QUICK TAKES - June 2, 2009

MSNBC’s chief executive says its new sponsorship deal with Starbucks doesn’t mean the network will filter out bad news about the gourmet coffee chain.

Like sports teams that sell naming rights for their stadiums, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” news talk show with Joe Scarborough will become “Morning Joe Brewed by Starbucks.” It airs each weekday morning, and the Starbucks insignia will appear repeatedly on the show’s logo at about the time many viewers are thinking about that first cup.

Such news show sponsorships weren’t unusual in the early days of television but faded as news divisions sought to avoid anything that looked like it might compromise their independence. With a bad economy, that might be changing.

“The world is just different,” said MSNBC’s Phil Griffin. “The rules of 10, 15, 20 years ago just don’t apply. You can’t live by them. You’ve got to be creative.”