MSNBC's Alex Wagner struggles with teleprompter issues in first show
New MSNBC host Alex Wagner had issues with the teleprompter as her new show launched.
If MSNBC hoped primetime host Alex Wagner could maintain its audience during the four weekdays left vacant by the network's Monday-only host Rachel Maddow, it might be disappointed in the early results.
"Alex Wagner Tonight" has averaged 1.6 million viewers through two weeks compared to 2.6 million for "The Rachel Maddow Show" when it aired on Mondays during that two-week span, as Wagner shed over 30% of Maddow’s audience. Maddow also pulled in 241,000 viewers from the advertiser-coveted 25-to-54 age demographic during that time, compared to only 163,000 for Wagner.
Wagner's premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 16, landed two million viewers, making it MSNBC's most-watched show that day. But on Friday, Aug. 26, the "Alex Wagner Tonight" audience dipped to 1.43 million, ranking below three other MSNBC programs as the new program has lost significant viewership after only eight episodes.
Additionally, Wagner lost nearly 40% of viewers in the key demo, going from 183,000 in her debut to 112,000 in last Friday's broadcast, falling from first to seventh among MSNBC offerings.
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MSNBC host Alex Wagner was plagued with technical difficulties just minutes into launching her new program. (MSNBC)
Wagner averaged 1.6 million viewers during her second week on the job, while "Hannity," her 9 p.m. ET time slot competition on Fox News Channel, brought in 2.8 million average viewers.
Through two weeks, which is only eight episodes because Maddow still works on Monday evenings, Wagner's viewership was roughly the same as "MSNBC Prime," the network's fill-in program in the 9 p.m. ET time slot Maddow left vacant from Tuesdays through Fridays that featured rotating guest hosts – an indication that Wagner isn’t attracting additional eyeballs.
Maddow shocked the media landscape earlier this year when she announced she would only be hosting "The Rachel Maddow Show" on Mondays in order to pursue other projects. The announcement came shortly after the host took a multi-month hiatus, leaving her loyal viewers for several news-heavy weeks.
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. (Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Wagner hasn't had the greatest track record with MSNBC, but network insiders praised her return to Fox News Digital. In 2015, the Peacock network canceled her left-wing daytime program "Now" after a four-year run, part of a wave of MSNBC programming moves at that time to move away from dayside opinion. The 152 episodes of "Now" that aired in 2015 before it was canceled averaged only 328,000 total viewers and 49,000 among the demo to trail Fox News by over 280% in each measurable.
Then in 2016, MSNBC scrapped a weekend show Wagner was set to launch after the network previously announced the program.
The debut of Wagner's latest MSNBC program got off to a bumpy start, as she was forced to tell viewers that "technical gremlins" caused an awkward opening in which she didn't appear to be in sync with the control room.
Alex Wagner speaks with NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju on a Thursday, August 25, 2022 episode of "Alex Wagner Tonight" on MSNBC.
In addition to Maddow scaling back her program, Stephanie Ruhle was reshuffled to become host of "The 11th Hour" following Brian Williams' exit, "Morning Joe" was extended to an unprecedented fourth hour of programming, and Chuck Todd's weekday program was pulled from the network and moved to NBC News' streaming network with anchor Chris Jansing taking over his time slot.
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Additionally, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is set to host a program on the Peacock service following the rollout of former Biden administration official Symone Sanders' own weekend show, which has debuted to dismal ratings.
All ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.