The Mark Steyn Show Is No More

 

I just came across a bit of disappointing news this evening via SteynOnline: The Mark Steyn Show, which had been broadcast on CRTV since its inception on December 21, 2016, has been cancelled. Mark Steyn writes:

In less congenial telly news, today was perhaps the most sobering and humbling day since this poor old Canadian came to the United States many years ago. I had only been doing the show for a little over a month, and had hoped to be doing it for a long time to come. There is always a story between the lines, and everyone of course is free to speculate. I hope to be able to say more in the days ahead.

That’s too damn bad. It was an excellent show and I hope he finds another platform for it soon. In fact, it was my only reason for opening up a subscription to CRTV in the first place. Needless to say, I will not be renewing.

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  1. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    Wow, I wonder what happened.

    • #1
  2. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    Wow, I wonder what happened.

    It was probably a contract dispute of some sort.

    • #2
  3. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    CRTV is Mark Levin’s television station, isn’t it?

    I wonder if they have run into money troubles, and Mark was expensive?

    • #3
  4. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    MarciN (View Comment):
    CRTV is Mark Levin’s television station, isn’t it?

    I wonder if they have run into money troubles, and Mark was expensive?

    Yes, Levin’s was the first show on the network, and Michelle Malkin and Mark Steyn were supposed to be the other heavy hitters.

    • #4
  5. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Oops, I missed The Cloaked Gaijin’s post on this very topic below.

    • #5
  6. Johnny Dubya Inactive
    Johnny Dubya
    @JohnnyDubya

    CRTV and Steyn were sued by Michael Mann, and there was a difference of opinion on how to proceed with the legal defense, so Mark left.

    • #6
  7. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Johnny Dubya (View Comment):
    CRTV and Steyn were sued by Michael Mann, and there was a difference of opinion on how to proceed with the legal defense, so Mark left.

    Mann sued CRTV as well as NR? Good grief.

    • #7
  8. NigelT Member
    NigelT
    @NigelT

    Wow, that was fast! Too bad, I’d been planning to subscribe to CRTV but Steyn was the main attraction for me. Unlikely I’ll burn the $$$ if he’s done there.

    • #8
  9. Kay of MT Inactive
    Kay of MT
    @KayofMT

    Mike LaRoche: That’s too damn bad. It was an excellent show and I hope he finds another platform for it soon. In fact, it was my only reason for opening up a subscription to CRTV in the first place. Needless to say, I will not be renewing.

    Same here, that is the only reason I signed up for CRTV as well. Sad.

    • #9
  10. wilber forge Inactive
    wilber forge
    @wilberforge

    How is it that Micheal Mann cannot be simply defined as presenting Slap Lawsuits and be quashed by request of the defending attorney.

    • #10
  11. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Kay of MT (View Comment):

    Mike LaRoche: That’s too damn bad. It was an excellent show and I hope he finds another platform for it soon. In fact, it was my only reason for opening up a subscription to CRTV in the first place. Needless to say, I will not be renewing.

    Same here, that is the only reason I signed up for CRTV as well. Sad.

    I reckon they pulled the ol’ bait-and-switch on us.

    • #11
  12. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):

    MarciN (View Comment):
    CRTV is Mark Levin’s television station, isn’t it?

    I wonder if they have run into money troubles, and Mark was expensive?

    Yes, Levin’s was the first show on the network, and Michelle Malkin and Mark Steyn were supposed to be the other heavy hitters.

    Malkin hasn’t added new content since December either.

    • #12
  13. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):

    Johnny Dubya (View Comment):
    CRTV and Steyn were sued by Michael Mann, and there was a difference of opinion on how to proceed with the legal defense, so Mark left.

    Mann sued CRTV as well as NR? Good grief.

    I think not. I can’t find any info about a new lawsuit; just the years-old original suit. Johnny Dubya, I think you’re mistook? @johnnydubya

    • #13
  14. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    I used CRTV’s webform to write this morning:

    1. This is a web form, not an email. I will retain no record of having ‘sent’ this. Please correct the Contact Us page, which says, ‘Feel free to email us.’
    2. Your video interface is extremely annoying. I have contacted you multiple times about it but it has not improved. There is no way to easily advance or go back in the video. Your site, unlike the FREE service YouTube, cannot remember where I, a paying customer, left off in a video, so if I haven’t finished a video, I have to start at the beginning and advance, which as I mentioned above is a real joy with crtv videos. It is very annoying to bump the screen accidentally while listening happily as well only to have the video reset and have NO EASY WAY to get back to the correct spot. Many video players use the arrow keys. Try it! Your customers might stop cursing.
    3. But really the biggest reason I’m writing is to tell you that I am not interested in Levin TV, Malkin hasn’t added new content since Dec, Crowder is on YouTube, and since you’ve severed contractual obligations with Mark Steyn, the one ray of Pure 100% Sunshine on this site, I am done with you. Done with your annoying video interface and weird refusal to promote his show.

    Good luck. I think you’ll need it.

    • #14
  15. MichaelHenry Member
    MichaelHenry
    @MichaelHenry

    Mark Steyn is the wittiest writer, pundit, entertainer working today. His brilliant similes and references made while in a full run are incredible. I rarely agreed with Christopher Hitchens, but I loved listening to his riffs. Mark is just as witty and quick, and as a bonus, I agree with almost everything he says. His litigation with Michael Mann and the hockey stick proves his mettle, too. Mark is tenacious and talented, and he’ll show up somewhere else “on the telly.” Michael Henry

    • #15
  16. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    Well, I’m glad I didn’t invest in that. Now I can stop worrying that he will be too busy to sub for Rush! Love me some Steyn!

    • #16
  17. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    MichaelHenry (View Comment):
    Mark Steyn is the wittiest writer, pundit, entertainer working today. His brilliant similes and references made while in a full run are incredible. I rarely agreed with Christopher Hitchens, but I loved listening to his riffs. Mark is just as witty and quick, and as a bonus, I agree with almost everything he says. His litigation with Michael Mann and the hockey stick proves his mettle, too. Mark is tenacious and talented, and he’ll show up somewhere else “on the telly.” Michael Henry

    Let’s hope so!

    • #17
  18. Johnny Dubya Inactive
    Johnny Dubya
    @JohnnyDubya

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):

    Johnny Dubya (View Comment):
    CRTV and Steyn were sued by Michael Mann, and there was a difference of opinion on how to proceed with the legal defense, so Mark left.

    Mann sued CRTV as well as NR? Good grief.

    I think not. I can’t find any info about a new lawsuit; just the years-old original suit. Johnny Dubya, I think you’re mistook? @johnnydubya

    Sorry to have caused confusion.  That was an attempt at super-dry humor on my part.  Mann has not filed a new lawsuit.  The circumstances I summarized are those that led to Mark’s departure from NR.  It’s sad that he was jettisoned (or jettisoned himself) from both NR and CRTV.

    • #18
  19. CB Toder aka Mama Toad Member
    CB Toder aka Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    Johnny Dubya (View Comment):
    Sorry to have caused confusion. That was an attempt at super-dry humor on my part. Mann has not filed a new lawsuit. The circumstances I summarized are those that led to Mark’s departure from NR. It’s sad that he was jettisoned (or jettisoned himself) from both NR and CRTV.

    Thanks for the clarification, sorry for the obtuseness over here!

    • #19
  20. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    He sits in on Fox News radio and is a joy to listen to – does a great job. Maybe he’ll get a better gig.

    • #20
  21. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Steyn tweeted that he would be filing suit in an unspecified US District Court on Monday 3/6.

    • #21
  22. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    It started off as Levin TV. My guestimate is that 100% of any subscriber increase was Steyn followers.

    Crowder was already giving his show away for free, so nobody likely subscribed because of him.

    Malkin does good work, but one does not subscribe for what amounts to a non-leftist ABC 20/20 or CBS 48 Hours or NBC Dateline show every month or two.

    One possibility is there was an unexpected huge subscriber increase that caused Steyn to want to be top dog and Levin would not have it. The opposite possibility is that they budgeted such a subscriber increase in and it never materialized. A third is that TPTB did not want Steyn to indulge his music critic side as much as he did and wanted more like his Rush guest host gigs.

     

    • #22
  23. dtw56 Inactive
    dtw56
    @dtw56

    I also subscribed to CRTV solely because of Steyn. I sure hope this is due to specific/isolated issues and not indicative of what appears to be a major split amongst conservatives. Let’s hope both Steyn and CRTV clarifies things.

    • #23
  24. Johnny Dubya Inactive
    Johnny Dubya
    @JohnnyDubya

    CB Toder aka Mama Toad (View Comment):

    Johnny Dubya (View Comment):
    Sorry to have caused confusion. That was an attempt at super-dry humor on my part. Mann has not filed a new lawsuit. The circumstances I summarized are those that led to Mark’s departure from NR. It’s sad that he was jettisoned (or jettisoned himself) from both NR and CRTV.

    Thanks for the clarification, sorry for the obtuseness over here!

    Mann is so litigious, one can’t joke about it because anything is plausible!

    • #24
  25. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    ctlaw (View Comment):
     

    One possibility is there was an unexpected huge subscriber increase that caused Steyn to want to be top dog and Levin would not have it. The opposite possibility is that they budgeted such a subscriber increase in and it never materialized. A third is that TPTB did not want Steyn to indulge his music critic side as much as he did and wanted more like his Rush guest host gigs.

    It could be a combo thereof too – big increase to stoke Steyn, but not big enough to support him, Levin wanted things done by his own vision, etc.  Levin is very full of himself IMHO, and I would not be surprised that Steyn and Levin both could not share the same room together long.

    Shame too.  I might have eventually subscribed to watch Steyn, but Levin flat out repels me.

    • #25
  26. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    ctlaw (View Comment):
    It started off as Levin TV. My guestimate is that 100% of any subscriber increase was Steyn followers.

    Crowder was already giving his show away for free, so nobody likely subscribed because of him.

    Malkin does good work, but one does not subscribe for what amounts to a non-leftist ABC 20/20 or CBS 48 Hours or NBC Dateline show every month or two.

    One possibility is there was an unexpected huge subscriber increase that caused Steyn to want to be top dog and Levin would not have it. The opposite possibility is that they budgeted such a subscriber increase in and it never materialized. A third is that TPTB did not want Steyn to indulge his music critic side as much as he did and wanted more like his Rush guest host gigs.

    On the contrary, I think he is getting dropped because Crowder has brought in way many more subscribers than Mark Steyn to CRTV.

    He brought in like 5,000 in one night with his “Waterboard Crowder Christmas Special”.  Crowder only gives away his Thursday show on YouTube, which he shortened to 1 hour and then added shows Monday-Wednesday that are only on CRTV, plus Not Gay Jared and CourtneyScoffs have a show on Fridays.

    I watched several of Mark Steyn shows and while it was great to be able to listen to Mark Steyn rant, I don’t think it was going to be popular.

    • #26
  27. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    skipsul (View Comment):
    I would not be surprised that Steyn and Levin both could not share the same room together long.

    It wouldn’t surprise me if this is the source of the problem. Imagine if O’Reilly was running FoxNews and it was comprised of 4 shows — The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity, Greg Gutfield, and Martha McCallum.

    • #27
  28. Max Ledoux Coolidge
    Max Ledoux
    @Max

    ctlaw (View Comment):
    Crowder was already giving his show away for free, so nobody likely subscribed because of him.

    Crowder had a Christmas  subscribathon promising to get waterboarded by former army ranger Tim Kennedy (now a UFC fighter) if a certain number of people, I believe the goal was 2,000, subscribed to CRTV while they were broadcasting. Crowder was indeed waterboarded.

    • #28
  29. Max Ledoux Coolidge
    Max Ledoux
    @Max

    Z in MT (View Comment):
    He brought in like 5,000 in one night with his “Waterboard Crowder Christmas Special”.

    Oh, wow, didn’t realize it was that many.

    Running a “tv channel” is expensive. In the end, 5,000 is not going to do it. But 5,000 is also not nothing.

    • #29
  30. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Max Ledoux (View Comment):

    ctlaw (View Comment):
    Crowder was already giving his show away for free, so nobody likely subscribed because of him.

    Crowder had a Christmas subscribathon promising to get waterboarded by former army ranger Tim Kennedy (now a UFC fighter) if a certain number of people, I believe the goal was 2,000, subscribed to CRTV while they were broadcasting. Crowder was indeed waterboarded.

    Cool.

    • #30
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