Here's some news that's bound to equally thrill and displease readers. MSNBC has given Keith Olbermann a new four year deal, ensuring that Countdown with Keith Olbermann remains in the cable's primetime lineup. For fans of Olbermann, the prospect of Keith's continued commentaries and his clever interpretation of the news is a good thing. For those who loathe the man -- and there are just as many detractors as fans -- this is one more reason to be ticked off with MSNBC.The fact is that TV success doesn't depend on having everybody love you. There are many stars, in fact, who are polarizing figures. Either you love them or you love to hate them. The point is that you don't ignore them. So, Keith Olbermann will remain a part of the public discourse and that means the best media feud of the decade goes on -- Olbermann versus Bill O'Reilly.
You know, Olbermann isn't getting this renewal, which includes his continued presence with his old SportsCenter partner Dan Patrick on NBC's Football Night in America pre-game, just because he's famous or controversial. Olbermann has been instrumental in building MSNBC's primetime ratings success.
For the first time in forever, the Countdown / Rachel Maddow Show pairing is challenging and occasionally winning in the ratings. Maddow's meteoric success, as a matter of fact, is due in large part to Olbermann's efforts. He opened doors for her. Granted, Rachel made the most of her chances, but it was KO who helped shine a light on her.
I happen to like Olbermann. He stirs it up. Now that the election is over, I look forward to hearing his take on President Obama. It's just my opinion, but I don't see Keith as a cheerleader, which means it should be really interesting TV.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-11-2008 @ 11:49AM
Jody said...
What a waste of money! Both on Keith Olbermann & Rachel Maddow. MSNBC must have money to burn - hope they don't show up in the "bailout line".
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11-12-2008 @ 10:18AM
willy the impeached said...
Money to burn? Of course, if there’s any financial trouble at the networks you know the Obama administration will bail these idiots out. They're his Pravda.
Olbermann just proves that having a very small brain and a very big mouth (to kiss liberal butt) is all you need on the Old Media side of things.
"Stir things up"? Really that’s just embarrassing. Here's the word that best summarizes that phrase and Olbermann in general:
Sycophant
11-11-2008 @ 11:55AM
keidalgrim said...
Were you serious when you wrote: "I happen to like Olbermann. He stirs it up."
How do you characterize someone who sits in an echo chamber while preaching to the choir as someone who "stirs it up?"
Until Olbermann finally has a guest or two on his show with an opposing point of view, he will forever remain bathtub-boy.
And as far as the fued between him and O'Reilly... Olbermann is obsessed with the guy. He's seriously got issues (homoerotic or otherwise) that could use some real by-the-hour work. I rarely hear O'Reilly mention Keith's name; on the other hand, you can't watch Olbermann's show without seeing a buttload of Bill O'Reilly.
Very odd (ball).
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11-11-2008 @ 12:36PM
Rocketboy said...
"Olbermann versus Bill O'Reilly" they only fight because they remind themselves of each other too much. A blowhard doesn't like it when another blowhard muscles in on their turf.
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11-11-2008 @ 1:04PM
Elf said...
Olbermann does not need guests with differing opinions. Those other opinions are avaiable on practically every other media outlet. If you want an argument in favor of invading a nation that posed no threat to ours, or an argument why a woman with no foreign policy experience, no working knowledge of the constitution, no knowledge of how the federal government works and who had to be shielded from the press as much as possible is qualified to be a heart attack away from the presidency, or an agrument why giving tax breaks to large corporations that are already posting record profits in a time of financial disarray, then you can change the channel.
Olbermann has a show with a point of view and guests who support that view. When he first started Countdown he was cautious, not wanting the show to turn into another squabble-fest. When he found his voice he decided to augment it by pointing out the pandering to the administration and lack of journalistic integrity of other news outlets, most pointedly the show opposite his.
Is Keith always right? Of course not, nobody could be. But nobody can accuse him of not doing proper reasearch or just plain making stuff up. Does Keith bloviate and come across as staggeringly self-important? Sure, but those who appreciate him see the passion in his delivery and the importance of his message. And is there a single employee at any other news outlet who can plain write as well as Keith? He does not dumb-down his material and he does not insult his audience.
As many in the nation found more and more to dislike and distrust about the Bush administration they found Keith as a lone voice in the wilderness and he capitalized on that. If O'Reilly were to retire tomorrow a new right-wing voice would immediately fill the vacuum, feeding his fans the stuff they want to hear. Why can't right-wingers accept the fact that there are now almost as many people who appreciate Keith's point of view on the left as there are who appreicate O'Reily's on the right?
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11-11-2008 @ 1:42PM
No1Dad said...
"When he found his voice he decided to augment it by pointing out the pandering to the administration and lack of journalistic integrity of other news outlets."
The irony...
11-11-2008 @ 4:50PM
Franklin said...
"...with no foreign policy experience, no working knowledge of the constitution, no knowledge of how the federal government works and who had to be shielded from the press as much as possible ..."
By "woman" you must mean your God, Obama, as this fits him better than anyone else. The silly commie bitch even dodged interviews late in the race and had journalists banned from his campaign and further access if they asked anything other than fawning, softball questions.
He's good, though. Sucked all you public school morons in really good. It just goes to show that with the right sales pitch you can convince the uneducated and lazy of almost anything. Get ready for Jimmy Carter: Phase II, and that's not a good thing.
11-11-2008 @ 1:29PM
keidalgrim said...
Elf: Somewhere in all of that, did I read the word Bloviate?
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11-11-2008 @ 2:20PM
Andrew said...
Bill O' isn't going anywhere...why should Olbermann? They're just political opposites of the same person, after all.
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11-11-2008 @ 9:54PM
brandon said...
wow that sucks
http://bowdoinorient.com
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11-16-2008 @ 8:31PM
scarolinahoosier said...
Dear anyone with brains
Greetings, as the football season progresses, I as a fan watch as much NFL as possible. I just wanted you to know that as long as you continue to use Keith Olbermann on your pre-game show I not only will not watch the product, but will boycott any products used to sponsor the show. Someone like myself who loves my country and the people who live here, I will never understand how a person like Olbermann can continue to keep employment. He is not only a embarrassment to NBC, but an embarrassment to the United States. I wish him nothing but failure and can only hope he has nothing but disaster and sickness in his life.
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11-30-2008 @ 5:54PM
Wendall Burns said...
I will tell you that I am very happy you are rewarding Olberman with a new contract. As one who has been in the news and information business since 1951, I became so embarassed by the fawning over public officials that I began telling people that I am a "recovering journalist"--like a recovering alcoholic, I can't live with it, i.e. "news" and can't live without it. After weeks, months, years of watching evening news, I saw it going mostly downhill, and am glad to see people like Olberman put some thought and study and spark into their presentations. My only complaint is that today: Nov. 28, a very important news day, there was no evening newscast on MSNBC-- just another of the network's sex-exposes--canned stuff--important coverage, but not the type of political news and analysis that serves us well in these complex political times.
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