MSNBC’s Heavy Hitter Re-Ups

MSNBC, continuing to revamp its lineup in an effort to pull out of a distant third place among the cable news channels, announced Wednesday that it has signed talk host Chris Matthews to a new seven-year contract, given him a key slot in its lineup and installed him as anchor of its prime-time presidential election coverage.

Matthews’ “Hardball” is MSNBC’s top-rated show, even though it also airs on sister channel CNBC. When schedule changes take effect July 15, CNBC will drop the program and it will air exclusively on MSNBC, which will move it to 6 p.m. Pacific time, putting it in the middle of East Coast prime time and against CNN’s top-rated show, “Larry King Live,” as well as “Hannity & Colmes” on Fox News Channel. The latter show’s co-host, Alan Colmes, extended his contract for several years on Tuesday.

Viewers will flip around among all the shows, predicted Matthews. “It’s like a neighborhood of restaurants. They may head out to eat at one, but then look in the window and decide to eat at another,” he said.

The unusually long deal will keep Matthews, who also writes a nationally syndicated column, hosting “Hardball” through 2009. In addition, Matthews is already slated to anchor a weekly syndicated show produced by NBC News and distributed by NBC Enterprises beginning in the fall.

Although Matthews had recently explored opportunities at other networks, he said MSNBC “is the perfect job for me. It lets me express attitude. I basically try to be fair, but I do express feelings.”

MSNBC has been seeking to reshape its prime-time image as a place where all opinions can be heard, adding liberal Phil Donahue, who will make his debut in July, airing in the hour preceding Matthews; and conservative Alan Keyes, whose show has been on for several months. “I’m equally distant between the two of them. They’re the goal posts of politics,” Matthews said.

MSNBC recently re-branded itself “America’s NewsChannel” and has begun dropping the MSNBC logo from its screen at times. The network, which is also ceding “The News With Brian Williams” to CNBC, said it hasn’t yet decided what will air when.

Sources said Ashleigh Banfield’s show probably will move to 7 p.m. Pacific time to make room for “Hardball,” with a time slot for Keyes undecided.