MSNBC, “The News & Information Network”

MSNBC is in “a good place,” Steve Capus says, pointing to ratings growth for Hardball and Countdown. “Still,” the LAT’s Scott Collins writes, “it’s clear that some major changes are on the way.” Some examples:

> More ties to the mother ship: “Among the ideas being batted around: an expanded MSNBC role for ‘Dateline.'” Capus says “I think NBC News has to be at the core” of MSNBC…

> News and information: Collins says execs “want broader thinking about what viewers want.” Capus puts it this way: “I fault news producers at times for being too narrow in their determination of what constitutes news. I think of MSNBC as a news and information network…”

> Schedule tweaks: Maury & Connie are already on the way out, and “the brass is also said to be unhappy with ‘Rita Cosby Live & Direct.'” “Other offerings may just get tweaked…”