Countdown with Keith Olbermann ends - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Willravel · 01-21-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

In a stunning late development, MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann has been ousted by the cable news channel. And he’s gone without much of an explanation.

MSNBC just released this terse statement.

MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. 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.

BREAKING: Keith Olbermann out at MSNBC, last broadcast tonight | Crooks and Liars

Wow. Countdown is done and Olbermann leaves NBC in one night. No reasons have yet surfaced as to precisely why.

What are your thoughts?

I suspect this will not only be a blow to overall ratings, but especially to Rachel Maddow.

I'm wondering if this might have something to do with the NBC/Comcast merger, too.

SecretMethod70 · 01-21-2011, 08:08 PM

Victim #1 of the Comcast/NBC merger. It'll be interesting to see what happens to MSNBC in the long-run. Rachel and Keith were/are the only reasons to bother watching that sorry excuse for a network.

Tully Mars · 01-22-2011, 06:21 AM

I stopped watching Keith when his "special comments" started sounding more and more like Rush. But that aside I figure this to be a result of the Comcast take over. My guess is they called him into a meeting and gave him guidelines of what he could and couldn't do/say and he told them to stick it. Maybe he thought he was "too big to fail" or maybe he simply thinks he's doing the right thing and refused to back down. Either way I'm betting they fired him.

Wonder what/where he'll go now? I can't see him being picked up by another network. MSNBC is alone in it's open left leaning. Any other network wouldn't touch him is my guess. I don't think he can be on any air until the fall, I read MSNBC is still paying him until then. Maybe he'll end up at some on-line news source or perhaps he'll take his money and retire from public life or the complete opposite.. run for office. Whatever he ends up doing I doubt it pays him 15 mil. a year.

Fotzlid · 01-22-2011, 06:25 AM

One down and about 1000 polarizing talking heads to go. On both sides.

None of these fools are worth wasting time on.

Tully Mars · 01-22-2011, 06:29 AM

Nice dream but like the movie Zombieland... you can "double tap" them in the head all day long and more will just keep coming.

Fotzlid · 01-22-2011, 06:36 AM

Double tap the zombie talking heads....sounds like one of those silly little Facebook games. Aim with the cursor and right click to shoot. Game ends when your meter turns either all red or all blue.

Tully Mars · 01-22-2011, 06:49 AM

Might be a video game but I was referencing the movie. Too bad we can't get them off the air by repeatedly "double tapping" with a mouse click.

Projectguru · 01-22-2011, 07:48 AM

Does anyone remember when he was on Sportscenter? I'm sensing a comeback!

Cimarron29414 · 01-22-2011, 09:32 AM

Strange to imagine the circumstances surrounding this parting. One would have to conclude that NBC believed Olbermann in his current format would do more harm than good to their network and either let him go or asked him to compromise, something he was unwilling to do. What could they have possibly seen coming that would make them believe their top earner (ratings) would be a liability to them? It's gossip at this point. The fly on the wall isn't talking.

Baraka_Guru · 01-22-2011, 09:42 AM

I guess this means that the right is truly winning the shouting match now.

Cimarron29414 · 01-22-2011, 10:26 AM

Only in some much as there will be one less person from the left shouting for only a few months. I wonder if he will file for unemployment benefits?

Baraka_Guru · 01-22-2011, 10:35 AM

I guess I was implying that there was more shouting from the right to begin with, and consider how it's more far-reaching as well.

The voice of the left, as minimal as it is in the U.S. mainstream media, seems to be wilting away into the fringes with Olbermann gone. Such as it is. The myth of the liberal media and all that.

I suppose this will be avoided if Olbermann pops up somewhere else.

filtherton · 01-22-2011, 10:36 AM

I'm waiting for all those who were up in arms about Juan Williams to jump to Olbermann's defense. Not gonna hold my breath.

Cimarron29414 · 01-22-2011, 10:50 AM

Well, how could anyone? We don't know why he was fired. Perhaps he got caught in the makeup room getting blown by the CEO's daughter while snorting coke off her rump? Nothing political about that...

Baraka_Guru · 01-22-2011, 10:54 AM

There is speculation that his agent wanted him to be paid more money, but Comcast simply wanted him out because he was a "loose canon." He was apparently offered a package but cannot appear on the air for a set period, likely until the fall.

There are reports out there stating this, but I won't bother posting anything. As I said, it's still in the realm of speculation.

filtherton · 01-22-2011, 10:58 AM

Cimarron, I see. So you're saying that these folks are waiting until they have something solid to report on before they start the self-serving speculation? Somehow I doubt it.

Cimarron29414 · 01-22-2011, 11:03 AM

"By golly, the right has done SOMETHING wrong here, and we are going to FIND IT!" Hey, filth?

sbscout · 01-22-2011, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

Victim #1 of the Comcast/NBC merger. It'll be interesting to see what happens to MSNBC in the long-run. Rachel and Keith were/are the only reasons to bother watching that sorry excuse for a network.

He's bounced around a little and usually lands on his feet. I'll watch him wherever he shows up.

filtherton · 01-22-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cimarron29414

"By golly, the right has done SOMETHING wrong here, and we are going to FIND IT!" Hey, filth?

Who said anything about the right?

Willravel · 01-22-2011, 12:57 PM

I'm not sure who on the staff edited this thread, but a heads up would be appreciated next time.

The_Jazz · 01-22-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

I'm not sure who on the staff edited this thread, but a heads up would be appreciated next time.

What are you talking about specifically? This thread hasn't been moved, and it hasn't had posts pruned or moved, and none of the posts have been edited except by the original authors themselves.

Either I don't understand what you mean or you owe us an apology. Which is it?

Willravel · 01-22-2011, 01:46 PM

I do, my mistake.

The_Jazz · 01-22-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

I do, my mistake.

That's not an accusation I take lightly, Will. I stopped playing with my kids because of it. The next time you throw something out like that, you better be fucking sure of it. You accuse the staff of being unfair or messing around with posts or threads, and that's a major alarm. You've cried wolf once. You don't get to do it again, so the next time I, for one, will be entirely unpleasant if you're wrong.

And this get posted out in the open instead of being said in a PM because you decided to take whatever mistaken assumption you made public.

We have not and will not mess with posts or threads unless there's an obvious flame or crossing of the lines, in which case there will be a public notice.

For now, stop wasting my fucking time with my family, Will, and go back to whatever it was that wasn't pissing me off before. And usually apologies contain the phrases "I'm sorry" or "I apologize".

pan6467 · 01-22-2011, 02:53 PM

Sadly, I will miss him. As far as left leaning news people go, he was one of the better ones. Still not as potent as Beck, Hannity or Limbaugh or even Levin. but he was limited to a very bad cable network, Hannity and Beck are on a horrendous network, yet they have their radio shows as outlets. Sadly for Keith he wasn't able to get that luxury.

As a voice on the left, he will be missed. Maybe they will replace him with Colbert or Maher. I hear Micheal Moore may need a job. Or they could try to resurrect the truly old Larry King.

Willravel · 01-22-2011, 02:58 PM

I suspect who he's replaced with may be related to the reason for his departure. If he quit because of the merger, that probably doesn't mean a different direction for MSNBC. They'll probably replace him with a regular contributor the way they promoted Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell from regular contributors to hosts. If Keith was fired for being to anti-corporatist or too far left, though, it might be someone more conservative perhaps someone from the WSJ crowd.

Has the reason for his leaving been announced yet? There are a lot of theories around, but I've not seen anything official yet.

Cynthetiq · 01-22-2011, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

I suspect who he's replaced with may be related to the reason for his departure. If he quit because of the merger, that probably doesn't mean a different direction for MSNBC. They'll probably replace him with a regular contributor the way they promoted Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell from regular contributors to hosts. If Keith was fired for being to anti-corporatist or too far left, though, it might be someone more conservative perhaps someone from the WSJ crowd.

Has the reason for his leaving been announced yet? There are a lot of theories around, but I've not seen anything official yet.

-+-{Important TFP Staff Message}-+-
Interesting, still not a public apology or an "I'm sorry." I think I have to say a little more about this. You could have easily PM'd any one or even reported the post but you didn't and you still haven't publicly apologized. Wow Will. Just Wow. Not only am I offended as the defacto person responsible for TFP, but I'm offended as an individual member here too.

01-21-2011, 08:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Victim #1 of the Comcast/NBC merger. It'll be interesting to see what happens to MSNBC in the long-run. Rachel and Keith were/are the only reasons to bother watching that sorry excuse for a network. __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

01-22-2011, 06:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	I stopped watching Keith when his "special comments" started sounding more and more like Rush. But that aside I figure this to be a result of the Comcast take over. My guess is they called him into a meeting and gave him guidelines of what he could and couldn't do/say and he told them to stick it. Maybe he thought he was "too big to fail" or maybe he simply thinks he's doing the right thing and refused to back down. Either way I'm betting they fired him. Wonder what/where he'll go now? I can't see him being picked up by another network. MSNBC is alone in it's open left leaning. Any other network wouldn't touch him is my guess. I don't think he can be on any air until the fall, I read MSNBC is still paying him until then. Maybe he'll end up at some on-line news source or perhaps he'll take his money and retire from public life or the complete opposite.. run for office. Whatever he ends up doing I doubt it pays him 15 mil. a year. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

01-22-2011, 06:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	Nice dream but like the movie Zombieland... you can "double tap" them in the head all day long and more will just keep coming. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

01-22-2011, 06:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	Might be a video game but I was referencing the movie. Too bad we can't get them off the air by repeatedly "double tapping" with a mouse click. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club

01-22-2011, 09:32 AM	#9 (permalink)
Cimarron29414 Still Free Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!	Strange to imagine the circumstances surrounding this parting. One would have to conclude that NBC believed Olbermann in his current format would do more harm than good to their network and either let him go or asked him to compromise, something he was unwilling to do. What could they have possibly seen coming that would make them believe their top earner (ratings) would be a liability to them? It's gossip at this point. The fly on the wall isn't talking. __________________ Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

01-22-2011, 06:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
Fotzlid Junkie Location: Greater Boston area	One down and about 1000 polarizing talking heads to go. On both sides. None of these fools are worth wasting time on.

01-22-2011, 06:36 AM	#6 (permalink)
Fotzlid Junkie Location: Greater Boston area	Double tap the zombie talking heads....sounds like one of those silly little Facebook games. Aim with the cursor and right click to shoot. Game ends when your meter turns either all red or all blue.

01-22-2011, 07:48 AM	#8 (permalink)
Projectguru Upright	Does anyone remember when he was on Sportscenter? I'm sensing a comeback!

01-22-2011, 09:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	I guess this means that the right is truly winning the shouting match now. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

01-22-2011, 10:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
Cimarron29414 Still Free Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!	Only in some much as there will be one less person from the left shouting for only a few months. I wonder if he will file for unemployment benefits? __________________ Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

01-22-2011, 10:35 AM	#12 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	I guess I was implying that there was more shouting from the right to begin with, and consider how it's more far-reaching as well. The voice of the left, as minimal as it is in the U.S. mainstream media, seems to be wilting away into the fringes with Olbermann gone. Such as it is. The myth of the liberal media and all that. I suppose this will be avoided if Olbermann pops up somewhere else. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

01-22-2011, 10:36 AM	#13 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	I'm waiting for all those who were up in arms about Juan Williams to jump to Olbermann's defense. Not gonna hold my breath.

01-22-2011, 10:50 AM	#14 (permalink)
Cimarron29414 Still Free Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!	Well, how could anyone? We don't know why he was fired. Perhaps he got caught in the makeup room getting blown by the CEO's daughter while snorting coke off her rump? Nothing political about that... __________________ Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly."

01-22-2011, 10:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	There is speculation that his agent wanted him to be paid more money, but Comcast simply wanted him out because he was a "loose canon." He was apparently offered a package but cannot appear on the air for a set period, likely until the fall. There are reports out there stating this, but I won't bother posting anything. As I said, it's still in the realm of speculation. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

01-22-2011, 10:58 AM	#16 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	Cimarron, I see. So you're saying that these folks are waiting until they have something solid to report on before they start the self-serving speculation? Somehow I doubt it.

01-22-2011, 01:46 PM	#22 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I do, my mistake.

01-22-2011, 11:03 AM	#17 (permalink)
Cimarron29414 Still Free Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!	"By golly, the right has done SOMETHING wrong here, and we are going to FIND IT!" Hey, filth? __________________ Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly." Last edited by Cimarron29414; 01-22-2011 at 11:08 AM..

01-22-2011, 12:57 PM	#20 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I'm not sure who on the staff edited this thread, but a heads up would be appreciated next time.

01-22-2011, 02:53 PM	#24 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	Sadly, I will miss him. As far as left leaning news people go, he was one of the better ones. Still not as potent as Beck, Hannity or Limbaugh or even Levin. but he was limited to a very bad cable network, Hannity and Beck are on a horrendous network, yet they have their radio shows as outlets. Sadly for Keith he wasn't able to get that luxury. As a voice on the left, he will be missed. Maybe they will replace him with Colbert or Maher. I hear Micheal Moore may need a job. Or they could try to resurrect the truly old Larry King. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

01-22-2011, 02:58 PM	#25 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I suspect who he's replaced with may be related to the reason for his departure. If he quit because of the merger, that probably doesn't mean a different direction for MSNBC. They'll probably replace him with a regular contributor the way they promoted Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell from regular contributors to hosts. If Keith was fired for being to anti-corporatist or too far left, though, it might be someone more conservative perhaps someone from the WSJ crowd. Has the reason for his leaving been announced yet? There are a lot of theories around, but I've not seen anything official yet.