Defending MSNBC’s Docs

TVBarn’s Aaron Barnhart, who was apoplectic over Thanksgiving weekend when MSNBC remained with their “Lockup” prison documentaries rather than cover the siege on Mumbai wall-to-wall, delves deeper into MSNBC’s documentary strategy. Barnhart talks with Michael Rubin, VP of long-form programming for the network.

“Let me tell you something,” Rubin told Barnhart. “‘Lockup’ is not done any differently than any other piece of journalism. I daresay that ‘Lockup’ is a jewel. It is probably the greatest collection of video shot inside an American prison ever done.” Rubin goes on: “I work in a new world. I look for everything my viewers are interested in. They’re as interested in the inside of a prison as much as they are interested in ‘Dear Zachary.’”

In addition to producing originals, the long-form unit also acquires the rights to films, as was the case with “Dear Zachary” which premiered earlier this month.

The documentary strategy, which fills countless hours on MSNBC during holiday periods, performs well some days, not so good on others. This past weekend, MSNBC won the Total Day and prime time demo both Saturday and Sunday — in fact doubling CNN & FNC in prime time both days. But a Christmas day of crime programming put MSNBC fourth for Total Day and third in prime time.

Barnhart also wonders, why do the crime shows like “Lockup” get the promos but not the feature length films like “Dear Zachary”?

“You have opened a can of worms here,” Rubin told him.

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