MSNBC says Starbucks deal won’t mean issues are swept under the rug

MSBNC, Starbucks in sponsorship deal

NEW YORK — 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 from 6 to 9 a.m. EDT, and the Starbucks insignia will appear repeatedly on the show’s logo at about the time hundreds of thousands of viewers are thinking about that first cup.

Such news show sponsorships weren’t unusual in the early days of television — like NBC’s “Camel News Caravan” a half-century ago — 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.”

He said the show won’t be afraid to talk about news the company might wish to avoid. Starbucks has seen sales decline in recent years and has shuttered hundreds of stores. A small bomb outside a Starbucks in Manhattan shattered windows late last month.

Griffin noted that Scarborough’s partner, Mika Brzezinski, asked Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz on Monday’s show about the high number of calories in a Starbucks Frappucino.

“It doesn’t do Starbucks or us any good to put our head in the sand,” Griffin said. “We are going to stay true to the principles of integrity in our news operation.”

He called the sponsorship a “natural fit” for a show where the hosts have openly talked about drinking Starbucks coffee, with the show’s very name a slang term for coffee.

Starbucks has been beset by competition from chains like McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts offering their own versions of gourmet coffees, often at less expense. Those chains and others will be allowed to advertise on “Morning Joe,” but they won’t be able to plug their coffee, under terms of the sponsorship deal.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.