Olbermann Signs Off

[CPA]

This is very bad news, if he's not on a new show - he's one of the two decent tv news shows, with Maddow.

bwaahahaahahahaahaahahahaaha

 

[nageov3t]

I'd be surprised if Olbermann is 'terrible to work with' in any important way. He strikes me as the opposite - except maybe for management.

this was the first thing that I found...

If you regularly tune in to Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, you may remember that Olbermann was mysteriously absent from the show for three days at the end of April. But Olbermann didn't just "have the night off," as David Shuster, his fill-in, said on the air three evenings in a row. According to a source inside MSNBC, it was a bizarre temper tantrum on Olbermann's part that led him to storm off the set in protest...

Olbermann's temper—and tendency to hold grudges—is nothing new. When Dan Abrams was the host of the 9pm broadcast, Olbermann famously refused to "toss," or introduce, Abrams on the air, as he now does with Maddow. At Olbermann's insistence, five seconds of footage of the exterior of 30 Rock appeared between the two programs instead. What did Abrams do to earn Olbermann's enmity? Nothing, really, although one popular rumor floating around MSNBC at the time was that they'd both asked out the same woman a number of years ago and she'd accepted Abrams's invite instead of Olbermann's.

http://cityfile.gawker.com/505807/

There could have been a serious and sober discussion of changing the outdated MSNBC policy after Olbermann returned from his suspension. Of course, that isn't what happened at all; Kurtz reconstructs scene after scene of Olbermann's reps and MSNBC execs bitching at each other, releasing competing public statements with no warning to the other side, and MSNBC prez Phil Griffin declaring at one point, "We are at war."

No. Afghanistan is at war. You are cable news people arguing about the proper PR response to a trivial misstep by a talented but egocentric blowhard. But as bad as the executives make themselves look, it's also clear that Keith has made himself a lot of enemies:

Even those who admired Olbermann's broadcasting skills felt that his behavior, such as making his staff leave notes outside his door rather than speaking to him, had gone too far. He was a royal pain, they said, and management had become exhausted trying to rein him in.

http://gawker.com/5690219/msnbc-vs-k...r-of-the-divas

both staff and top brass believe network host Keith Olbermann is way out of bounds in bashing other anchors. And the Wall Street Journal quotes former MSNBC host Connie Chung thusly: "Grow up! They have to just grow up."

http://gawker.com/5042847/behind-the-msnbc-implosion

if the Comcast execs had concerns about his behind the scenes antics and wanted him out of the building because of it, I wouldn't paint them as corporatist demons championing censorship and silencing liberal voices on the airwaves.

 

[Craig234]

this was the first thing that I found...

http://cityfile.gawker.com/505807/

http://gawker.com/5690219/msnbc-vs-k...r-of-the-divas

http://gawker.com/5042847/behind-the-msnbc-implosion

if the Comcast execs had concerns about his behind the scenes antics and wanted him out of the building because of it, I wouldn't paint them as corporatist demons championing censorship and silencing liberal voices on the airwaves.

It's good to see the things you're basing it on. I'm not impressed by them, though.

For example, an anonymous claim of a lot of hype - 'temper tantrum' - without any substance.

Connie Chung's pretty meaningless two word comment is not helped by her own behavior. She's the same Chung who had pushed Newt Gingrich's mother to comment in an off-the-record background conversation on then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, and had her say she was a bitch, and then she raised the topic in the on-air interview, violating the agreement, getting her some sensationalist headlines but widely attacked by other journalists and others critical of her behavior.

Chung is not someone I'd look to for any comment on journalism. Olbermann is.

We'd need some actual substance to the attacks. So far we have 'made his staff tape notes to his door' type things, and an unknown dispute with management leading to a walk-off, consistent with his own statement that he had conflicts with management - which for all we know he was right about.

This is the same station whose management, before canceling Donahue to not have any show with an 'inconvenient' view on the Iraq war on the air, had appointed a 'monitor' to try to enforce the management's pro-Bush line on the show, and done things like require him to have two pro-war guests for every anti-war guest.

 

[Wreckem]

It's good to see the things you're basing it on. I'm not impressed by them, though.

For example, an anonymous claim of a lot of hype - 'temper tantrum' - without any substance.

Connie Chung's pretty meaningless two word comment is not helped by her own behavior. She's the same Chung who had pushed Newt Gingrich's mother to comment in an off-the-record background conversation on then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, and had her say she was a bitch, and then she raised the topic in the on-air interview, violating the agreement, getting her some sensationalist headlines but widely attacked by other journalists and others critical of her behavior.

Chung is not someone I'd look to for any comment on journalism. Olbermann is.

We'd need some actual substance to the attacks. So far we have 'made his staff tape notes to his door' type things, and an unknown dispute with management leading to a walk-off, consistent with his own statement that he had conflicts with management - which for all we know he was right about.

This is the same station whose management, before canceling Donahue to not have any show with an 'inconvenient' view on the Iraq war on the air, had appointed a 'monitor' to try to enforce the management's pro-Bush line on the show, and done things like require him to have two pro-war guests for every anti-war guest.

Olbermann was unhappy with MSNBC.

We will never know what exactly happened. My bet it is more mutual than you want to believe. I'm sure he wasn't expecting to be let go last night but its apparent he wasn't planning on continuing with MSNBC.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Hell Ya! Seems that most people on these boards, though overwhemingly liberal, do not care for the extremes. Keith Olbermann spewed forth more vitriol than anyone on the right. Dumbass was probably fired over his asinine remarks regarding the Tuscon shooting, surely that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Now let's get Krugman fired from the New York Times, another idiot.

vitriol: something highly caustic or severe in effect, as criticism. dictionary.com link.
I thought I should attempt to enlighten you, since you appear not to understand the word.

 

[Jaskalas]

Maybe he'll join the other nutjobs and start working for Faux News.

Beck and Olbermann, in a show together, would be great.

 

[Jmman]

Beck and Olbermann, in a show together, would be great.

A modern day version of "Crossfire".....lol

 

[LumbergTech]

To put it in different terms

[b][u]THURS. JAN. 20, 2011[/u][/b]
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,918,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,079,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 1,940,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,786,000
FOXNEWS BECK 1,780,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,460,000
[b]MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,106,000[/b]
CNN PIERS 1,025,000
MSNBC MADDOW 976,000
MSNBC O'DONNELL 855,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 760,000
CNN COOPER 740,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 700,00

lol hardball....

 

[matt0611]

Beck and Olbermann, in a show together, would be great.

Lol I'd love to see an episode of that. I probably couldn't make it for 5 minutes though.

 

[Sinsear]

Lol @ Craig. Only he could seriously be in here trying to convince others that Olbermann and Maddow are the last purveyors of truth.

 

[nageov3t]

there's an article up on the NYTimes that says this deal has been in negotiations between both sides for weeks and that it limits how soon Olbermann can reappear on a different tv network (though not internet/radio)

 

[Zebo]

Dave's not... always wrong.

Cable news shnews though... I haven't watched Olbermann's show in a while. I agreed with him lots, but never liked his haughty blowhard presentation.

CNN is the only cable news network (that I'm willing to watch) that gets broadcast onto my kitchen TV, so I see a lot of Wolf, John King USA and Parker Spitzer. I throw a lot of food at the TV during John King's False Equivalence Fest. Spitzer pretty much spitzes all over Parker's face on a nightly basis. He's a WAY better seat-of-the-pants debater than she is... it's not even really a contest. I get to wondering if the show was even meant to be.

Piers Morgan... Ehh... by 9PM I've usually turned the TV off already. I only really watch it in the kitchen.

Haha pretty much this. I don't really watch TV other than curl up with an old Bogey movie and take naps but the 5 minutes I saw was enough.

 

[Red Dawn]

Haha pretty much this. I don't really watch TV other than curl up with an old Bogey movie and take naps but the 5 minutes I saw was enough.

I can't stomach any of the Cable News Stations, especially when they have loons ranting and raving like Olbermann, Hannity and O"riely.

 

[Craig234]

I can't stomach any of the Cable News Stations, especially when they have loons ranting and raving like Olbermann, Hannity and O"riely.

I don't care for the ranting and raving of Red Dawn, Hannity and O'Reilly.

 

[Red Dawn]

I don't care for the ranting and raving of Red Dawn, Hannity and O'Reilly.

Great, that should do a lot for my crediblity here:thumbsup:

 

[Craig234]

Great, that should do a lot for my crediblity here:thumbsup:

And you are one of those people who it's a compliment to get attacks from.

 

[theeedude]

I wish I could get paid $14M to do nothing for next 2 years

 

[Brigandier]

I wish I could get paid $14M to do nothing for next 2 years

I wouldn't, it'd be boring as shit. It'd be worse if I was barred from doing what I want, like Olbermann is.

 

[theeedude]

I wouldn't, it'd be boring as shit. It'd be worse if I was barred from doing what I want, like Olbermann is.

So if you had a 2 year vacation with $14M to spend, it would be boring as shit? Remind me not to invite you to parties
He is not going to prison, he's just barred from competing with his former employer. He can still write a book, travel, engage in charity work, etc, and he's getting paid $20,000 PER DAY from his old job.

 

[CallMeJoe]

To put it in different terms

[b][u]THURS. JAN. 20, 2011[/u][/b]
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,918,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,079,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 1,940,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,786,000
FOXNEWS BECK 1,780,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,460,000
[b]MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,106,000[/b]
CNN PIERS 1,025,000
MSNBC MADDOW 976,000
MSNBC O'DONNELL 855,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 760,000
CNN COOPER 740,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 700,00

Thank you for pointing out that Mr. Olbermann had the highest rated cable News/Opinion show outside the Fox network. I had no idea he was such a boost to MSNBC.

 

[Zebo]

So if you had a 2 year vacation with $14M to spend, it would be boring as shit? Remind me not to invite you to parties
.

LOL

 

[Genx87]

I love how people are crying because somebody got fired to the tune of 7 million\year.

If this guy was a CEO these same people would be whining about his golden parachute.

 

[WackyDan]

LOL @ the oxymoron?

Anyways, to recap their "success"

Net	8PM	P2+ (000s)	25-54 (000s)	35-64 (000s)
FNC	THE OREILLY FACTOR	2,918	676	1,324
CNN	PARKER SPITZER	522	110	212
MSNBC	COUNTDOWN W/ K. OLBERMANN	1,106	198	457
CNBC	INSIDE THE MIND OF GOOGLE	160	50	67
HLN	NANCY GRACE	632	143	298

Thats right, he does 1/3 the competition. I guess "success" is a relative term over there at MSNBC. Comcast probably wants to make the *NBCs profitable and something people actually watch.

Olbermann wanted more money and NBC told his to fuck off. The ratings prove why they told him to get the fuck out if he didn't like his paycheck.

Just another liberal hypocrite "do as I say, not as I do" ass clown. So bent against capitalism and those rich filthy conservatives yet he believes he needs more money himself... Keep forgetting the guy is just an entertainer I suppose.

 

[lothar]

I love how people are crying because somebody got fired to the tune of 7 million\year.

If this guy was a CEO these same people would be whining about his golden parachute.

Interesting point. :hmm:

 

[Craig234]

Olbermann wanted more money and NBC told his to fuck off. The ratings prove why they told him to get the fuck out if he didn't like his paycheck.

Based on what evidence? I'm not familiar with the compensation in the industry to know if that were true, who was in the right.