Keith Olbermann Out of MSNBC. Fired or Quit?
The host of MSNBC's "Countdown" has completed his last broadcast for the cable news network he called home for the past eight years.
“Good night, and good luck,” Keith Olbermann said as he threw his script behind him for the last time at the end of his show.
The phrase is one he borrowed from the late veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow.
"The last broadcast of 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors."
No further explanation was given.
Olbermann thanked a number of people in his sign-off, but failed to mention any MSNBC executives.
An MSNBC spokesperson told The Washington Post Friday night that the NBC Universal-Comcast merger this week played no role in Olbermann's departure. MSNBC's president would not comment.
A second statement from MSNBC concerning line-up changes gave no mention of Olbermann either.
On Monday, Lawrence O’Donnell is on at 8 p.m., Rachel Maddow remains at 9 p.m. followed by Ed Schultz at 10 p.m. Cenk Uygur will host temporarily at 6 p.m.
Following Olbermann Friday night, Maddow did not cover her co-worker's departure.
Oddly enough, halfway through her show, MSNBC featured an ad promoting Olbermann's show, according to The Guardian.
Maddow, appearing as a guest on RealTime with Bill Maher (see embedded video below) live after her show, addressed Olbermann's departure. Details, though, were sparse.
"Yeah, it's been a big day at MSNBC. At least it's been in 15 minutes," she said.
Maher did not buy Maddow's explanation that Olbermann and the new company had cuts ties by "mutual decision."
"That's always bullshit," Maher said.
"I know very little," Maddow replied, immediately describing Olbermann's exit as “very gracious and nice.”
In an early report, CNN's Anderson Cooper said on his Twitter feed that Olbermann was fired. Raw Story initially reported that Olbermann had quit. However, MSNBC used neither phrase.
Olbermann and management have had a rocky relationship over the years; recently, the host was suspended for two days last November for contributing to Democratic election campaigns against company policy.
In 2008, Olbermann and MSNBC agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $30 million. This past week, the FCC and the Justice Department approved the merger of Comcast and NBC-Universal.
Sam Stein, Huffington Post's political reporter, said via Twitter that Comcast's merger had less to do with Olbermann's exit than with Jeff Zucker leaving his post as president and CEO of NBC Universal.
"Zucker was Olbermann's protector there," Stein said.
Mediaite also cast the Olbermann/MSNBC split in terms of office politics.
"Countdown," the network's top-rated program, attracted 1.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. However, Olbermann failed to match the ratings of FoxNews' most popular anchor Bill O'Reilly.
Media mogul Russell Simmons reacted on his blog to Olbermann's November suspension by stating that the network would end up suffering.
"Without Olbermann, MSNBC can’t survive – and the voice of progress will fall to the dark ages, when one unholy church dictated a fictional version of the truth," he said.
Simmons concluded, "Re-instate Keith Olbermann now. I will personally pay his campaign contributions."
Word is that CNN would not hire Olbermann because of the network's strict non-partisan editorial perspective.
Olbermann has yet to reveal his plans.
TheRawStory.com
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