Keith Olbermann Gets Stiffed in ‘Countdown’s’ Broadcast Premiere

The Media Research Center's Brent Baker reported last Monday that NBC was going to broadcast a live installment of Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" before Sunday's preseason football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Marvelously, a number of NBC affiliates around the country decided against airing Olbermann at all, or to preempt the broadcast until after the game.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!

As reported at the blog of liberal talk radio host Taylor Marsh (emphasis added throughout):

Honestly, you never know in Las Vegas. The way ABC jacks around "This Week," I knew I couldn't take it for granted that local NBC would pick up "Countdown" either.

So when I cued up my cable, looking at what they had programmed, "Countdown" wasn't shown.

Everybody say, "Aaaaaaaawwwwww!"

But it gets better, because some of Marsh's readers wrote in to share their disappointment:

Pre-empted in Phillie too, but at least it's due to ratings, which I totally get. In the city where I'm currently marooned, Las Vegas, we got "The Ed Bernstein Show" -- a local snooze fest -- and "The Chris Matthews Show," not exactly award winning either.

[...]

KTVB in Boise, ID is doing the same thing as the Phoenix station. Local news (Happy,happy,happy talk...) instead of Keith Live.

Adding to the merriment, John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury reported Friday:

After writing this morning that Keith Olbermann will have a special edition of "Countdown" on NBC at 4 p.m. Sunday, I got an e-mail from NBC saying the West Coast will actually be on a tape delay and the show will air at 10 p.m. - after the Eagles-Steelers preseason dance.

Nice premiere, Keith.

I'm verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.

*****Update: Marsh may have jumped the gun a bit, for this might be a West Coast preemption for time zone reasons. Stay tuned.