Ah, Twitter.
The fast-moving microblogging technology has become a household name. It is the technology that aided the recent Iranian uprising, that gave the global supporters of freedom and justice a way to communicate with the people on the ground in Iran – those poor, huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.
Like much of the Internet, it is also sometimes a hive-mind of absurdity.
Case in point: MSNBC’s David Shuster. At approximately 4 p.m., July 7, Shuster graced the Twitterverse with this nugget:
By the way, for all of you watching on DirectTV and wondering why MSNBC is not in HD, ask mr. Murdoch/newscorps, the owner of DirectTV.
Ah yes, the wonderful figurehead of evil corporate moneymongers – the poster-child for all that is wrong (right?) with capitalism, Rupert Murdoch. Surely the mighty Murdoch has decreed that MSNBC be broadcast only in low-resolution on his company’s satellites.
This is the stuff on which conspiracy theorists thrive. The only problem is, neither Murdoch nor News Corporation (the parent company of Fox News) owns DirecTV. That company was bought out by a subsidiary of the Liberty Media conglomerate, which gained a controlling share of DirecTV over a period of time between late 2006 and May 9 of this year.
It’s not as if this news was difficult to find. NewsCorp’s Web site confirms it and major media outlets such as the New York Times, Reuters and USA Today have covered it. Even a local paper in Denver, Colorado, covered the sale of NewsCorp’s stake in DirecTV.
How hard could it be to get the facts straight on this?
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Off topic, but... "Just
July 8, 2009 - 16:07 ET by SickofLibsOff topic, but...
"Just changed my twitter name to @davidshuster [from @shuster1600]. We are trying to have some consistency at MSNBC."
Consistency, as in not having a twitter name based on a program he got canned from and that has not even existed for some time now.
I guess "@shuster/fat/ed/show/my/old/timeslot" was not available.
That would be about twelve people
July 8, 2009 - 16:12 ET by supercon"By the way, for all of you watching on DirectTV and wondering why MSNBC
is not in HD, ask mr. Murdoch/newscorps, the owner of DirectTV."
He didn't even know who owned the company. That's priceless. What a maroon.
Hey Janet Napolitano...I'm proud to be a Right-winger.
Shuster's view of the world
July 8, 2009 - 16:13 ET by kch50428Is via the peep-hole that replaced his umbilicus. How he breathes with a rectally incarcerated cranium is beyond comprehension.
But Shuster...
July 8, 2009 - 16:14 ET by jdlybrand... does a great imitation of Thurston J. Howell III.
LOVIE... oh LOVIE! Where is my Teddy?
"What a revoltin' development this is!"
Chester Riley
Facts? Shyster don't need no
July 8, 2009 - 16:22 ET by d1carterFacts? Shyster don't need no stinkin' facts!
Ha ha!
July 8, 2009 - 16:32 ET by HoosierEmI've been giving David Shuster a hard time on Twitter lately. Now I've continued - see below. He never answers me, though. Hey, maybe that's why he changed his twitter name.
@DavidShuster You might want to check your facts, Mr. Shuster. DirecTV is not owned by NewsCorp. Facts and Shuster never seem to meet.
I just had a thought - does Tweety tweet? How ironic.
Somehow, it's strangely
July 8, 2009 - 16:33 ET by Chris NormanSomehow, it's strangely fitting that Shuster uses a communications system which has "Twit" in it's name...
The "Mainstream" Media: By liberals. For liberals.
I'm just wondering out loud
July 8, 2009 - 16:43 ET by Mike SargentI'm just wondering out loud here, is a Twitter troll a "twerp?" And what if you're a leading troll, like Shuster? I ask because "twit" just doesn't seem to fit him well -- I associate that word with Alfalfa from The Little Rascals...
That Cracked Me Up
July 8, 2009 - 22:08 ET by sic721'Twit' always makes me think of Monty Python. Here,
video
"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher
sic... Laughing here...I
July 8, 2009 - 22:13 ET by bigtimersic...
Laughing here...I forgot about that...speaks volumes now.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
MSNBC has an exclucivity clause in it contract with Cablevision
July 8, 2009 - 16:49 ET by PooveyMSNBC has an exclucivity clause in it's contract with Cablevision where it is in competition with other carriers ( No MSNBC on FiOS TV in NYC ). I believe DirecTV and FiOS have been in negotiations with Cablevision and MSNBC to carry their HD Signal and any signal where they compete with Cablevision, but the point is, it is MSNBC that does not allow DirecTV to carry their signal. Then again, why would I expect a journalist to know that?
Olberman & Matthews in HD?
July 8, 2009 - 17:19 ET by valveboneWHY? Why would anyone want to see them, or anything on MSNBC, in HD? They are nauseating enough in a standard signal. To paraphrase an ad from Direct TV's competition "Is Keith Olberman any saner in HD?"
I prefer to watch anything
July 8, 2009 - 17:58 ET by Another Dead KennedyI prefer to watch anything in HD. When DirecTV first started broadcasting HD stations (all 6 of them in the beginning) I would watch nature shows before switching back to a non-HD station. Okay, Planet Earth in HD is the most amazing thing I've ever seen on TV, and even better on Blu-Ray.
But does anyone know why MSNBC isn't in HD? I don't think Fox News is in HD either, for that matter.
But going back to Shuster's evil conspiracy, if Murdoch really owned the controlling share of DirecTV, why would he broadcast CNN in HD and not MSNBC? Also, wouldn't it benefit him as a business owner to offer the maximum number of HD stations to his customers?
...
July 9, 2009 - 00:02 ET by EugeniaFOX News is in HD on DirecTV and it looks greater than ever.
"When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing -- they believe in anything."
-- GK Chesterton
Actually both Fox News as
July 9, 2009 - 00:05 ET by Gary P JacksonActually both Fox News as well as Fox Business news are in HD. I love it!
I have Time-Warner cable (for the Roadruner) and MSNBC is is still only in the old timey out dated format! Of course, it goes without saying that channel is not shown on my box!
Again, why would MSNBC need it? They've got what 22 viewers, excluding staff? That's a really high cost per!
http://thespeechatim...
Actually both Fox News as
July 9, 2009 - 00:09 ET by Gary P JacksonSorry.....duplicate post
http://thespeechatim...
Why MSNBC is in HD
July 8, 2009 - 23:19 ET by nkviking75Once they hired Ed Schultz, MSNBC needed the wide format.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
Shuster once again proving
July 8, 2009 - 17:49 ET by bigtimerShuster once again proving he is a mental midget for all to see.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Come on Aussie come on,
July 8, 2009 - 20:14 ET by kangarooCome on Aussie come on, Rupert, you are in a position to start another consevative/repulican tv channel, money is there just with the advertising, your biz is in tax jeopardy with this admin, knock em down with facts mate, NB could easily run 2 hours of in your face liberal bias a night!!! Hell you have more material and untaped talent than you can poke a stick at, cheers
"But does anyone know why
July 8, 2009 - 22:21 ET by ckc1227"But does anyone know why MSNBC isn't in HD?"
Maybe DirecTV feels one comedy channel in HD is enough.
ckc... ROTFLMAO! Doublin
July 8, 2009 - 22:27 ET by bigtimerckc...
ROTFLMAO!
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
I've made Bigtimer laugh,
July 8, 2009 - 23:04 ET by ckc1227I've made Bigtimer laugh, so that's it, I'm outta here. Leaving on a high note.
No harder than it is for MSNBC to get the facts straight...
July 8, 2009 - 22:27 ET by wnaegele....on anything else.
DirecTV subscriber here
July 9, 2009 - 01:45 ET by chaosmongerOne...MSNBC is hardly a big draw for subscribers.
Two...If the FOX owner has so much power, then why isn't the FOX Soccer Channel in HD? I pay extra for the FSC and it's not is HD yet.
Not all channels are in HD yet anyways...give it time.
It's too hard to get HD
July 9, 2009 - 08:08 ET by Mike SargentIt's too hard to get HD cameras into Rio Linda for futbol matches... *smirk*
What's the point?
July 9, 2009 - 10:22 ET by slickwillie2001I don't get the point of watching cable news in HD. You get a better picture of someone reading a teleprompter? I can understand the nature shows, sports, a movie that was made in HD, but news?
This is why.
July 9, 2009 - 11:49 ET by Mike SargentThis is why.