *guaranteed* a term of employment, I can’t see any court taking the case.
wait until the truth comes out about who tried to get in touch with her. i’m betting it isn’t her ‘version.’
I don’t really give a crap who she talked to or how it went down. As an MSNBC consumer of many years standing, I want to know who the hell made the decision to “hire” her in the first place. Somebody’s head needs to roll. A couple more bone headed moves like this and I’ll be an ex MSNBC consumer.
There is another part of the story that I am not hearing mentioned, and that is the glimpse it gives into how popular the MAGAs actually are these days. Because there must be some reason why some of the big shots up there thought hiring McDaniel would be a master stroke for NBC, but that reason turned out to be about as delusional as everything that comes out of Trump’s pie hole.