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No Special Comment? MSNBC Demotes Keith Olbermann from Political Coverage

Submitted by Chip on Mon, 2008-09-08 14:31.

MSNBC Demotes Keith Olbermann David Bauder | The Associated Press

MSNBC said Sunday it is replacing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as co-anchors of political night coverage with David Gregory, and will use the two newsmen as commentators.

The change reflects tensions between the freewheeling, opinionated MSNBC and the impartial newsgatherers at NBC News. Throughout the primaries and summer, MSNBC argued that Olbermann and Matthews could serve as dispassionate anchors on political news nights and that viewers would accept them in that role, but things fell apart during the conventions.

Gregory, the veteran Washington hand, will anchor MSNBC's coverage of the presidential and vice presidential debates and election night, said Jeremy Gaines, network spokesman. The change was first reported by The New York Times.

The tipping point appears to have come during the Republican convention when Olbermann, after the network aired a Sept. 11-themed video prepared by the Republicans, said that MSNBC should not have shown it.

MSNBC executives, who had publicly defended their anchors' roles while privately monitoring it throughout the political season, made the change over the weekend after discussions with Olbermann. Despite the controversy around him, Olbermann has been a hero with left-leaning viewers and keyed MSNBC's growth among coveted young viewers.

During her acceptance speech last week, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin talked about the "Washington elite" not accepting her qualifications for the job. Some delegates on the convention floor began chanting, "N-B-C, N-B-C."

Olbermann began to have difficulty keeping his opinions in check, or simply stopped trying.

He sarcastically dismissed GOP pundit Pat Buchanan on the air after Buchanan said the GOP had been enlivened by the entrance of a conservative Republican.

"Those reading US Weekly with the picture of her and her youngest daughter with the word `scandal' written across it won't be so happy," Olbermann said.

He expressed little sympathy at another point when GOP anger at rumors over the Internet about Palin were being discussed.

"We'll see if people feel sorry for unfounded rumors on the Internet," he said. "If that's the case, Sen. Obama's probably standing up and cheering and waiting for people to feel sorry for him."

Perhaps most embarrassing, Joe Scarborough was discussing positive developments in John McCain's campaign at one point when Olbermann was heard on an offstage microphone saying: "Jesus, Joe, why don't you get a shovel?"

Scarborough, a former Republican congressman and host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," got in another nasty on-air exchange with MSNBC reporter David Shuster, and Matthews snapped at Olbermann on-air when it appeared Olbermann was criticizing him for talking too much.

All the drama made MSNBC a punch line when top NBC anchor Brian Williams appeared on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" last week. "Is there no control?" Stewart asked him. "`Is it `Lord of the Flies?'"

A sheepish Williams said that every family has a dynamic of its own.

"But does MSNBC have to be the Lohans?" Stewart said.

Olbermann was in Denver during the Democratic national convention, but performed his co-hosting duties for the GOP convention in a New York studio. NBC President Steve Capus said the decision was not political, that Olbermann had been sent back to anchor coverage of Hurricane Gustav.

MSNBC's decision comes just before Olbermann's "Countdown" show is set to air, on Monday, Olbermann's interview with Barack Obama. That will put Olbermann in direct competition with his nemesis, Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Obama last week and is airing a portion of it Monday in the same 8 p.m. EDT time slot.

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impartial newsgatherers at NBC

Submitted by alkeng on Mon, 2008-09-08 17:23.

"impartial newsgatherers at NBC"

That's a laugh! There is nothing impartial about any of the for-profit main-stream media! MSNBC is simply the least narrow-minded of the cable channels. FOX is, of course, the worst.

Al K.

www.votenader.org

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Hey Kidz!!! Try Out The NEW MSNBC . . In "ZION-VISION" . .;-)

Submitted by Frederick C. Bl... on Mon, 2008-09-08 18:10.

Hey kidz!!! Try out the NEW MSNBC . . . In "ZION-VISION" . . .;-)

I mean, it's not like MSNBC or any of the Main Stream Media (MSM) would ever try to infringe on OUR 1st Amendment Rights, or anything . . .;-)

(clipped headline and article with 9 min. video clip)
"MSNBC Security Assaults Alex Jones & Equipment with Deadly Weapon - A close video analysis now shows that it was MSNBC staff members who attempted to silence free speech by physically assaulting a group of 9/11 truthers led by Alex Jones during the takeover of a live broadcast at the DNC in Denver."

(full story)
http://www.prisonplanet.com/msnbc-security-assaults-alex-jones-equipment...

Or if you prefer, try out the NEW CBS . . . In "ZION-VISION" . .. ;-)

(clipped headline and article)
"Report: '60 Minutes' Cut Ahmadinejad's Statement, 'Solution Is Democracy' in Israel/Palestine - The interview that Mike Wallace did of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 2 years ago was aired on C-Span recently, and a diligent blogger has reported on what '60 Minutes' cut out of the interview when it aired. When Wallace confronted Ahmadinejad with the 'wipe Israel off the map' threats, Ahmadinejad said that 'the solution is democracy' in Israel and Palestine, a suggestion that he favors a one-state solution. I agree with blogger Tom Murphy that '60''s edits misrepresent Ahmadinejad's thrust, making him out to be far more confrontational than he is, especially after Wallace promised Ahmadinejad that he would listen to his complete answers to questions. And yes, that this amounts to 'suppression of basic facts concerning Israel and the Palestinians.'"

(full story)
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/09/report-60-minutes-cut-ahma...

Ah, yes . .. as any good propagandist knows, the key to a good PSY-OP is not about what is said, but what is NOT said . . .or rather, what is never HEARD . . .;-)

"CIA Operation Mockingbird"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird

This ol' fool from North Cackilacki will definitely miss brother Keith Olbermann . . .and even brother Chris Matthews, who, as evidenced by his recent "off topic" comments, has obviously had an "a-ha moment" about what is really going down in our Great Republic by this BushCo/Rothschild,Inc PNAC/AIPAC shadow cabal coup d'etat . . .

. . . but the first rule of Patriarchal Fascism is that
"EVERYONE IS EXPENDABLE" . . .;-)

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE (R.I.P. 1949-1987)

"Good Morning Smithers Jones
The boss wants to see you alone
I hope its the promotion you've been looking for
Come in Smithers old boy
Take a seat, take the weight off your feet
I've some news to tell you
There's no longer a position for you
Sorry, Smithers Jones"
- Smithers-Jones by The Jam

peace.

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Oberman/Mathews--

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2008-09-08 18:48.

--It might be noted that 'my crowd' [those who run businesses] were driven to Fox via the ignorance of the Obermans/Mathews --Et al

Fox [incredibly!!] is the most fair and balanced---because the left coast took over the others!!!

I could never imagine my liking FOX!!

My congratulations for the dumping two people who least represent impartial reporting.

Maybe we can come back to N.B.C.

R.M.C.

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