After three years at MSNBC, Dylan Ratigan is leaving the network to pursue opportunities outside the television business.
Ratigan, the 4pmET host, will anchor his final show on June 22. In a note to MNSBC staffers this afternoon, Ratigan said he will put his time into telling the stories of individuals who “seize new tools and take cultural risks to resolve our challenges.”
“While it may seem unconventional to leave a rapidly growing political cable show on the eve of a Presidential election, to me, the timing couldn’t be better,” Ratigan wrote. “In fact, the thrill of an opportunity to expand new systems that cost less and give us more in every part of life is impossible to pass up.”
Ratigan joined MSNBC in 2009 after six years at CNBC. He began as the 9-11amET anchor and took over his current 4pmET timeslot six months later.
“Dylan’s distinct voice and his fearless approach to tackling complicated issues has been a key part of MSNBC’s growth and success,” president Phil Griffin wrote in a note to MSNBC staffers this afternoon. “We’ll be watching as Dylan begins his next mission.”
Beginning June 25, Martin Bashir slides an hour forward as he replaces Ratigan at 4pmET. MNSBC is developing a new show for the 3pmET timeslot.
Read the notes from Griffin and Ratigan after the jump.
Team –
I want you to know that our friend Dylan Ratigan has decided to pursue new opportunities and will be ending his role as a full-time host. The final Dylan Ratigan Show will be June 22. I’m proud of all that Dylan, Steve Friedman, and the entire Ratigan show team have accomplished over the past three years. Dylan’s distinct voice and his fearless approach to tackling complicated issues has been a key part of msnbc’s growth and success. Dylan is going out on a high note. Year- to- date, the show is up 18% in total viewers and up 17% in hard to reach younger demographic of A18-34. We’ll be watching as Dylan begins his next mission.
While it’s sad to see our friend Dylan go, I’m happy to announce that Martin Bashir will move to 4 p.m. on June 25. Martin’s audience has also been growing and I’m confident he’ll be a fantastic lead-in to our early evening and primetime line-up.
I will have more to say about the 3p time-slot in the coming weeks. I’m working with Steve and his outstanding team to develop a new show in that hour.
Please join me in thanking Dylan and good luck to Martin and his team for what I know will be continued success at 4 p.m.
Below is a note from Dylan:
****
BEYOND TALK
By Dylan Ratigan
June 10, 2012
I left a fifteen year career in financial journalism amid the crisis of 2008. I did this to join the traditional cable news ranks with a clear goal of revealing the ruthless truth about our biggest problems and telling the inspiring stories of those who are resolving them despite all odds.
After three years at MSNBC, two national roadshows and one book, (and a couple of rants,) my objections to our current political process and our dominance-at-all-costs culture that gives us all less, while we pay more is well documented.
Fortunately, I have been inspired by meeting countless “doers” like Bea Cohen, 102 years old and one of the original “Rosie the Riveter’s” to contemporaries like Marine Veteran Colin Archipley who, after serving 3 tours in Iraq, started “Archi’s Acres” with his wife in San Diego to teach returning veterans how to use low-cost, hydroponic, organic farming techniques to create good jobs that produce twice as much food, at a higher quality, using 90% less soil and water.
They are pointing us — through their actions in history and today — on a clear mission – to seize new tools and take cultural risks to resolve our challenges. Bea Cohen, and millions of other women did this in the past. Millions of men and women are doing this now — simply by daring to create new, sustainable, tolerant, problem-solving cultures in almost every social, personal and financial system.
It is in this context that I have decided to leave cable news to collaborate and join with some of these leaders to experiment and explore new ways to tell their stories.
While it may seem unconventional to leave a rapidly growing political cable show on the eve of a Presidential election, to me, the timing couldn’t be better.
In fact, the thrill of an opportunity to expand new systems that cost less and give us more in every part of life is impossible to pass up.
I believe if we are honest about where we are now, honest about where we want to go and honest about how we are going to get there, we may well end up as the hero of our own stories. While I don’t know exactly how my own story will develop, I hope to share some initial details with you soon. In the meantime, keep in touch at www.dylanratigan.com.
I have had the privilege and confidence of NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC for nine years and want to thank everyone who worked with me in that time, especially Phil Griffin and Steve Friedman, who made the work of the past three years possible along with The Dylan Ratigan Show and MSNBC staff. I look forward to collaborating with all of you in learning, sharing, and building new ways to solve old problems in this expanding mission.