MSNBC takes Rachel Maddow (video) podcast away

[Swatopluk]

I (and quite a number of others, if the comments are representative) are quite pissed.
Until last friday there was a podcast for the Rachel Maddow show available at MSNBC, i.e. the whole hour in one handy file.
The other political programs (Hayes, O´Donnell, UP! etc.) were available clip-wise but complete too. A strain on the bandwidth though.
Since yesterday the podcast is reduced to a 'highlight' and the MSNBC page has selected clips (covering about 1/2 to 2/3) and the 'available' full show is access-restricted.
The whole thing gets announced (at the end of clips) as if it was a huge improvement.
Reading the comments especially American expatriates are pretty miffed (from which I conclude that the access restriction does not just require an account but also US residency. Can't check that).

What angers me personally is not just that I do not get what I want anymore (as a non-paying parasite) but that the whole thing looks like a scheme. If they would just say 'no pay => zero access' or 'residents only'*, I'd not be happy but at least see the justification. Even a teaser policy (free intro but nothing more) would be reasonable. But this 50% video (pure audio is still 100% but of limited use since Rachel loves her props) is simply an insult, especially when announced in a 'good news everyone' manner.

Quite some people also smell a plot as a part of MSNBC's new policy of 'getting away from Liberal TV'. Ruin the ratings by shenanigans then use that as a justification to cancel. Why not go all the way and replace Rachel, Chris and Lawrence with another 3 hour show by an ex-GOP congresscritter (the evening equivalent of Morning Joe [Scarborough])? They already tried (and miserably failed) to outfox FOX during Dubya's Excellent Gulf Adventure and went 'liberal' only afterwards. Time for a new attempt?** There will be soon either a new Clinton POTUS to bash or a GOP/TPer to brown-nose, and one needs to prepare for that.

*the BBC does that, so it's not just an American thing. On the other hand a number of good BBC programs are only available in Germany on DVD (although often only dubbed and cut from 55 to 45 minutes per episode) not in the UK (which is silly).
**fat chance of success. Just look what happened/s to Bill O'Reilly with his decades of serial lying coming out. If even that does no damage to FOX's 'credibility' with its audience, then a weak copy will not lure it away.

[Griffin NoName]

Sorry, this is the way the world is going. It's nasty. Making it sound like good news is not a new thing etiher. The bugs in MS$ and other s/ws are often called features, or at best limitations.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The world of media licensing is outright diabolic and it's likely to be what's behind the changes.

As for a de-liberalization of NBC it's possible just on the basis of demographics turning on the TV, but then again cutting the episodes in the web would be a literal shot in the foot. I see them trying to force users to sign in to watch the show which is a straight way to loss at least half their web audience. Again, this is NBC and they have become the headless chicken of TV (in more than one sense) so no real surprises here. 

[Griffin NoName]

An aside - there is a rumour that the BBC are thinking they should charge people when they use the BBC iPlayer over the internet. I suppose the BBC is not like the NHS, free at the point of service *  so there's nothing to stop them, but I hope they don't.

* (that phrase always makes me laugh; like would they charge if one dangled on a rope just above the point of service?).