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From the New York Times:
Keith Olbermann, the highest-rated host on MSNBC, announced abruptly on the air Friday night that he was leaving his show, “Countdown,” immediately.
The host, who has had a stormy relationship with the management of the network for some time, especially since he was suspended for two days last November, came to an agreement with NBC’s corporate management late this week to settle his contract and step down.
In a closing statement on his show, Mr. Olbermann said simply that it would be the last edition of the program. He offered no explanation other than on occasion “all that surrounded the show – but never the show itself – was just too much for me.”
Mr. Olbermann thanked his viewers for their enthusiastic support of a show that had “gradually established its position as antiestablishment.”
I will miss Keith as a counter-voice to Faux News, which is nothing more than an arm of the Republican Party, and, all too often, featured the extremists as representative of the party. Keith sees himself as antiestablishment, and that's quite true, but I can't deny that his show was a forum for progressive politicians and issues, perhaps a needed balance in these times when we see or read little of what could be called objective news reporting. I'll say this for Keith: I never heard him lie, and when he made a mistake he publicly acknowledged his mistake, which I cannot say for the faux "reporters" on Faux News.
Josh Marshall appeared in the opening segment of the final Countdown show and posted a rather poignant account at TPM of his surprise when he received the news release about the finale of the show. Josh says:
I'm sure we'll be hearing soon enough what on earth happened here. But color me stunned. And really disappointed.
Was it the coming takeover of NBC by Comcast that brought an end to Countdown? Again from the New York Times:
NBC executives said the move had nothing to do with the impending takeover of NBC Universal by Comcast. With viewers and fans of Mr. Olbermann suggesting that Comcast was responsible for forcing Mr. Olbermann out, Comcast also released an official statement late Friday night:
“Comcast has not closed the transaction for NBC Universal and has no operational control at any of its properties including MSNBC. We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBC Universal’s news operations. We have not and we will not.”
We shall see. I've heard that song before from the executives of companies who take over news organizations.
I never heard him lie, and when he made a mistake he publicly acknowledged his mistake
ReplyDeleteSadly, Mimi, this is not true. His behavior over the Julian Assange rape accusations was unforgivable. He spread lies about the women who lodged the complaints against Assange, gave grossly misleading information about the charges themselves, and when the facts were brought to his attention, he never reported them or apologized.
We need strong progressive voices in the media--but we need people who have the integrity to check their facts and to report on themselves when they screw up.
Doxy, I did not know about this misstep by Olbermann. He behaved abominably on Twitter with those who questioned his and Michael Moore's statements defending Assange and then quit Twitter in a huff.
ReplyDeleteFrom CNN comes the story that Assange was charged with rape in Sweden yesterday, but today the charges were dropped.
Assange is "no longer wanted" and "is not suspected of rape," Chief Prosecutor Eva Finne said in a statement posted on the agency's official website Saturday. He is also no longer arrested in absentia, the statement said.
The arrest warrant filed Friday had also mentioned a molestation charge, but molestation -- which is not limited to child victims in Sweden -- is not a crime punishable behind bars in Sweden.
What's going on?
So, Mimi, Rachel is chopped liver?
ReplyDeletePaul (A.), Rachel is not chopped liver, nor is Lawrence O'Donnell, who is set to take the Countdown time slot. I changed my post to reflect that Olbermann was not the only counter-voice to Faux News.
ReplyDeleteIn truth, I'm tired of news by advocacy, but since the news is not reported in anything like an objective manner, we have what we have. Many evenings I don't even bother to watch the news shows.
Doxy, I'm in mourning.
ReplyDeleteYour accusations don't belong on THIS thread.
JCF--I was not aware that Mimi had given you police powers in the comment threads on her blog?
ReplyDeleteI did not post "accusations." Mimi made a statement that I knew was demonstrably false, so I responded. As Mr. Olbermann himself would say: "Those are the FACTS, SIR!"
I don't believe in giving people passes for bad behavior--especially rape apologism--even if they are on "my side." ESPECIALLY if they are on "my side." I'm sorry you feel differently.
Mimi--the news reports are sketchy, so I'm not sure what's going on. I do know this--the women who filed the initial complaints have had their names, photos, home addresses, etc. posted all over the Interwebs by Wikileaks supporters who were apparently incapable of considering that Julian Assange might be doing a good thing AND still be a rapist. The women have been called CIA agents (including by Olbermann) and they've gotten death threats. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they refused to testify and, thus, the charges have been dropped.
We will probably never know the truth of what happened. But people in Olbermann's position have a responsibility to check their facts before they endanger real people's lives. Sady Doyle and others who started the #mooreandme campaign on Twitter got multiple death and rape threats from both Assange and Olbermann supporters. You can read about that at Sady Doyle's blog, Tiger Beatdown.
JCF, my friend, I get to say what stays on the thread. Keith's sojourn on MSNBC was not without controversy, aside from the Assange business. My sympathy to you in your mourning. You are not alone.
ReplyDeleteDoxy, I didn't see Olbermann's show with Michael Moore; I didn't see the tweets. I read your link, which I have to say, wasn't very helpful in clarifying the matter for me. In my post, I said, "I never heard him (Olbermann) lie." That is true. I didn't say he never lied.
If clearer documentation surfaces on Assange and the rape accusations, I'll be happy to write about it. As of now, I don't know enough about the matter to say more.