Keith Olbermann is Out at MSNBC, is Rachel Maddow Next?
Keith Olbermann Replaced by the Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
It would seem that the MSNBC management has had the last word in the battle with Keith Olbermann and earlier this week they came to an agreement, settled his contract and he has now stepped down from "Countdown".
Last night, as Keith Olbermann closed his final show he revealed very little about his reasons for leaving MSNBC after eight years. He did say, ""There were many occasions, particularly in the last 2 years, where all that surrounded the show - but never the show itself - was just too much for me." He went on to thank the enthusiastic viewers of Countdown for their support of the show.
MSNBC had only this to say about Keith Olbermann, "MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of 'Countdown' will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors."
There was some talk that the takeover by Comcast had something to do with this announcement of Olbermann being out of MSNBC. But Comcast was quick to distance themselves from this, "Comcast has not closed the transaction for NBC Universal and has no operational control at any of its properties including MSNBC. We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBC Universal's news operations. We have not and we will not."
So what happens now that Keith Olbermann is out at MSNBC? It was quickly announced that the more balanced Lawrence O'Donnell and his show The Last Word would replace "Countdown" at 8 p.m.
Keith Olbermann frequently had invited Rachel Maddow on "Countdown" as a guest, and she now has her own show on MSNBC at 9:00 pm. She has managed to grow her own successful base of faithful liberal-based viewers, so maybe this helped in the decision by MSNBC to release Olbermann. Or maybe this is a change of message direction for the MSNBC network?
Maybe Rachel Maddow doesn't have anything to worry about right now. There was a history with Keith Olbermann and his disagreements with NBC's management team. As recently as last December they found out that he made donations to Democratic candidates and they suspended him. His fan base petitioned for his return and after two days, "Countdown" was back on the air.
Last night's announcement by Keith Olbermann is much more final and his fans can't petition him back this time to MSNBC. Should Rachel Maddow and her own liberal-based views be a bit more concerned about her obviously biased strong political views? Only time will tell. The fate of Rachel Maddow is yet to be determined.
Source:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2011/01/keith-olbermann-exits-msnbc-just-too-much-for-me--/1
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/olbermann-hosts-last-countdown-on-msnbc/
Published by Mary Zeiher
Mary is a Certified Project Manager (PMP) and Freelance Writer for the Web. I have over twenty four years of IT experience and twelve years as a Project Manager. I have a passion for writing and continue t... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentIt may seem to be a trivial observation, but you called Keith Olbermann a liberal. I have a sense of liberals confronting problems (political problems in his case) and INVITING solutions. He doesn't invite debate but pushes his guests around as he congratulates himself for his own ability to perceive facts. ALL RIGHT already Keith we know the facts, don't we!
I think this particular article has a lot more to say about Mary Zeiher than Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow.
The issue with bias is not that a reporter or writer has one...it's when they're unable to admit to themselves that their own personal beliefs color the way they see the world.
Olbermann and Maddow are honest about their viewpoint. Too bad Zeiher seems unable to do the same.
Comcast is a big rip off. Big mistake letting Keith go. Your ratings will go down. OH WELL!
Really, making the assertion(s) that Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman somehow spew forth nothing but fact and less-than-biased news is absurd and only goes to demonstrate how skewed your own point of view has become. Name calling, as Olberman was hugely fond of, goes only to display exactly how biased and weak your arguments are. To say that somebody asserts a 'facist' point of view because they point to Maddow and Olberman as the self-admitted liberal minded entertainers they are simply demonstrates your own utter lack of objectivity.
Olberman raised incivility, character assassination and slander to an art form. You may have been entertained by it (as I was on occasion) but to deny it or call his art journalism is pure baloney, and again, only demonstrative of your own stupefying bias and lack of objectivity,
Oops, I meant "WHAT LYNN MARIE SAID!"
That was my initial fear -- that Rachel would be next. It makes me sick that Fox will not have NO foil to their right wing fanaticism, unless Rachel takes up the gauntlet. MSNBC should have been glad that Keith was drawing them viewers. But some conservative executive decided that truth and justice were not important. I don't like O'Donnell and will NOT watch. I never did when he filled in for Keith either. AND YEAH, WHAT ANNMARIE SAID! Only people who never watched Keith and Rachel think they're hate mongers, and they got that from"Fixed News," the originators of cable news hate mongering! Here's MY Keith story: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6252320/msnbc_fires_keith_olbermann.html?cat=9
you might think that Rachel & Keith are "hate mongers", but if you ever took the time to watch their show, they ALWAYS backed up what they say with FACTS!! Usually from the mouth of who said it!! Just like S.Palin denying what she said ... haha in her face, most of it was caught on tape and she still denied it!! Go watch FIX news - they are nothing but putting constant fear in the american people w/their trashy anchors!! including the mentioned above!! Please, AZ TAKE HER!!! AK wants her GONE!!!!!
This is a bunch of Bull Both Rachael and keith were two of the most hate mongers I had ever witnessed not to mention their distortion of the true facts! Good Ridence
Keith Olbermann was entertaining. When he would say "Mr. Bush!, You Sir are a 'blah lbah blah'!'", then I would crack up with laughter. I am a conservative that finds it refreshing to watch a commentator that doesn't moderate or disguise their own bias. I liked his hyperbole. I like liked his passion. I like liked his desperate pleas to convince the viewers to take action. I wish there were more conservatives on television with his talents and work ethic.
Time to consider relinquishing my relationship with Comcast. Let's see - Direct TV just sent a flyer in the mail - need to dig it out of the trash. Please let us know where you'll be Keith... thank you for all you've done.