Why was Keith Olbermann shown the door at MSNBC?
It’s all about the Benjamins, and by that, I am not solely referring to Olbermann’s unauthorized campaign donations to skanky left-wing candidates.
Keith Olbermann ‘Suspended Indefinitely Without Pay’ (Updated)
November 5, 2010 – By Bryan Preston
MSNBC has a Special Comment for Keith Olbermann: You’re done. At least for now. Reason: He contributed to a trio of Dems who were on the ticket this year, while commenting on their races.
Keith Olbermann, MSNBC’s primetime firebrand host, has been suspended indefinitely for violating the ethics policies of his employer earlier this year when he donated to three Democrats seeking federal office, MSNBC announced Friday.
“I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay,” MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement.
First reported by Politico and confirmed by Federal Election Commission filings, the primetime television host gave $2,400 – the maximum individual amount allowed – to each of the campaigns of Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway, and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords.
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If this turns out to be a permanent suspension (a firing, in other words), I suspect, though, that the ethical breach was just the last straw. Ed at Hot Air has more on the ins and outs of NBC’s policy. The fact is, Olbermann’s numbers just haven’t been strong at all. He had been trending downward for most of the past two years. So had everyone else at MSNBC, but Olbermann was supposed to be the flagship guy, the MSNBC answer to O’Reilly and Fox. But most of the time he just came across as the little dog snipping and yipping at the big dog.
Olbermann is notoriously difficult to work with and for, and has a very obvious tendency to center the universe upon himself. That’s tolerable if you’re a winner, less so if you’re not. And in the ratings game, he just isn’t…
The pitfalls of self-worship
Olbermann, in other words, is a prima donna and a legend in his own mind, who not only irritates his co-workers and superiors at MSNBC, but also has lost whatever currency he once had with MSNBC’s audience.
As Preston points out in a link he provided in an update to his article, MSNBC is expected to be sold to Comcast by the end of 2010. Current MSNBC President Phil Griffin wants to keep his job. What better way to do that than by using whatever rationale is available to cut anybody who is no longer bringing home the bacon? One can only hope that the annoying, androgynous leftist harridan Rachel Maddow will also be soon to go.
