Does Olbermann Ouster Mean Comcast is Moving MSNBC to the Right?
Just three days after the FCC approved the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, MSNBC's contract with Keith Olbermann was terminated.
The cable news network reported at its website Saturday:
"Msnbc [sic] and Keith Olbermann have ended our contract," Phil Griffin, president of msnbc [sic], said Friday.
"Msnbc [sic] thanks Keith for his integral role in msnbc's [sic] success and we wish him well in his future endeavors," Griffin said.
The article said there was no connection between the merger approval and Olbermann's dismissal:
Msnbc [sic] spokesman Jeremy Gaines would say only that the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast, which received regulatory approval this week, had nothing to do with the decision.
Comcast released a statement Friday evening:
"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." Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast spokesperson.
According to the New York Post, this wasn't an inexpensive termination:
Olbermann, in the middle of a four-year $30 million contract reportedly set to last until 2012, announced that last night's edition of his prime-time "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," would be his last.
Sources said network brass basically paid the pontificating pundit to scram by working out an agreement in which he would give up his show and continue to be paid. The garrulous gasbag will likely also have to stay off the air at least until fall under the agreement. [...]
Sources said talks between MSNBC and Olbermann about his departure had been going on for weeks, but it's not clear when the final decision to boot him was made.
Is this coming just three days after the Comcast-NBC merger was approved really a coincidence?
Out-going NBC President Jeff Zucker sent the following note to his employees Friday morning:
As you know, the deal will formally close next Friday. That means this will be my last business update and indeed my last official word to each of you as CEO. Over the last few months, I made an effort to gather with every group of employees across the company. Hopefully, I’ve had a chance to meet and thank you personally for all you have done for this company. If I didn't get to you, please accept my thanks now. I have been asked many times what I will miss the most about NBC Universal. That's easy. The wonderful people of this company. So many colleagues…so many friends. I will miss you all.
It has been a fantastic run of almost 25 years. For me, that chapter’s ending, but for all of you it’s an exciting new beginning. With Comcast, I leave you in good hands and have no doubt that you will continue to do great things. I look forward to following your progress.
With warm regards,
Jeff
So, on Tuesday the FCC approved the deal. On Friday morning, Zucker issued his last business update to his staff, and hours later Olbermann said goodbye as well.
And these events are unrelated?
When you look at MSNBC's new prime time lineup, you certainly can't conclude this is the last move:
- "Hardball" at 5PM
- Cenk Uygur as substitute host of an un-named show at 6PM
- "Hardball" at 7PM
- "The Last Word" at 8PM
- "Rachel Maddow Show" at 9PM
- "The Ed Show" at 10PM
Is Uygur, who has been doing some regular substitute hosting for various MSNBC commentators, about to get a full-time role at the network? Has he actually proved himself worthy of his own show? Are they actually going to put him against "Special Report?"
Bret Baier has been absolutely trouncing Ed Schultz at 6PM almost tripling the MSNBCer's viewers on Thursday. Is an unknown like Uygur the answer?
In time slot after time slot, MSNBC continues to get killed by Fox News in the ratings often getting as little as one quarter the viewers of its right-leaning rival. Since the moment the merger was announced months ago, people in the industry have speculated what a new ownership team would do about this.
Are the folks at Comcast going to settle for MSNBC as an also-ran behind Fox, or are they looking to make some moves designed to make this news network more competitive? Possibly just as important, might they also be interested in appearing less partisan?
For several years, Olbermann has been the face of MSNBC. Mightn't it be wise for this face to be something far less divisive, especially for a growing media conglomerate like Comcast.
As Forbes media analyst Jeff Bercovici noted Friday evening:
Comcast has its own calculations. An intrinsically conservative corporation, it’s not overly friendly to congenital boat-rockers like Olbermann. In fact, one such individual, a former employee named Barry Nolan, sued Comcast last year, saying the cable operator fired him in order to protect its relationship with News Corp., which owns the Fox News Channel. Nolan had publicly protested an award given to Bill O’Reilly, Fox News’s biggest star. Noting that Olbermann has also frequently feuded with O’Reilly, media critic Dan Kennedy predicted last year, “Keith Olbermann may prove to be Barry Nolan writ large.”
As you can see, Bercovici isn't buying the coincidence theory.
Frankly, neither am I, for Comcast is a far different company than General Electric. Because its exclusive business is media - Comcast is now the largest cable and home internet provider in the nation as well as a growing force in television broadcasting - it might be far more concerned about the political image of MSNBC than GE was.
With many cable and internet options available to consumers, does Comcast want to jeopardize its vast customer base with hyper-partisan rhetoric on its new news network?
Seems difficult to conclude the answer to be anything other than "No" given Friday's surprise announcement, and if more changes are made to MSNBC's prime time lineup in the coming months further diminishing the network's hyper-partisanship, we may look upon January 21, 2011, as the beginning of the end of a totally disgraceful period in television journalism.
Keep your fingers crossed.
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Comments
Not sure about Comcast's
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:13am.
Not sure about Comcast's influence; I guess that remains to be seen. I'd be surprised if they think they can slice off some of Fox's viewership by moving starboard, though maybe they think they can be better positioned against CNN (which is currently third, is it not?) If Comcast hurts the Turner Companies, might that be a competitive boost for them? Those two have more in common than Comcast and Fox. I guess we'll see.
The speculation, of course, is where will Bathtub Boy go? Wouldn't it be great to hear "Have you no shame, sir?!" from the White House press briefing room?
LOL
Submitted by kg on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:22am.
Don't forget it was Comcast that had the "Obama Channel" with 24/7 speech reruns.
"DumbAssity of Dope"
What a great picture!
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:14pm.
You made my day, NB! And it needed making.
Star AZ, that's exactly what
Submitted by inquiringmind on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:23pm.
Star AZ, that's exactly what I was thinking! I don't know, nor do I care what happens to Olbi next, but the picture is great!
BK
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:22am.
CNN is a distant 3rd. Like I say The Cartoon Network beats the hell out of both of them in primetime and total day.
This was posted at Moonbattery.com awhile back but it is very relevant today. I think you can do better.
There is a reason for that.
Submitted by ThatDude on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:58pm.
There is a reason for that. Cartoon Network has decent programming and a reliable target audience. Though I rarely watch tv, the few channels I do watch include cartoon network, comedy central, discovery, and history.
Bk, Gibbs replacement, HA.
Submitted by upcountrywater on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:08pm.
bathtub boy, with teleprompters filibustering the WH press corps.
You Didn't Build That.
I'd rather see they treat this network
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:41pm.
like Rosemary's Baby. Satan (Keith Olbermann) impregnated this network with vile, hatred and disgust, now it is time to kill it.
COMCAST is no doubt examining...
Submitted by P. Aaron on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:17am.
...the FOX News channel and realizing that they can perhaps 'encourage' NBC News employees to 'report' the news and perhaps recoup market share. If those 'employees' start commenting on news, they may get booted. Perhaps some language will be added to News Readers/jornolister's (typo intentded) contracts.
Simple economics says that MSNBC, NBC news divisions are bound to be adjusted in some way.
A: Yes, of course......
Submitted by merly1 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:17am.
As I just posted on last thread, obie and matthews clearly appear to have significant mental health issues. The 11/2 election night coverage WAS hilarious, yet also sadly pathetic. Anybody of average IQ or above, watching the 11/2 Bachmann interview, would know that this act couldnt continue......MSNBC had become the HeeHaw equivalent of political shows, simpleton hosts pandering to unsophisticated viewers. Change had to come, it was only a matter of when.
Matthews is likely next, his Bachmann and Palin act is extremely misogynistic.
I notice Chris...
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:17pm.
...did not get his slot.
→ Of course, Noel
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:23am.
Filling Olbermann's slot with an AVOWED SOCIALIST is certainly a shift to the center.
I'd say a lurch to the center, wouldn't you?
CA
Submitted by Noel Sheppard on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:31am.
CA,
I think it will depend on what happens at 6PM. They're certainly not going to leave an unknown like Uygur to go up against Bret Baier. That would be insane.
So, we'll know where this is going by what ends up in that time slot. ns
The Uyger Sanction
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:39am.
I'm of the opinion that only Brit Hume or Chris Wallace could go up against Bret Baier. I don't think Baier has a peelable base. Tell you the truth, I'd only heard the name "Uyger" but never witnessed his ability to deliver News.
Is Dan Rather tanned and ready?
CA
Submitted by well99 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:40pm.
Go to youtube and you will see The Young Turkeys.They gobble gobble lies all day long.
Maybe
Submitted by Tuari on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:33am.
Maybe he's just a place holder to figure out what he can be replaced with. I don't think they can fire the whole network at once can they? The did have some ratings I mean, even if they were the host's immediate family members. lol
Comcast
Submitted by Tuari on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:31am.
I don't think it means it's moving right. I think means it's trying to get rid of the bat st crazy people and move towards getting profitable and possibly competitive.
Tuari
Submitted by Noel Sheppard on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:34am.
Tuari,
Remember, moving right doesn't mean becoming conservative. It will likely mean becoming less liberal. Getting rid of the "bat st" crazy people is a start! :-) ns
Maybe that explains Matthews
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:43am.
The other day on his show, Chris Matthews confessed, on air, that he was falling in love with his male guest.
Might be a pretty strong Civil Rights suit if they try to get rid of Chris now.
NTTAWWT.
Civil Rights suit
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:55pm.
Mr. Arrow, that was one of your rarer understatements.
ROTFL.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
CA
Submitted by well99 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 7:59pm.
I think I saved MSNBC some money I found the replacement.
http://www.wikihow.com/images/b/b1/Stephen--The-Pet-Rock..jpg
The same intelligence as the rest of their team.
Giant Leap
Submitted by miss911ninja on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:44pm.
Out with the bat s##t crazies for sure, but MSNBC could take a giant leap toward becoming less liberal by removing just one person: CONTESSA BREWER!
Comcast is a business that
Submitted by celator on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:33am.
Comcast is a business that makes money for its shareholders and itself. One look at who is dragging the bottom of the ratings game, thus bringing in mediocre to poor ad revenues, points to what has to be fixed--their complete evening lineup.
If putting on a talking, two headed chicken would boost ratings long term, that's what they would do. If left wing nutjobs like Olbermann had very high ratings, he would still be there.
this time it's personal
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:38am.
The old NBC/GE combination was not about making money. It was about a (wink wink) working relationship between the Whitehouse and GE.
I reeeealy hope that comcast's attitude towards profitability is more business oriented because as a monthly financial contributer to comcast I don't want to see my contribution affected by having the company have a commitment to ideology over profits.
I think they make money with
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:55am.
I think they make money with the cable nets like USA and Syfy. All the cable rating puts USA at top for the day, even above Fox. That along with Sunday Night Football helps keep them afloat. I don't think they have single show in the top 20 in primtime. As for sports SNF is about the only thing they ahve and they don't have it rigth now.
Here's your chance, Fox.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:38am.
Have Keef and Jerry Rivers co-host a show, and let viewers place bets as to which one kills the other one first in a fit of egotistical rage!
I'm betting that Keef becomes Jeff Emmelt-down's press secretary ... soon.
Alas
Submitted by Indefatigable B... on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:41am.
Like Lennie Bruce, Olbermann's anger was his eventual demise.
Unlike Lennie Bruce, Olbie was never really funny.
if MSNBC was a house...
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:48am.
Comcast bought a fixer-upper.
→ A fixer-upper?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:54am.
They're walking into the Auto Zone with a '63 Dodge Dart fender, and trying to order the rest of the parts.
LOL
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:58am.
LOL
No, a '63 Dodge Dart fender is too high in terms of quality.
Submitted by virginia republican on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:56pm.
Make that a 1987 rusted out Yugo fender.
Civil Discourse
Submitted by SnapTie on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:07pm.
Let face the facts... Keith is to civil discourse what Rosie O'Donnell is to swimsuit modeling.
Ewwwww.....
Submitted by C-townGiant on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:24pm.
Mental image of that. I just threw up in my mouth.
The fact that Msnbc [sic]
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:26pm.
The fact that
Msnbc [sic] spokesman Jeremy Gaines would say only that the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast, which received regulatory approval this week, had nothing to do with the decision.
means it had everything to do with it.
JMHO
Don't be surprised
Submitted by sam12663 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:35pm.
when Olbie ends up working with Immelt on the "Jobs and Competitiveness" committee.
Rats!?
Submitted by catnamedjake on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:51pm.
I wonder if Olbermann was a rat escaping the sinking ship. They have had horrible ratings for a long time, no? I really do not see anything conservative about Comcast-- maybe I just can't see it. Anyway, hopefully it will be someplace "funny" and not someplace scary where he pops up in the fall. And I also agree with Ann C.-- if Christie won't run, Herman Cain for president.
I'm thinking Red Ed is the next neck on the chopping block
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:54pm.
...followed closely by Prissy Tingles.
And as for that huge boil on the ass of America that calls itself Cenk Uygur, he shouldn't be allowed to be on TV or radio anywhere in America.
In fact, he probably should be under investigation for any and all possible ties to the 7th Century barbarian camel-washers who are making war against our country.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
We could put them on the Food Network...
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 12:58pm.
Celebrity Chopped.
Can't you just see Ted Allen saying, "I'm sorry Chris, you've been chopped"?
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
J,
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:30pm.
LOL - That would be perfect.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Red Ed... I don`t know
Submitted by NVRAT on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:28pm.
With any luck Madcow Maddox would be nice to get the chopping block!
Comcast's Enema
Submitted by Cactus Kurt on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:19pm.
I don't think Comcast is done cleansing it's colon. If I were Braindead Ed, Tingles, or Ron Reagan Jr. errrrr, Rachel Maddow, I'd be worried.
HAHAHAHAHA!
Submitted by Slyrr on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:23pm.
BS-NBC 'move to the right'?
Sorry - but that was pretty funny...
We all know how liberals work. They keep pushing things, getting worse and worse and worse until finally someone gets thrown out on their butt for going too far.
Then, instead of learning their lessons and moving back to decency, they rush out and find someone even worse.
Look for Janine Garafalo, Ronseanne Barr, Wanda Sykes, Kathy Gifford, Bill Mahar, Michael Moore or that Siskel toad to be their next anchorman. Or maybe they'll get them ALL on at once and set them arguing about which ones of them want conservatives dead more than the others.
That's all for today...
Submitted by GregE on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:27pm.
...the 2,854th day since he Meltdown began...
...and the 1st day since Comcast deemed Mission Accomplished on MSNBC.
If the rumors are correct,
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:28pm.
If the rumors are correct, Comcast has, as a condition of government approval, agreed to convert a sizable portion of it's current schedule, across all properties, to minority programming, personel, community involvement.
Makes perfect sense for the de facto outside propaganda dissemination arm of the Obama Socialist Regime to become the ' Affirmative Action ' family of networks.
Not coincidentally, this will occur just ahead of the Ass Clown's latest stab ( in the backs of the real American people ) at his twice rejected power grab to concentrate & control the airwaves & internet thru the " Fairness Doctrine ".
What constitutes Free Speech in this country will join ObamaCares death panels as the wholly owned domain of the ( secret czars ) hidden away in the bowels of the White House.
If successful, the Ass Clown will have bypassed both the Congress and the will of the American people, hastening the death of America and the rise of socialism and imperial power.
He's already brought the worst offender of the illegal quid pro quo arrangement between this White House and the lame street press, Jeff Immelt.
This is just the natural progression of his radical manifesto, innocuously put forth as ' fundamental transformation ', when in reality he is waging a domestic terrorist attack ( ji had ) directly out of our White House, with the sole intent of destroying our government and American life as we know it.
Barack_Must_Go.....
Dude, I know you've taken a
Submitted by bkeyser on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:45pm.
Dude, I know you've taken a lot of heat around here lately, even though a lot of what you write is not so dissimilar from a good portion of the NB commenter family. But does everything have to start with race with you? I'm starting to wonder if you're a plant. I try to keep an open mind and realize that everyone views things through their own particular lens, but you're really coming off as what the Left defines a stereotypical right-winger; and we all know that that definition is concocted from their side of the aisle.
Anyone feeling all leg tingly?
Submitted by Tomorama on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:28pm.
Noel, I am willing to stick my neck out here and STATE that Cenk keeps the 6 o'clock spot.
From 5:00 pm on, they are nothing but leftists on this network and again, they are just repositioning the deck chairs titanic style (I don't know really what happens during the day, but I can guess.......).
A year or more from now, your thesis that they are going to "moderate" a little less to the left may come true, but I really think they are going to see if THIS WORKS or WHY put an admitted SOCIALIST in the prime time spot and even give Cenk a shot at 05:00 over any in-house people?
Noel, I respect your opinion big time, I just think for the first time in your adult life.... you may be incorrect.
Now, being a gentlemen, IF you are proven right and heads start rolling left and right, I will come on here and state that YOU are the new "Great one" and I was uh, uh, uh, uh Wrrrrrr, wrrrrrr, wrrrrr, wrong...
Everyone is losing jobs
Submitted by Beckiboo on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:39pm.
All across America people are losing jobs. My boss was fired a few weeks ago after 28 years with the company. That followed 6% pay cuts and 6 unpaid days with the company closed. We are all hurting out here. Who do you know who hasn't either lost their job, had a pay cut or had their hours cut?
How's that hope and change working for you, Olbie?
LOL...I still think it's
Submitted by shannon76 on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 1:41pm.
LOL...I still think it's hilarious that they're putting an unapologetic SOCIALIST at the prime time spot. You can't put an actual socialist at the 8pm ET spot. That's crazy. (And certainly not if you're hoping to be more centrist, placeholder or not). In 2008 I was getting ripped on for suggesting that Obama had a worldview that was tolerant of socialist ideaology. People I knew either said: a. "what's wrong with socialism anyway?" or b. "He's not a socialist!" (thus conceding at the very least that socialism wasn't a system to embrace). NOW MSNBC is putting on a bona fide SOCIALIST.
If COMCAST is serious about being a legit money-making venture, you have to get rid of Maddow, The Young Turk, The SOCIALIST, and Red Ed (they really are like a rogues gallery, aren't they?). Tingles can probably stay, but you have to get rid of the Daily Kossack comrades.
I know Maddow and Olbermann were clearing 1 million viewers consistently at their spots, but I say O'Donnell averages under that number. So I see a marginal reduction in MSNBC's viewership over the next few months. There's no major election this year and there are no battleground issues that would galvanize interest in his show. Obama is pretending to look centrist, so he'll have things to complain about and criticize, which is to his benefit.
If COMCAST is serious, O'Donnell will be out of 8 PM within 8-10 months. They'd be better served doing a facelift and putting in figures like a Lou Dobbs or a Shepard Smith type (just throwing the name out there, I don't remember the particulars of Smith's contract with FNC). Another idea would be to go full NO LABELS and slot in Joe Scarbrough with Zhuzhinski...
And of course if all else fails and O'Donnell is really desperate for ratings, he can always go to the Left's bread and butter: do a daily 4-minute segment of hate on Sarah Palin.
Why is it a part of every contract the liberal news section
Submitted by Funbowhunter on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 2:32pm.
has to be left alone? If I am buying a company, my purpose would be to improve it so that it gains market share, to make it, well, marketable. The "news" divisions of each of the alphabet soups are a detriment to their bottom line.
I remember, before he went all wacko and stuff, Ted Turner was backed by Christian groups in his attempted purchase of CBS, the big bruhaha was from CBS's "news" department. I also remember when USA Today was being floated, they were reaching out to Christian Radio audiences to back them.
Why is news so liberal? It is because they are taught to be by the professors that teach it. Until we start backing conservative Universities and Colleges j schools, we will continue to get the product that we have.
livingfortruth.wordpress.com
It's too soon to tell...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 5:36pm.
if Olbermann's departure was a result of the Comcast takeover, or if his leaving means that they will be moving MSNBC to the right. I do think that the takeover was at least a factor in his ouster...Three days after the merger is approved, he gets the ax...A coincidence? Maybe, but I doubt it.
As for whether Comcast will be moving MSNBC out of the liberal gutter that they have occupied for so long, only time will tell...A indicator of that will be if we see others follow Olbermann out the door over there...We'll see.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Using the Newsweek Metric...
Submitted by gopcongress on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 6:27pm.
...one cannot absolutely say if a leftist station is going to move to the right. For instance, if Newsweek wanted to see their subscription list go viral, all they had to do was accept the NewsMax offer, because for better or for worse, "Newsweek" is still a prime brand name. The fact that its editorial policies are now as socialist as the cold war Pravda news organization is irrelevant, at least at this time.
So MSNBC could probably double their viewership simply by going conservative with at least one or two genuine tea party types (Limbaugh, Levin, Bozell for instance) to anchor. And Comcast execs have given to conservative causes (not just GOP). But it remains to be seen as to how their new lineup will fare. It will actually be worse for awhile, as Olbermann WAS their biggest draw.
Bottom line, I don't really see any major political shift to the conservative right, though they may strive for "centrist" (re: socialist lite).
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
You know what I find
Submitted by Chris Norman on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:30pm.
You know what I find depressing? That Comcast could indeed force MSNBC to be less hyper-liberal, and we would still end up with that even more insidious, blurrier liberal bias, the kind that infests the broadcast MSM. At least MSNBC as of now let's it's crazy liberalism hang out for all the world to recognize. The broadcast MSM coats it's liberalism in a gauze of somewhat softer liberalism, the harder for some viewers to realize that they're being tricked into viewing the world through liberal eyes.
A move to the right?
Submitted by pbthinker on Sat, 01/22/2011 - 11:54pm.
My guess is that Comcast could care less about left and right, just ratings. They don't want someone, who is obviously a magnet for the worst of the left, they'd much rather have their left wing politics a little more under the radar. Let's face it, with Olbermann, nothing was under the radar there. Of course they still have a couple of problems with O'Donnell and Schultz, but I'm guessing they'd be easier to control than Olbie.
Soon, I expect MSNBC to be just like the parent news organization, very liberal, yet clinging to a facade of fairness. In other words, the reporting will be the same but they'll tell everyone they're not liberal. With Olbermann there, that was difficult to do.
No slogans. No agendas.
Submitted by rwnewsnut on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 1:32am.
You're the new owner of MSNBC. You review the ratings as posted on Drudge:
CABLE NEWS RACE
THURS. JAN. 20, 2011
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
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,106,000
CNN PIERS 1,025,000
MSNBC MADDOW 976,000
MSNBC O'DONNELL 855,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 760,000
CNN COOPER 740,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 700,000
So instead of cutting the lowest hanging fruit - Matthews and Schultz, you fire Olbermann. Have businessmen forgotten what their mission is? To increase profits. Here's a plan: 1) Change the slogan (Lean Forward) and 2) report the news. It's easy!!!! No slogans. No agendas.
Does Olbermann Ouster Mean
Submitted by Beukeboom on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 5:49am.
Does Olbermann Ouster Mean Comcast is Moving MSNBC to the Right?Dear Mr. Sheppard,
Just the fact that Olbermann, arguably the most radical leftist on-air talent, has left the network moves, by default, MSNBC to the Right. Just a few nanometers to the Right but to the Right nonetheless. /s
Olberman et al
Submitted by spepper on Sun, 01/23/2011 - 8:28pm.
As much as I don't give a hoot in hell what Olberman, Madcow, or Sgt Schultz say or think, they actually did serve a useful purpose: they uniformly provided a predictable but consistent glimpse into the mind of your average numbskull liberal (redundant?) who has no concept of rule by (constitutional) law, because "all that stuff was made up by a bunch of slave-owning white guys anyway".......and it also served to show the EXACT percentage of Americans who think that way by their miniscule ratings numbers.......which was a very reassuring sign that the far majority of Americans do NOT.......