Ed Schultz Out, Ezra Klein In at MSNBC?

Are Ed Schultz's days at MSNBC—or at least in its 8pm slot—numbered? Mediaite spotted an intriguing detail in this New York Times profile of the increasingly liberal network: Sources say the network is looking for more political shows, and consider Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein their top prospect to host one. "Klein may start with a weekend time slot, but these people said the 8pm weekday time slot held by Mr. Schultz was also a possibility," the paper says.

Mediaite points out that Klein might make for a more cohesive lead-in to Rachel Maddow's more popular show—he is, after all, a frequent fill-in host on Maddow's show. The rumor comes at the tail end of a longer piece focusing on how MSNBC has become more successful by transforming "from a CNN also-ran to the anti-Fox." It's looking for more political shows so it can cement that new brand identity. (More MSNBC stories.)