Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow | |
---|---|
Born | Rachel Anne Maddow April 1, 1973 |
Occupation(s) | Radio host TV host |
Partner | Susan Mikula |
Rachel Anne Maddow (born April 1, 1973) is an American radio personality, television host, and progressive political commentator. Her syndicated radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, airs on Air America Radio. Maddow also hosts a nightly television show of the same name on MSNBC.[1]
Education
A graduate of Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, California, Maddow obtained a degree in public policy from Stanford University in 1994.[2] At graduation she was awarded the prestigious John Gardner Fellowship. She then received a Rhodes Scholarship in 1995 and used it to obtain a D.Phil. in political science from Lincoln College, Oxford University.[3] Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes scholarship.[4]
Radio career
Maddow got her first radio hosting job at WRNX (100.9 FM, Holyoke, Massachusetts) when the station held a contest for a new on-air personality.[5] She was hired to co-host WRNX's then premier morning show, The Dave in the Morning Show. She later went on to host Big Breakfast on WRSI, in Northampton, Massachusetts, for two years. She left the show to join the newly created Air America in March 2004.[3] There she hosted Unfiltered along with Chuck D and Lizz Winstead until its cancellation on March 31, 2005.[6] Two weeks later (April 14), her own two-hour-long program, The Rachel Maddow Show, began airing; it was expanded to three hours on March 10, 2008. It aired live from New York from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET on weekdays, with David Bender filling in the third hour for the call-in section when Maddow was on TV assignment. On September 8, 2008, TRMS returned to a two-hour format as Maddow began her nightly MSNBC show.
Television career
Maddow was a regular panelist on MSNBC's Tucker. During and after the November 2006 election, she was a frequent guest on CNN's Paula Zahn Now. In January 2008, Maddow was given the position of MSNBC political analyst and was a regular panelist MSNBC's Race for the White House with David Gregory and MSNBC's election coverage, as well as a frequent contributor on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.[3]
On April 4, 2008, Maddow was the substitute host for Countdown with Keith Olbermann, her first time hosting a program on MSNBC. Maddow described herself on air as "nervous," but Keith Olbermann complimented her work and she was brought back to host "Countdown" on May 16, 2008. That day, Countdown was the highest rated news program in the key 25–54 year old demographic.[7] For her success, Olbermann awarded Maddow the 3rd ranking in his regular segment, "World's Best Persons" on the following Monday, calling her "World's Best Pinch-Hitter."[8] Maddow filled in again on Countdown for eight-and-a-half broadcasts while Olbermann was on vacation in July 2008 (including the latter half of the July 21 show).[9] Maddow has also filled in for David Gregory as host of Race for the White House.[3]
It was announced on August 19, 2008, that Maddow would take over the 9 pm ET time slot on MSNBC on September 8, 2008, replacing Dan Abrams.[10] The name of her show is The Rachel Maddow Show.[11] Since its debut, the show has drawn strong ratings, even topping Countdown to be the highest rated show on MSNBC on several occasions.[12][13] After being on air for a little over a month, Maddow's program has doubled the audience for MSNBC's 9 p.m. hour.[14]
In October 2008, the video podcast version of The Rachel Maddow Show, reached number one on the iTunes podcast chart.[citation needed]
Personal life
Rachel Maddow is of Jewish ancestry. Maddow lives in Manhattan and Western Massachusetts with her partner, artist and accountant Susan Mikula.[15][16] The couple met in 1999, when Mikula hired Maddow, who was then working on her doctoral dissertation, for yard work at her home.[15] Maddow did not own a television before starting the show[17], but purchased one so Mikula could watch the program.[14]
References
- ^ Weisbert, Julie (2007-08-23). "Talking things up". Bay Windows. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
- ^ Sheridan, Barrett (May/June 2008). "Making Ariwaves: Broadcaster Rachel Maddow is succeeding at her goal of 'lefty rabblerousing'". Stanford Magazine.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ a b c d Barnhart, Aaron (2008-06-14). "MSNBC's Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow are young, geeky and hot". Kansas City Star.
- ^ Warn, Sarah (2008-08-20). "Rachel Maddow Becomes First Out Lesbian to Host Prime-Time News Show". afterellen.com.
- ^ Lehoczky, Etelka (2004-08-31). "Left and centered: Air America radio's Rachel Maddow is out, brilliant, and ready to defend the other L word: liberal". The Advocate.
- ^ Bagby, Dyana (2005-01-28). "Two 'L-words'; Morning host adds 'lesbian' to 'liberal' radio's success". Southern Voice Atlanta.
- ^ "The Scoreboard: Friday, May 16". TV Newser. 2008-05-16.
- ^ Olbermann, Keith (2008-05-20). "World's Best Persons May 20, 2008". MSNBC.
- ^ Steinberg, Jacques (2008-07-17). "Now in Living Rooms, the Host Apparent". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ Carter, Bill (2008-08-19). "Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC". The New York Times.
- ^ "Political commentator Maddow gets own show". AP. 2008-08-20.
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(help) - ^ Shae, Danny (2008-09-18). "Rachel Maddow Ratings: Beats Olbermann's "Countdown" To Be MSNBC's Top Show". Huffington Post.
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (2008-09-25). "A Fresh Female Face Amid Cable Schoolboys". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Stelter, Brian (2008-10-20). "Fresh Face on Cable, Sharp Rise in Ratings". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Goldscheider, Eric (2005-02-24). "Weekday bantering is balanced by quiet New England weekends". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Rachel Maddow Biography". AirAmerica.com. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
- ^ Wolgemuth, Liz (2008-09-24). "Rachel Maddow: MSNBC's Smart Hire". U.S. News & World Report.
External links
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- 1973 births
- Alternative journalism
- American political pundits
- Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford
- American anti-Iraq War activists
- American Jews
- American radio personalities
- American Rhodes scholars
- American television personalities
- LGBT people from the United States
- LGBT radio personalities
- LGBT rights activists from the United States
- Living people
- MSNBC
- NBC News
- People from the San Francisco Bay Area
- Stanford University alumni