I'm sure most of you have already heard that Keith Olbermann was fired by MSNBC. The network suits are claiming that it wasn't a firing and had nothing to do with Comcast's purchase of NBC but if you believe that there's a domed stadium on Poydras Street I'd like to sell you. Business Insider isn't buying it either:
Okay. Wow. That was shocking.
But now that we've had a few minutes to contemplate a MSNBC world without Olbermann let's indulge in some speculation.
Why now?
Bill Carter reports at the NYT that Olbermann "came to an agreement with NBC’s corporate management late this week to settle his contract and step down."
"Late this week" suggests yesterday or today.
If that's the case there has to be some buyout arrangement because Olbermann signed a four year contract back in 2008. Update: Bill Carter just told Anderson Cooper that part of whatever deal they struck will likely keep Olbermann off TV "maybe not for two years" but for an extended period of time.
So again: Why now?
It likely has everything to do with this:
Comcast officially takes over on Monday.
Today is also Jeff Zucker's last day; earlier today he sent out his farewell memo to staff.
There has been speculation dating back to Olberman's suspension in October that the powers that be might not be that comfortable with the amount of unquestioned clout Olbermann wielded at MSNBC (even with somewhat diminished ratings it was a lot).
Combined with his legendary ego and unreliable temperament (anyone who follows him on Twitter can attest to both) it's quite possible Olbermann's strong ratings looked slightly less appealing. Especially with Rachel Maddow and now Lawrence O'Donnell in the wings, both of whom make strong showings in the ratings.
Next question: Is Comcast cleaning house? And if so, will Olbermann enabler MSNBC president Phil Griffin be next? And if so who will replace him?
Update: NBC execs tell the NYT Bill Carter that "the move had nothing to do with the impending takeover of NBC Universal by Comcast." No. All just a big coincidence.
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Or Olbermann didn't want to work there with Comcast in charge and took a contract deal. It wouldn't be the first time NBC handed out free money to someone because of a contract i.E Conan.
Posted by: NOLA Newsie | January 21, 2011 at 22:42
Well, the network suits can say it wasn't a firing, but Keith sure seems to think it was. "...who has ever been told what I've been told; that this is going to be the last edition of your show...".
Posted by: Robert Earle | January 21, 2011 at 22:52
For a while, there seemed to be too many guest hosts - like they were holding auditions.
Only problem is that none of the guest hosts seemed to have enough snarkiness to attract my viewing.
Wonder what happened to Anti-trust allowing Comcast to control both TV stations and a cable line up.
Posted by: MapleStreet | January 21, 2011 at 22:54
@Maple: FCC signed off on the merger. The anti-trust laws are rarely enforced any more, alas.
Posted by: Adrastos | January 21, 2011 at 23:00
Fuck Comcast just because, and I have to admit I haven't watched Keith regularly in a while, but I do remember watching him in the dark days of the Bush administration, and god DAMN if it wasn't a miracle seeing somebody on the teevee actually say the stuff we DFHs were saying to each other out here in the reality-based community.
It's hard to remember, now, just how rare such voices were in the beginning. His was one of them, and whatever shit he pulled in recent years, I'll always be grateful for that.
A.
Posted by: Athenae | January 21, 2011 at 23:14
Well, as Keith likes to say, "we're all day-to-day."
Posted by: Robert Earle | January 21, 2011 at 23:15
@A: I've remained a semi-regular viewer and the good suff continued to outweigh the bad. Jeez, I sound like a dietician or something. Me, I like Keith, he makes me laugh and think. I can be irascible myself at times.
Posted by: Adrastos | January 21, 2011 at 23:21
BTW: Remember who it was Keith made contributions to?
Jack Conway, who was running for Senate against Rand Paul; Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Congressman who has been a guest on the show both before and since; and another rather obscure Member of Congress from Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords.
Posted by: Robert Earle | January 22, 2011 at 00:16
Somehow that James Thurber short story Keith read following his farewell comments seemed appropriate, symbolically speaking. I wonder if he selected this one after being informed that this would be his last Countdown? Maybe Keith, while between gigs, will do his own Webcast or YouTube offerings. I'd watch. He always was right on the mark, especially when taking on the Big Lie Republicans, you know, the porcupine conservatives with their knife-like quills. Or was it MSNBC management or Comcast that Keith was alluding to? Or all of them?
Posted by: The Oracle | January 22, 2011 at 00:43
I'm in the extreme minority here - but: it's the zillionth firing/quitting of a talented but pompous broadcaster who has managed to self-immolate at every job he's had.
Lone liberal voice in the wilderness...yada yada yada. He saw a market share and he took it, primarily because it was an audience that would fellate his giant ego. The ratings were just lagniappe. He'll be fine, and so will we.
Maddow's twice as smart and one-tenth as self-absorbed. All hail the Queen.
Posted by: Kevin | January 22, 2011 at 02:23
Ah, well, corporate pique has to figure into this--Donohue had the top-rated show on MSNBC, and he was summarily fired because he invited unwelcomed debate. Olbermann's situation is no different--he's pretty much averaged top ratings, too.
Anyone who thinks Maddow isn't on the chopping block, as well, had better watch the signs and portents in the next few months. Comcast won't ax her tomorrow, because they don't want to leave too many fingerprints at the scene of the crime.
The family that owns Comcast is more extreme than even Rupert Murdoch, so they're going to remake NBC/MSNBC in their own image.
Count on it.
Posted by: montag | January 22, 2011 at 03:34
I'd just like to say -
FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKS!
Someone had to.
Tommy
Posted by: Tommy T | January 22, 2011 at 04:41
I had just posted on FB how good it was that Keith did a segment with Josh Marshall. Josh posted that had had no idea that it was Keith's last show until he got a press release from MSNBC on his way home. Keith was a voice in the wilderness back in 2002-2003. And to that I say, THANK YOU, SIR!
Posted by: Ricardo | January 22, 2011 at 08:58
montag is right, Rachel's days at MSNBC are numbered. MSNBC will be remolded in a Fox-lite with even less content, if that's possible.
The corporate-controlled "news" business is being retooled so that all that's available to the public are views ranging from far right to hard fascist right; and with anti-trust a thing of the past, this is going to get easier & easier to do.
The internet will be the next target. We'll soon be looking back on 1995-2010 as the Golden Age of Information.
Posted by: Gummo | January 22, 2011 at 10:15
"...especially in covering the bottomless pit of venality and mendacity that was the Bush administration."
Unlike Steve King, Mr Olbermann knew, at least, the definition of mendacity. I hope he simply got fed up and told them all to go fuck themselves.
Posted by: serge | January 22, 2011 at 10:36
There has been some uncertainty expressed as to Comcast's role in all this. Make no mistake: Comcast required that it be done as a condition of the purchase.
Think about it. No matter what the level of pique at NBC with Olbermann over whatever, no way do GE's lawyers let NBC/MSNBC management unilaterally depreciate the asset on the eve of the closing. If you don't understand that you don't understand how corporations work, and their lawyers think.
No, this had to be done at the behest of Comcast, who wanted it done but wanted not to be in the room when it happened.
Posted by: billyblog | January 22, 2011 at 11:23
why are no fux gnews canned? like o'really.
Posted by: pansypoo | January 22, 2011 at 11:47
The message will change when ownership changes. #msnbc #olbermann #comcast #CorporateMedia #MSM #not
Posted by: Sophmom | January 22, 2011 at 11:48
billyblog, I think that you have it right. ComcastNBC waited until they wouldn't pay a regulatory price for firing Keith. But anyone who thinks that Comcast hasn't been "dropping suggestions" to GE is naive. Illegal and Highly Improper, of course, but so what - the Justice Department is in on the fix.
Posted by: Brenda Helverson | January 22, 2011 at 14:23
Good summing up in that last paragraph.
Posted by: Batocchio | January 22, 2011 at 15:06
It's not like they would have had to convince GE all that hard; GE has been solidly in the corner for evil and monopolism for decades. Tell me: Who hosted GE Theater lo those many, many years ago?
(God, GE are evil corporate fucks. I should know; I used to work for a company that worked for them, and they had the whole thing down pat.)
Posted by: Interrobang | January 22, 2011 at 15:49
Of course, Comcast's fingerprints are all over this: the host of the highest rated and most profitable show on MSNBC was cancelled so they had to sign off on it.
@kevin: As big of a Keith fan as I am, he is notoriously hard to work with and/or supervise. I do, however, think his views are sincere.
The thing I like about KO is how human he is. We've seen him warts and all and watched him go through the deaths of his parents, which was, of course, the reason for all the guest hosts.
Anyway, I'm biased because Keith is my peer so there are some generational things we have in common. The dude made me laugh and that's a good thing.
Posted by: Adrastos | January 22, 2011 at 17:58
The chorus gets more homogenized.
Look for Maddow, O'Donnel, and Ed to get the axe soon too.
Posted by: BlackSheep01 | January 23, 2011 at 18:13