Ezra Klein, Ed Schultz Shakeup At MSNBC? Network Denies Claims

Ezra Klein, a blogger turned notable mainstream media presence, may be signing on for a bigger role at MSNBC — and rumor has it, even moving into the spot of network star Ed Schultz.

Ezra Klein has served as something of a pinch-hitter over on MSNBC, frequently stepping in for Rachel Maddow on off-nights and supplementing election night coverage. But a move to a permanent spot like the one Ed Schultz has in prime-time would be a large leap for Klein, and the shift was suggested at the end of a piece about MSNBC in none other than the New York Times.

The paper mentioned Klein in a profile more centered on MSNBC’s shift over the first term of President Barack Obama. While the network once took a backseat to more prominent news stations like CNN, a progressive feel emerged at the network in recent years that many have compared to rival Fox’s conservative bent.

The Times explained:

“During Mr. Obama’s first term, MSNBC underwent a metamorphosis from a CNN also-ran to the anti-Fox, and handily beat CNN in the ratings along the way. Now that it is known, at least to those who cannot get enough politics, as the nation’s liberal television network, the challenge in the next four years will be to capitalize on that identity.”

Later in the piece, the paper mentioned Ezra Klein — who started the controversial journalist group JournoList in the mid-00s — as a potential new face and permanent feature on MSNBC:

“Several MSNBC employees, who spoke about programming plans on the condition of anonymity, said the most likely candidate for a new show was the Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein, a frequent substitute for Ms. Maddow. Mr. Klein may start with a weekend time slot, but these people said the 8 p.m. weekday time slot held by Mr. Schultz was also a possibility.”

In a statement, MSNBC spokeswoman Lauren Skowronski refuted the claims Klein is being considered for Schultz’s spot, saying:

“We’re very happy with the performance of our primetime lineup, which topped Fox News Channel three nights this week. There are no changes planned.”

Ezra Klein could also very well, as has been suggested, be featured in a weekend slot on MSNBC to start.