<P> Commentators have described MSNBC as having a bias towards left - leaning politics and the Democratic Party . In November 2007, a New York Times article stated that MSNBC's prime - time lineup is tilting more to the left . Washington Post media analyst Howard Kurtz has stated that the channel's evening lineup "has clearly gravitated to the left in recent years and often seems to regard itself as the antithesis of Fox News". In 2011, Salon.com noted that "MSNBC's prime - time lineup is now awash in progressive politics ." </P> <P> MSNBC was established under a strategic partnership between NBC and Microsoft . NBC executive Tom Rogers was instrumental in developing this partnership . Microsoft invested $221 million for a 50 percent share of the cable channel . MSNBC and Microsoft shared the cost of a $200 million newsroom in Secaucus, New Jersey, for msnbc.com . The network took over the channel space of NBC's 2 - year - old America's Talking (AT) network, although in most cases cable carriage had to be negotiated with providers who had never carried AT . </P> <P> MSNBC was launched on July 15, 1996 . The first show was anchored by Jodi Applegate and included news, interviews, and commentary . During the day, rolling news coverage continued with The Contributors, a show that featured Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham, as well as interactive programming coordinated by Applegate, John Gibson, and John Seigenthaler . Stories were generally longer and more detailed than the stories CNN was running . NBC also highlighted their broadcast connections by airing stories directly from NBC's network affiliates, along with breaking news coverage from the same sources . </P> <P> MSNBC gradually increased its emphasis on politics . After completing its seven - year survey of cable channels, the Project for Excellence in Journalism said in 2007 that, "MSNBC is moving to make politics a brand, with a large dose of opinion and personality ." </P>

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