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| Image from source, TV Newser |
For what it's worth, I think that MSNBC is well within their rights to act in the manner in which they did, provided it is fair treatment across the board. If it turns out that this rule has not been enforced for other hosts, they won't have much of a leg to stand on. Meanwhile, they've got the infamously tempestuous Olbermann---frequently their highest rated host--to deal with. Will he come back? Will he walk? And what of The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell? Those two shows are basically spin offs of Countdown, and share a good deal of their viewership (and are not coincidentally the other two highest-rated shows on the channel). MSNBC has to worry about not only pissing off Olbermann, but his friends and viewers as well.
And before the FOX fans chime in, remember that it is immaterial whether or not Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and the rest have or have not committed the same offense. They've provided free advertising for any number of conservative candidates, rendering actual monetary donations irrelevant.
[Excerpt]
Keith Olbermann Suspended from MSNBC Indefinitely after Contributing to Democratic Candidates
MSNBC has suspended host Keith Olbermann indefinitely and without pay, after Politico revealed the primetime host contributed to the campaigns of of three congressional candidates, a practice which violates an NBC News policy. . .
Read more at: TV Newser
This suspension was just stupid. Like Olbermann was impartial. It would be shocking if he didn't give money to the Dem's. Of course, Olbermann could have fun by donating to the GOP. Then he would have confused everyone.
ReplyDeleteSince, no one, other than the actual principals involved in this fiasco, really knows why it happened. Here's my contribution to the many theories as to why Keith Olbermann has been suspended by Phil Griffin.
ReplyDeleteAs you probably know, the country's largest combined cable and Internet provider, Compost, is in the process of buying NBC Universal from GE, awaiting only government approval of the deal. Inasmuch as their upper level management team is on the who's who list of Republican donors and fundraisers and since it's a widely known secret that there is going to be a major reshuffling of the present NBC management team. Compost has announced that Phil's boss Jeff Zucker will be replaced when the deal is completed. So, there's a better than even chance Ol' Phil did this in hopes of keeping his ass off the unemployment roles. You know , try and curry a little favor with his soon to be ultra conservative boss by putting the kibosh on MSNBC's head liberal.
In a nutshell, it looks like Griffin, in the interest of self-preservation, opted for the chance to be Compost's lap dog rather than risk being in their dog house.
You may be right, but if Olbermann is permanently gone, Griffin has effectively killed the golden goose. I'll still watch Rachel (if she doesn't end up in the same predicament), but I really doubt I'd watch "Countdown with not Keith Olbermann."
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