DNC Establishment Gives "Hosting" Job of Convention to MSNBC's owners, Com-Cast:
Over the past several months many in the Progressive movement energized by Bernie Sanders have been scratching their collective heads wondering why journalists and commentators at MSNBC, which used to engender trust among progressive vewiers, were now seemingly "on the take" for the corporatist establishment and DNC party-elites. Yesterday we learned that Com-Cast, MSNBC's parent company, had been given the very lucrative job of hosting the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia by DNC Party big-wigs. So.... Apparently.... They actually WERE on the take....
This news would go a long ways in explaining the whip-lash reversal in coverage on the Bernie Sanders campaign by some of MSNBC's on-air talent. The dramatic change in coverage style ( or coverage of Bernie at all ) began back in November of 2015. Months of ignoring consistent national and state polling which show Bernie performing better against Trump than Sec. Clinton. Either very little or even ZERO coverage of mass rallies. Un-aired or heavily interrupted Victory speeches in state contests that Bernie wins ( in one case an empty room in Trump Tower was aired instead of a live speech after one of Bernie's state contest wins). The list of pro-Hillary / pro-DNC Establishment examples goes on and on... And now we know why.
The convention coverage in such an energized election season will be a virtual gold-mine for commercial air-time. The cost of air time in what is sure to be a contested convention is expected to be close to what Com-Cast charges for a Sunday evening game during NFL season, or around $425,000 for a 30-second spot. Ten to twelve minutes of add time every 20 minutes or so for several night running... well, you do the math, it adds up to a tidy sum by any measure....
The pay off for on-air political punditry does not stop there... The Democratic National Convention is to be held at the Com-Cast Spectator’s Wells Fargo Center, which is sure to add even more lining to the corporate sponsors pockets. Another nice little pay-off for Com-Cast executives is pay-to-play access to DNC party elites. As the New York Post recently reported, DNC Party officials are offering exclusive, prime access to convention activities and leading elected officials to Com-Cast executives who donate $100,000 or more. These so-called “Empire Donors” are given preferred access to members of Congress for photo-ops at the convention podium, slots at VIP dinners, and even tickets to a New York Yankees game with a “special guest.” Progressive advocacy organization Public Citizen told the New York Post the arrangement "...reeks of a corrupt, pay-for-play system."
