Michelle Greppi of TV Week issued a list of the Ten Most Powerful people in TV News, and listed MSNBC's Keith Olbermann at #6, one slot ahead of FNC's Bill O'Reilly, even though she admitted Bill crushes Keith in the ratings.
Why he was chosen: Two decades into his career, he’s become an overnight success as talk TV’s first break-out liberal voice. [What about old Phil Donahue?] With about 1 million viewers per night, he is MSNBC’s Goliath and so he can gleefully play David to Bill O’Reilly’s Goliath.
Invaluable asset: After blithely burning oh, so many career bridges, Mr. Olbermann seems inclined not to screw up this opportunity, which is arguably his best ever, especially since it comes with fun assignments and exposure on NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football bench.
Meanwhile, on the hard left, bloggers are pushing Olbermann as the natural replacement for Katie Couric at the CBS Evening News. See Margie Burns:
Not to do product placement here, and I have not been hired by anyone to provide PR for Keith Olbermann -- who doesn’t need it anyway -- but there is something to be said for sportscasters. They have to know how to count, they learn to keep their eye on the ball, and they have to be able to understand concepts like fair play. This may not sound like much of a yardstick, but it’s like knowing what beats what in poker -- if you take a seat at the table, there is this irreducible minimum-type skill set you should theoretically have. As my son pointed out to me, sportscasters do not often comment too heavily on politics, but when they do, they tend to get it right.
Sportscasters don't often comment on politics? But what about when they become newscasters? Bryant Gumbel couldn't stop commenting on the Today show. Keith Olbermann is hardly a role model of editorial restraint. But it becomes clear that Margie Burns wants the networks to use a full-throated radical voice:
Whether because of assaults from the rightwing noise machine and the consequent Fox-ification of journalism, the consolidation of outlets in the traditional news media, or an emphasis on advertising and entertainment at the expense of news, it would be very nearly providential to find out much about all five of the biggest events of any given day by turning on any of the nightly news shows. Hence the comparative strength of Countdown; you get some sense of proportion.
If you think Keith Olbermann puts the news in just the right proportion, you are out there on the left. Burns says if just one of the networks had an Olbermann at the anchor desk, the Bush debacle might have been prevented:
Back in 1999 and 2000, had just one network beefed up research, fact-checking and investigative reporting -- even if it meant docking some top salaries of their best-paid news readers by, say 10 percent, or spending less on advertising sales, or cutting production costs for glitz and promos by 10 percent, etc. No George W. Bush, no Iraqi war with 4,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of poor Iraqis killed, no draining the middle class for the few, no tacit acquiescence in social ills from tuberculosis to eroding the Fourth Amendment in favor of exploitation and bloodshed. et cetera.
Bush is guilty of "tacit acquiescence" on tuberculosis? I must have missed or already forgotten that charge. It reminds me of Kellyanne Conway reminding us at the Dishonors dinner that pollsters actually asked the public how much President Bush is to blame for the shortage of flu vaccines. Almost two-thirds answered he was not to blame. [Hat tips: Lyndsi Thomas on the first half, the wacky website Buzzflash.com on the second.]
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Oh. My. God. Keith
April 15, 2008 - 06:47 ET by motherbeltOh. My. God. Keith Olbermann doing a straight news show????
It boggles the mind.
They have to know how to count, [well, small numbers: his ratings], they learn to keep their eye on the ball, [Bush and Cheney] and they have to be able to understand concepts like fair play
[Holy Cow!! ROFL!!!]
Hey, that's why he's been practicing his oh, so serious face and his Edward R. Murrow "Good night and good luck"!
PANTY-MAN AT CBS?
April 15, 2008 - 08:14 ET by SgthulkaI can only pray.
It would finally put the last nail into the decrepit CBS News coffin that should have been closed years ago. It would be a fitting end to this half-assed outfit to have as it's anchor a guy who opitimizes the phrase "metro-sexual liberal".
Please, please make it happen.
"he is MSNBC’s
April 15, 2008 - 17:39 ET by kg"he is MSNBC’s Goliath"
With MSNBC tanking so badly in the ratings because of Olbermann that is not really saying much. But like the New York Times and Air America, they are not in it for the money.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
Just the thing to do. If
April 15, 2008 - 06:53 ET by ricklailJust the thing to do. If CBS sees their ratings as bad now wait until Oberbite is there. One good thing. We won't have to watch him on Sunday Night Football anymore.
If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes.-Lewis Grizzard
Olby for CBS Job!
April 15, 2008 - 09:53 ET by Hero SquadI think he's an excellent choice, and I hope they offer and he accepts. First, I haven't watched network prime time news in years, so he would basically fade from my radar. Plus, he would have to at least feign some editorial restraint in this position, which would probably eventually cause him to explode internally.
Network news will only continue to fade in relevance as time marches on and information becomes more readily accessible... as will the relevance of those who fill the anchor chairs.
*****
"People only insist that a debate stop when they are afraid of what might be learned if it continues." - George Will
I'll bet I could get a lot of guys watching again...
April 15, 2008 - 10:00 ET by sarcasmoIt's a reading job, and the ONLY other required attribute is good looks. If I took what they'd quickly & stupidly want to pay Olberloon, divided it by 2, and then split that result 5 ways, it would be easy to get good ratings. Just take each 1/5th and pay it to 5 different good-looking models who seem reasonably good at reading aloud. Ideally, they'd all have 0 journalism experience, or only a little, just to infuriate the rest of the media. I never watch network news these days, either, but my "sexist" idea might get me back.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
NFL
April 15, 2008 - 11:50 ET by jefflebowskiI never watched him on Monday Night. Changed the channel when his obnoxious mug showed up.
If he is really in consideration for the CBS job, it makes me wonder how those CBS suits get and keep their jobs. I also wonder how Ted Turner is a billionaire. Maybe I'm too smart to be rich!
DRAFT OLBERMANNC-BS 08.
April 15, 2008 - 07:01 ET by Jack BauerI think we should all get behind this move.
Seriously, I can't think of ANYTHING better suited to utterly destrying the reputation of CBS News operations, such as it is anyway... not very much.
Fantastic. DRAFT OLBERMANNC-BS 08.
Reputation? They have a
April 15, 2008 - 07:21 ET by motherbeltReputation? They have a reputation that could be destroyed????
Who knew?
You need to change one word.
April 15, 2008 - 07:30 ET by KarmaJack, I am in complete agreement. However, "destroying" should be changed to "cementing". Katie was just the rebar.
This only makes sense when taken in context
April 15, 2008 - 07:29 ET by c5thenCBS is going to "get" all their news from CNN. So they will no longer require journalists, but just teleprompter readers and pundits. CBS can become the MSM version of the Daily KOS. Olberman can read the CNN news and provide the liberal sneer and hyperbole wherever necessary. CBS will be wildly popular on the Internet and YouTube because of their unabashed liberal bias. All the polls and the blogs will have them as the "most popular" of the old 3 networks, yet they will have the lowest viewership and be losing money hand over fist. The "executives" will not understand why.
Eventually they will change their name to DNCTV when they are bought by George Soros for $500 million.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Is this a joke? Does
April 15, 2008 - 07:40 ET by Free ThinkerIs this a joke? Does Margie Burns really try to use the term "fact-checking" and Keith Obermann in the same essay? I really needed this laugh to start my day. Obermann at CBS would be pure comedy.
The "adolescents" at CBS
April 15, 2008 - 07:49 ET by iveseenitallMakes sense. They have to remove Couric so they go into the boardroom to discuss it. As the argument heats up, they turn to the wacky weed to comfort their overworked "minds". Later in the day they make their choice---it's Bathtub Boy! "Liberals" never grow up, do they.
NEVER, NEVER trust a "liberal"
It would be a lot more
April 15, 2008 - 07:41 ET by KillgraveIt would be a lot more honest, actually, if they hire someone that everyone knows is a partisan liberal without a sliver of doubt. Too long these "journalists" push the BS that they are "objective" and merely "report the facts". Let's all draw the lines and have a go.
Keith Olberman To CBS News
April 15, 2008 - 08:25 ET by NKurucAlthough I think that Keithy may have started this rumor......this is really a great idea. Perhaps he can get CBS down to about 1 million viewers per night like his MSNBC show.
He should go for it. Let's consider starting a petition!
That may be down for CBS
April 15, 2008 - 09:54 ET by Hero SquadThat may be down for CBS News... but it would be a record-breaking audience for Olbermann!
*****
"People only insist that a debate stop when they are afraid of what might be learned if it continues." - George Will
a better/cheaper choice?
April 15, 2008 - 08:02 ET by sarcasmoWhat about the recently unemployed Eric Burns? (Hey, at least I'm not suggesting Stossel, even though IMO he'd be the ideal choice from my personal political POV!) I honestly don't know Eric's politics even though he worked for Fox News, but he can certainly read a teleprompter. Or maybe, for the sake of Viacom shareholders, CBS should go with an attractive unknown who's cheap, even though it would mean admitting the obvious about the "difficulty" of reading a script aloud.
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Of all the words in all of
April 15, 2008 - 10:09 ET by OldSailor88Of all the words in all of the languages in all of the countries on the Earth, POWERFUL, is not the particular word I would have chosen to describe Keith Olberman.
Noli habere bovis, vir!
Last week we had some
April 15, 2008 - 14:48 ET by ricklailLast week we had some discussion on the word nimrod. (Definition # 3) I really like using that now. It just somehow fits Overbite.
If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes.-Lewis Grizzard
Wait a minute! Did I lose
April 15, 2008 - 11:03 ET by pocomocoWait a minute! Did I lose my sense of time?
I thought April Fools Day was 15 days ago.
I say give Olberdolt the job. Today!
April 15, 2008 - 11:18 ET by Free StinkerWow.
For CBS News, this would be the final nail on the coffin.
LOL!
Pledge to not support RINOs ever again!
wow
April 15, 2008 - 11:34 ET by CooperCan you imagine? Dan Rather will turn over in his grave.
Well you know, first he will die of a heart attack at the sheer announcement , then turn over.
The perky, likeable (well,
April 15, 2008 - 12:35 ET by suzycreamcheeseThe perky, likeable (well, not by me) Katie Couric couldn't make a go of it, so an unlikeable windbag like Olbermann might give it a try? *chuckle* Go right ahead. I love to see these guys crash and burn.
It appears that CBS wants
April 15, 2008 - 13:03 ET by ConservativeRexIt appears that CBS wants to see if they can actually get negative ratings. If they hire Olby they'll soon find that it is true, a news network CAN get negative ratings.
We will be standing by..keeping an EYE out for it.
He's Perfect
April 15, 2008 - 13:59 ET by Kuso JijiAnchoring liberal news only requires the ability to talk out your ass.
The list of replacement candidates is endless, but Olberman is at the very top of the list.
Personally I think CBS should find an unemployed angry fat dike who is out of her mind with conspiracy theories and contempt for the American way of life to replace the not so perky anymore miss couric.
I'd love to see how they
April 15, 2008 - 14:59 ET by U.S.S. NixonI'd love to see how they figure out Olbermann is more powerful then a man who doubles his ratings and puts up NYT best sellers anytime he wants. Even Hannity is a bigger star then Overbite is. Look at this Jeremiah Wright stuff, that was Hanning pushing it over and over again.
"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks
and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and
wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for
our attackers"
Humongous
April 15, 2008 - 17:08 ET by badger.This would be the worst choice in the world for CBS news. Keith Olbermann, what a JOKE to the journalism profession. This guy is lucky to have a job at MSNBC, with half a million viewers.
I can't even fathom CBS placing this bonehead in the prime time anchor chair. Just when you think you've seen it all, surprise!
Befitting and realistic countdown on CBS over a 3 year period, "Worst Persons in the World". Irony or karma? This would be hilarious.
Worse- Dan Rather- Has been dinosaur, rolling down hill for years, placed politics ahead of the news, got too political, instead of just reporting the facts.
Worser- Katie Couric -Never a real journalist, just photogenic, too busy posing for the camera.
Worst- Keith Olbermann -Absolutely pathetic, never was, and never will be a real journalist.
Would be a BIG mistake for CBS! Would just continue losing money and ratings.
Sorry for the dry humor, I just couldn't resist placing Olbermann where he rightfully belongs and deserves at least once."Worst Person in the World" category.
MSNBC is my political satire comedy channel. I tune-in to Matthews and Olbermann a few times a week for some laughs. Have you ever seen a more humongous head fill your TV screen than Olbermann's, especially on the close-up or CC shots? I can't wait to see what Keith's response will be in Nov if/when Obama loses the election. That massive head he's endowed with is going to blow a gasket, like in the movie Scanners.
Olberwacky
April 15, 2008 - 17:47 ET by Jerry MackOlberwacky is an excellent choice for the "can't believe story" network.
Bath-Tub Boy...you have got
April 15, 2008 - 17:58 ET by bigtimerBath-Tub Boy...you have got to be kidding...oh wait a minute this is CBS.
Ratings will be in the tub for sure....and go right down the drain.
"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill