The Watch: Chris Plante The Right Squad, Newsmax

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Chris Plante has been hosting his primetime show on Newsmax — Chris Plante The Right Squad — for two years now. So it felt like the perfect time to check in and see how the show looks two years in.

I watched last Thursday evening’s show to get a feel for how the program looks and feels, and was struck by a couple of different items.

First, the show looks like nothing else on Newsmax.

The program is a panel show, which has become quite the rage in the cable news sphere with the success of Fox News’ The Five. But that isn’t the thing that really separates Chris Plante The Right Squad from other shows on the network.

At times, the program will feature the show’s rundown on the right rail of the screen, giving viewers a glimpse of what’s to come.

I’ve always been a proponent of this strategy, whether it’s a cable news show or a sports program. I think those who dislike it take the same stance that TV executives before the 1990s took with constantly showing the scoreboard during NFL broadcasts. Those executives and producers feared that if fans knew the score — and saw it wasn’t close — and how much time was left in the game, viewers wouldn’t stick around.

I don’t know if you’ve kept with the ratings trends of NFL games, but I don’t think viewership has been affected by giving folks information that they’re interested in.

To me, it’s a somewhat foolproof strategy. Because if I’m not interested in the current topic — and the Newsmax show goes through them rather quickly — I can see what’s coming up and stick around. And if I’m already tuned into Chris Plante The Right Squad, the chances that something I’ll be interested in coming up in the next few moments are pretty likely, right?

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not really a fan of the panel show format. I don’t think it really allows for anyone to shine, and that’s sort of the goal, no? I also think it puts the host — who the cable networks are putting all of their promotion efforts behind — behind the eight-ball slightly by making them into the conductor rather than the star.

But in my viewing of Chris Plante The Right Squad, I thought Plante did as fine of a job as anyone I’ve seen in that role. He was able to set up those on the panel to give their opinions on a topic, while keeping the show moving, and simultaneously dishing out his thoughts on a given subject, all while trying to involve everyone on the show.

I don’t think that’s an easy thing to master. So to see it done rather flawlessly was impressive. Plante’s an obviously skilled talent, but being put in the position to serve as both the host and a panelist is befitting of him.

The downsides of the show, from my vantage point, were twofold. I’m certainly jumping to conclusions on this, but I assume that the panel changes, albeit slightly, from program to program. For instance, on Thursday’s show, WMAL morning host Larry O’Connor — one of Plante’s colleagues on the Cumulus Media radio station — was a panelist. Joining O’Connor and Plante were Matthew Foldi of The Daily Caller, contributor Jessie Jane Duff, and another contributor, Jason Nichols.

I would recommend that the show hammer home the lower thirds of those who aren’t as regular of a contributor on the show, to reinforce who the panelists are and why the audience should lend credence to their credentials.

When there are five folks at the desk, and some of them can be interchangeable or less frequent of a figure, I don’t think you can go wrong by highlighting who they are. All it does is build familiarity with the audience further down the line, which is always a good thing.

The final point I’d like to bring up is insanely nitpicky, but it’s a pet peeve of mine and one that I think simply can’t go unnoticed.

Look at the screenshot below. What stands out to you?

Duff is on her phone. Sending a text message. Maybe that’s jumping to conclusions, and there was some sort of emergency or something really important that needed attention right that very moment. But, nonetheless, she was typing something on her phone during the discussion.

Now, one could argue that the producers shouldn’t have shared a shot that featured the entire panel when one of the panelists was sending a text message. But what message does this send to the audience? If Duff isn’t engaged in the conversation — when she’s literally at the table — why should the audience?

The criticism isn’t solely directed at Duff, but it is something that drives me up a wall when I see it. More frequently, it’s seen on sports television shows when “insiders” need to show off how hard they work and how plugged in there are, so they take a phone call or send a message while on air.

For almost the entire duration of the topic, Duff didn’t speak or engage with the conversation. And when you’re on your phone while on TV, on a show where everyone is expected to contribute and participate to make the show work, it’s — in my view — a really bad look.

But that obviously isn’t an every-show problem. But it is worth mentioning, in my opinion. I think in many people’s eyes, Newsmax has been — and potentially always will be — fighting a battle against legitimacy. Some will take the chance to denigrate the network at any turn. I just think that’s a self-inflicted wound that you wouldn’t see on other networks.

Overall, I came away impressed by the show. As I mentioned earlier, I thought Chris Plante did a phenomenal job serving as both the host and as an opinionist by serving as a panelist himself. That deserves a pat on the back. I can see why the show has become a favorite of Newsmax viewers.

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Garrett Searight

Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.