Olbermann SUSPENDED for political donations, to return Tuesday, 11/9 — Page 4

I do not see this as a win win for MSNBC,IMO.

"After Friday’s news, Olbermann fell silent – but his supporters were vocal. As of Sunday night, more than 275,000 people had signed an online petition on the website saveolbermann.com to reinstate the talk show host.

One fan even created a Twitter account with the name 'Team Keith Olbermann' and numerous users tweeted MSNBC president Phil Griffin's phone number, encouraging followers to call and complain about Olbermann's suspension.

"MSNBC President Phil Griffin's office number has been changed due to constant phone calls regarding @keitholbermann," @Team Keith Olbermann tweeted proudly on Sunday."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/11/07/2010-11-07_suspended_msnbc_host_keith_olbermann_breaks_silence_on_twitter_tells_fans_greeti.html#ixzz14eAlFH4c

---

07 Nov 2010 8:51 PM
STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN - SUNDAY, NOV. 7

STATEMENT REGARDING KEITH OLBERMANN - SUNDAY, NOV. 7

From Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC:

After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.

http://www.nbcuniversal.presscentre.com/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=2458&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=7

Not even a full week! I think MSNBC was feeling the heat and I think Phil Griffin may have to answer for his actions. This entire situation could have been handled differently.A verbal warning would have been enough. I think his intentions were to embarrass and humiliate Keith (which backfired IMO)

SHORTEST SUSPENSION IN THE WORLD

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/07/keith-olbermann-to-return_n_780141.html

---

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 09:29 PM

To me, that means that Olbermann clearly has the bigger pair.

I thought it would be longer. The loser here is Griffin.

FWIW Romantico, Griffin originally asked Olbermann to provide an on-air apology, which he refused to do. Apparently, that is what precipitated the suspension.

Actually, I gained more respect for Olberman for NOT apologizing on the air. I wonder if MSNBC will allow him to speak about it and give his take on what happened.

---

Personally, I think he should apologize. He interviewed a candidate to whom he had made the maximum legal donation, without disclosing that information to his viewers. If you believe Maddow's editorial from the other night, that's unethical, so I think it warrants an apology. Otherwise, this undermines her credibility for claiming the high road for MSNBC.

---

If there's any truth to that story, which I find difficult to believe, it makes me respect Olbermann less than I already do.

He 'discovered' Rachel Maddow?

I read into this that he wants MSNBC to be just like Fox. He wants to be as unconstrained as their anchors are. In other words, he wants to undermine everything Maddow said Friday night.

---

Maddow was a frequent (regular?) panelist on the MSNBC show that David Gregory used to host. I forget it's name. She did fill in for Olbermann on Countdown, and I believe she received a terrific repsonse when she did. I don't know enough about the sequence of the events that say which were instrumental in her getting her own shown, or how much Olbermann had to do with any of it.

---

This was a publicity stunt.

---

Since it's an anonymous source, I don't think comment can be parsed that much, but I do think that for all intents and purposes he discovered her as far as her tv career goes. She always seems to credit him with her break at the network, so I don't really get bugged by that statement. If not discovered, than certainly he was still instrumental in her success at the network. Again, he's not claiming this, so I don't fault him for the comment in that article.

What happened to the thing about NBC and MSNBC not being under the same division? That seemed to fly out as quickly as it flew in. I know Maddow specifically said CNBC wasn't under the same umbrella as NBC news, but I thought maybe she had recorded that after that news had come out.

I read into this that he wants MSNBC to be just like Fox. He wants to be as unconstrained as their anchors are. In other words, he wants to undermine everything Maddow said Friday night.

I don't really see it that way. I see him as getting caught in the snares of an unclear, possible selectively enforced network rule, in an affair that was undoubtedly trumped up because of Olbermann's status as a liberal talking head.

Finally, and this is just me, I don't really see Maddow and Olbermann as that different. He may be louder and more blustery, but I don't think that Maddow's partisanship is that much more opaque. I find her to interject her opinion into her show all the time, which is fine, because it's an editorial show.

Updated On: 11/8/10 at 09:45 AM

Olbermann is as responsible as anyone for making MSNBC what is is today. Countdown was to be a straight news show until he took it in a different direction. He did indeed lobby hard to give Maddow a show and she often credits him for making her a TV personality. Take those two shows off and what is left? A bunch of prison documentaries.

Olbermann Apologizes To Viewers, Strikes Back At MSNBC

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/olbermann-apologizes-to-viewers-not-msnbc_n_780703.html

---

I'm not following. Conan's on at 11.

I think Goth's theory is more accurate. A big public dust-up right at the beginning of Sweeps Month. Perfect timing.

---