Olbermann a real winner

[BM OUT]

MSNBC Execs Scramble to Defend Olbermann as 'Countdown' Ratings Decline
By Lachlan Markay (Bio | Archive)
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 11:56 ET   

Keith Olbermann's appeal has generally been his incendiary, attack-dog approach to the news. The approach paid off during the Bush administration when bashing the president was good business for a television host.

Since Obama's inauguration, Olbermann's ratings have been in free-fall, but MSNBC brass are still more than willing not only to keep him on the air, but to defend him against any and all critics.

Asked about Olbermann's plummeting ratings--they have declined 44 percent since last year--MSNBC President Phil Griffin cleverly invoked the cable network's slogan, saying MSNBC is still "the place for politics."

Griffin added, "there are times when politics does great, and there are times when it doesn't." Apparently there are also times when it does great on Fox, but not on MSNBC, like, say, right now. Ratings for the "O'Reilly Factor", Olbermann's 8 p.m. competition, have soared 55 percent during the past year, making it by far the most watched cable news show during that time slot. "Countdown", meanwhile, languishes just behind HLN's Nancy Grace in the coveted 25-54 demographic.


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Responding to Griffin's defenseReal Clear Politics columnist Tom Bevan yesterday compared the MSNBC president to former Iraqi Information Minister Baghdad Bob, whose animated statements during the U.S. invasion were so divorced from reality, they bordered on satire.

"Griffin is simply trying to put the best possible spin on the fact that he and his network are losing the media war - badly," Bevan wrote.

During the past month a number of prominent media commentators--if you can call Jon Stewart a commentator--have been highly critical of Olbermann's over-the-top attacks on Republicans and conservatives. His colleague Joe Scarborough called his vitriolic rant against Scott Brown "sad and pathetic." Stewart mocked Olbermann for it on his "Daily Show".

A report on the sad decline of "Countdown" during the past year from DailyFinance's Jeff Bercovici led Olbermann to dub DailyFinance a "right-wing site" during his "Worst Person" segment. Such knee-jerk reactions only seem to have reaffirmed Olbermann's descent into name-calling and ad hominem attacks. Bercovici, for his part, responded,

Keith, I don't know what went into your decision to lie about us on your program. I don't know whether you've ever actually read anything on DailyFinance, or whether one of your producers just prepped a script for you and you performed it. But stuff like this is why people like Jon Stewart and me increasingly have questions about your intellectual honesty and integrity. Knock it off already.

Bercovici wasn't alone, however, in noting that "the world may not have quite as much need of--or patience for--Olbermann and his shtick as it once did." Andrew Malcom of the Los Angeles Times concluded his commentary thusly:

"In the immortal words of Edward J. Smith, captain of the Titanic, 'What iceberg?' "

—Lachlan Markay is an associate with Dialog New Media. Make sure to follow him



I ACTUALLY HEARD ED SHULTZ MOCK RUSH LIMAUGHS RATINGS YESTERDAY.Can you imagine that?Ed Shultz who has microscopic ratings actually insulting someone elses ratings.These idiots are a joke.

[Soul Crusher]

Olbermann is unwatchable to all but a few fringers like TA, 240, Straw, Chad, and blacken. 

Its horrible tv.

[240 is Back]

i like his show, just like I watch hannity.  It's cool to see how both extreme sides of the party think.  If you want to circle jerk and just watch a tv host you agree with on everything, that's cool.  That's also how groupthink occurs, and how people turn into mindless idiots that agree with everything the TV tells them.

On a regular basis, both hannity and olberamnn are whiny, bitchy exaggerators.  And they're both absolutely right on a regular basis.  If you deny that, you are now included in the 'mindless idiots agreeing with everything your hero says' category

[Soul Crusher]

i like his show, just like I watch hannity.  It's cool to see how both extreme sides of the party think.  If you want to circle jerk and just watch a tv host you agree with on everything, that's cool.  That's also how groupthink occurs, and how people turn into mindless idiots that agree with everything the TV tells them.

On a regular basis, both hannity and olberamnn are whiny, bitchy exaggerators.  And they're both absolutely right on a regular basis.  If you deny that, you are now included in the 'mindless idiots agreeing with everything your hero says' category

How about shutting off the tv and reading a book?

[chadstallion]

How about shutting off the tv and reading a book?

that comes at bedtime...
and thank you for the props in listing me as a fan of Keith.
Include me in for Rachel, too.

[240 is Back]

'How about shutting off the tv and reading a book?'

does Penthouse letters count as a book?

[Eric15210]

Who is Keith Olbermann?

[chadstallion]

Who is Keith Olbermann?

last least you spelled his last name correctly...lol

[BM OUT]

i like his show, just like I watch hannity.  It's cool to see how both extreme sides of the party think.  If you want to circle jerk and just watch a tv host you agree with on everything, that's cool.  That's also how groupthink occurs, and how people turn into mindless idiots that agree with everything the TV tells them.

On a regular basis, both hannity and olberamnn are whiny, bitchy exaggerators.  And they're both absolutely right on a regular basis.  If you deny that, you are now included in the 'mindless idiots agreeing with everything your hero says' category

Olbermann and Maddow are liars from jump street.Both claim they are not idealogues.Neither adsmit they are liberals.Hanity comes right out and says "Im a right wing conservative".He doesnt hide it.Olbermann NEVER has conservative guests on to debate[he knows he is innept]Hannity has liberals on every night.

Hannity is wrong all the time,I find him annoying as hell.However,the FOX shows NEVER mention the hosts at MSNBC.MSNBC has a network who has an entire programming agenda of just talking about FOX.Its very very odd.An entire network based on commenting about another network,no original thoughts,just commenting off the other networks programming.No wonder no one watches it,you can get the info straight from FOX instead of second hand from MSNBC.

[MRDUMPLING]

Olbermann and Maddow are liars from jump street.Both claim they are not idealogues.Neither adsmit they are liberals.Hanity comes right out and says "Im a right wing conservative".He doesnt hide it.Olbermann NEVER has conservative guests on to debate[he knows he is innept]Hannity has liberals on every night.

Hannity is wrong all the time,I find him annoying as hell.However,the FOX shows NEVER mention the hosts at MSNBC.MSNBC has a network who has an entire programming agenda of just talking about FOX.Its very very odd.An entire network based on commenting about another network,no original thoughts,just commenting off the other networks programming.No wonder no one watches it,you can get the info straight from FOX instead of second hand from MSNBC.

He has a point here 240, I actually used to watch both just like you just to see both extreme sides; it was funny and more entertaining than American Idol, but when Olbermann uses 15 minutes of his show to talk about how FOX hosts are the worst people list it gets old fast.  There are plenty of politicians that are way worse and he always has at least one person from FOX on there. 

[chadstallion]

Olbermann uses 15 minutes of his show to talk about how FOX hosts are the worst people list it gets old fast.  There are plenty of politicians that are way worse and he always has at least one person from FOX on there. 

which is why i like ole keith.  his reports on fox save me the time of watching that network for hours.

[MCWAY]

He has a point here 240, I actually used to watch both just like you just to see both extreme sides; it was funny and more entertaining than American Idol, but when Olbermann uses 15 minutes of his show to talk about how FOX hosts are the worst people list it gets old fast.  There are plenty of politicians that are way worse and he always has at least one person from FOX on there. 

If Bill O'Reilly were beating your @$$ for nearly a decade, you'd whine, too.

[240 is Back]

hanniy has 5/6 consiervative guests but yes, he does have some.  Olbermann is one-sided.  At this point though, having watched news for 20 years, I don't put much stock in anything the 'guests' say on these shows.  Hell, you guys have seen me spin things in silly manner... they are the same way.  I will give hannity credit for that.  However, the bulk of his show is sitll him sucking up to whatever right-wing person is selling a book that day.

On the other end - Hannity spends a nice chunk of his show hocking his book and this 'freedom concert' series.  He spends $200k PER SHOW on limos and other personal expenses, and its the same company that pays him for speaking engagements.  And the foundation is in trouble right noe cause they're not donating as they said they would - the charity police say they're just holding the $.

So one doesn't let opposing views on his how (olbermann) and one uses the show to sell his book and concert series that is being shady with $ (hannity).  

I watch their shows before both men have good viewpoints of what the party in charge is doing wrong, and right.  Olberamnn will never tell you Obama is fvcking up.  Hannity will never tell you Bush is fvcking up.  But you can count on them to show you ever single flaw with the other guy.  So it's useful.

[BM OUT]

hanniy has 5/6 consiervative guests but yes, he does have some.  Olbermann is one-sided.  At this point though, having watched news for 20 years, I don't put much stock in anything the 'guests' say on these shows.  Hell, you guys have seen me spin things in silly manner... they are the same way.  I will give hannity credit for that.  However, the bulk of his show is sitll him sucking up to whatever right-wing person is selling a book that day.

On the other end - Hannity spends a nice chunk of his show hocking his book and this 'freedom concert' series.  He spends $200k PER SHOW on limos and other personal expenses, and its the same company that pays him for speaking engagements.  And the foundation is in trouble right noe cause they're not donating as they said they would - the charity police say they're just holding the $.

So one doesn't let opposing views on his how (olbermann) and one uses the show to sell his book and concert series that is being shady with $ (hannity).  

I watch their shows before both men have good viewpoints of what the party in charge is doing wrong, and right.  Olberamnn will never tell you Obama is fvcking up.  Hannity will never tell you Bush is fvcking up.  But you can count on them to show you ever single flaw with the other guy.  So it's useful.

Your right,Id like to know if Hannity has to pay for advertising his stuff,because Imus does its part of his contract to be able to pump his camp for kids with cancer.My problem with Olbermann is that he is a liar.Just say "Im a left wing liberal who hates all things conservative".Hannity CLEARLY says that he is a right wing consevative and hates liberals.The thing that bothers me about Maddow and Mathews and Olbermann[not Shultz he admits it]is all of them claim to not be idealogoues.Its just a very dishonest way to run your show and your life.

[240 is Back]

I liked Imus' show, and he did a TON of selling on his show.  But it was all for kids with illness.  Hannity?  He talks about his book every night.  And the fact he spends $200,000 PER SHOW on limos, planes and hotels/food for JUST HIM - then complains about limosuine liberals...

Maddow has a commercial where she says "I'm not a champion for any cause - I just give my opinion"  Olberamnn always has the "Special comment" tag on his. 

All hosts give their own opinion.  Every single show does it.  Olberamann doesn't say "I' a lib!" because that word has such a negative stink, and 'conservative' does not. 

Anyway, I watch olbermann and hannity both.  One doesn't allow outside dissenting thought, and one allows a little bit while selling his book and ripoff concert.  Neither perfect, but both useful for learning when the left or right is full of shit.

[BM OUT]

I liked Imus' show, and he did a TON of selling on his show.  But it was all for kids with illness.  Hannity?  He talks about his book every night.  And the fact he spends $200,000 PER SHOW on limos, planes and hotels/food for JUST HIM - then complains about limosuine liberals...

Maddow has a commercial where she says "I'm not a champion for any cause - I just give my opinion"  Olberamnn always has the "Special comment" tag on his. 

All hosts give their own opinion.  Every single show does it.  Olberamann doesn't say "I' a lib!" because that word has such a negative stink, and 'conservative' does not. 

Anyway, I watch olbermann and hannity both.  One doesn't allow outside dissenting thought, and one allows a little bit while selling his book and ripoff concert.  Neither perfect, but both useful for learning when the left or right is full of shit.

Come on.Hannity is talking about libs that try to guilt people by talking about how unfair our society is and then ride limos.Conservatives LOVE the rich,we celebrate them,we want more limos,more money,more rewards.Libs act like they are sacrificing while driving in limos.

Also,are these expenses part of his contract.Im not a hannity fan,I actually cant listen to his radio show,I find him to be a big bore and not very bright.He is a zillion miles behoinf Rush in terms of entertainment value.

One other thing I dont like about Olbermann is he finds outrage where there is none.He will show a clip and is just outraged by it and Im stting there saying "so what".

[240 is Back]

$200,000 per concert for hannity alone...
and this from a company who is also paying him for speeches
and this from a company that isn't donating as promised, getting called out by nonprtisan charity watchdog groups...

Well, he's a spend-happy RINO like the rest of them I guess.  True, he's spending $ that could be donated to veterans children, and not govt money.  But just as he was moderate in the election to match Mccain, and he's far right now to match the tea party

[BM OUT]

$200,000 per concert for hannity alone...
and this from a company who is also paying him for speeches
and this from a company that isn't donating as promised, getting called out by nonprtisan charity watchdog groups...

Well, he's a spend-happy RINO like the rest of them I guess.  True, he's spending $ that could be donated to veterans children, and not govt money.  But just as he was moderate in the election to match Mccain, and he's far right now to match the tea party

By the way,just so you know,these reports come from far left sites and blogs.Shultz and MSNBC love to jump on this but they have so little credability that Im not sure Id believe them and I dont even like Hannity.

[240 is Back]

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44529

here are all the details.  A lot of $ not accounted for.  Interestingly, it was the right-wing blogosphere that brought the issue to light, making a lot of noise before the non-partisan charity watchdog groups sprang into action.

I think it's a great thing he's doing a charity.  however, they've earned $59 million and donated $2.1 million.... meaning more $ has gone to hannity's dressing rooms than to the cause for the charity. 

[BM OUT]

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44529

here are all the details.  A lot of $ not accounted for.  Interestingly, it was the right-wing blogosphere that brought the issue to light, making a lot of noise before the non-partisan charity watchdog groups sprang into action.

I think it's a great thing he's doing a charity.  however, they've earned $59 million and donated $2.1 million.... meaning more $ has gone to hannity's dressing rooms than to the cause for the charity. 

Thats simply not true.Hannity has said that much of the money is in the bank because many of these kids arent old enough to go to college and it will be paid out once they are of college age.This is what Im talking about.Im not saying they dont waste money,but not everything said is true.Unyil I see him arrested or charged or fined then Im not going to go nuts about it.

[240 is Back]

I've heard Hannity's defense as well.  Does this mean he will choose 20 newborns whose parents are in the military, and enjoy the interest of the $ for 18 years before giving them the money for college? 

It's a slipperly slope.  Common move would be to disperse the money into interest bearing trusts for college.  Why Hannity must hold, invest, spend the $ in the meantime - that is what is odd to the watchdog groups. 

People are curious how much of the $ is being funneled to the conservative groups it was reveaed hannity's company is paying to do tasks associated with the concerts.  We all know corporations are slick and they hide/funnel $ all the time.  In this case, why disperse 2.1 million, and not all the profits?  Letting a little out, then quietly letting out a little down the road - bilking a ton each year for admin costs or whatever - is how companies get away with bilking charities in the past.  IMO these lawsuits are useful for preventing that from happening - the world is watching this charity now.

gain, it's great he gave 2.1 million to kids - but if there is 20 times that in $ sitting in hannity's bank right now enjoying interest - or worse, fuinding the "freedom Cruise" for newt and steele as reported - that's just weak.