Olbermann Suspended for Donating to Democratic Candidates

[DoctorFinger]

Let me say this up front. This is stupid (http://www.mediaite.com/tv/keith-olbermann-suspended-from-msnbc-indefinitely/). I'm not a fan of Olbermann, but suspending him for donating to a trio of Democratic candidates is moronic.

Here's the thing. Olbermann, no matter what he says about being the modern day Murrow, isn't a journalist anymore. He's a op-ed writer, plain and simple. It would be one thing if say, Chris Jansing or Chuck Todd gave money to candidates or PACs. They're in jobs where they're supposed to be impartial. But does anyone think Olbermann (or Maddow or Schultz for that matter) is impartial? He's a hard core liberal, and that's fine.

Unless he lied about the donations to his bosses (and AFAIK there's no evidence of that), this is dumb on so many levels. Not the least of which is monetary. Countdown is the highest rated show on a network which struggles to get ratings outside of primetime. They are potentially killing the golden goose for asinine reasons.

[diablopath]

In his contract, he isn't forbidden from donating to campaigns. He does, however, have to run it by his bosses before he can. In a position that he's in, I don't think this is necessarily a bad provision to have.

He donated without running it by his bosses.

He broke his employment contract. I don't think it's an issue of "YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT." as much as it is a "Hey, you broke contract."

[fitbabits]

Here we go...

I will donate $1 to the first person who posts proof of a Fox News presenter donating to the Republicans.

Then we can go back and forth and back and forth ad infinitum until someone gets banned or the thread gets locked.

[fitbabits]

Also, he violated the terms of his contract. More than once. He's lucky it's only a suspension.

Him and Juan Williams should have a beer and exchange notes.

[Vigil80]

The contract part is one thing. But everything else about it is, "well, duh."

[Generation ABXY]

I will donate $1 to the first person who posts proof of a Fox News presenter donating to the Republicans.

Indeed, once we have proof FOX News employees don't work for MSNBC, then this topic can really start. :D

Him and Juan Williams should have a beer and exchange notes.

I guess this is what it comes down to.

As others have said, this seems more an issue of breaking a contract than who he might have donated to. And if they tied their own hands like that (though Olbermann apparently could have sought permission), I guess there's nothing to be done, same as that Metro worker and arguably even Williams.

[rein]

Keith Olbermann belongs back on ESPN's Sportscenter. Both have gone downhill since he left. Of course, he wasn't above getting into trouble back then either.

[DoctorFinger]

Here we go...

I will donate $1 to the first person who posts proof of a Fox News presenter donating to the Republicans.

Then we can go back and forth and back and forth ad infinitum until someone gets banned or the thread gets locked.Will this do (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/05/tv-newser-insiders-say-olbermann-wont-be-back/)?

[fitbabits]

Will this do (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/05/tv-newser-insiders-say-olbermann-wont-be-back/)?
It's a start. $0.50 to the party of your choice.

[ShivaX]

Will this do (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/05/tv-newser-insiders-say-olbermann-wont-be-back/)?

Thats a pretty decent article and summerizes how I feel about it.

I mean its not like MSNBC is unbiased. I think the massive slant in everything they say is a bigger issue than who they're donating money to. Yet the whole insane left leaning slant is ignored and they go after Olbermann for something thats meaningless.

And hes not a journalist and never has been. Hes a liberal Bill O'Reilly at best and hes really more in the realm of Beck. Noone on Earth would claim Beck was a journalist, not even Beck.

Edit: The whole hypocrisy thing is pretty funny though. Even if its sort of an apples and oranges comparison in a way.

[Deadend]

Well, the NBC rules on it were firmly established, so he did make a dumb move, doing it spur of the moment and without approval (which he would probably have been given).

I have a feeling he will be back on the air, but he violated policy that existed and was known about.

[burger]

Will this do (http://hotair.com/archives/2010/11/05/tv-newser-insiders-say-olbermann-wont-be-back/)?

Thanks for the link...a lot of good articles there

[Ox]

I get the whole 'well, it's part of his contract' argument, but NBC could have chosen to look the other way. They certainly are legally allowed to be douchenozzles, but they are still douchenozzles. I'm not hearing anyone suggest NBC has any legitimate interests that are protected by this provision.

[burger]

I'm not hearing anyone suggest NBC has any legitimate interests that are protected by this provision.

Other than not appearing like Fox News? ;)

[ShivaX]

Other than not appearing like Fox News? ;)

I thought they were trying to appear like Fox News, only in reverse.

Honestly I think they're using him as a pawn in the whole Fox News/MSNBC war of ideas. Basically Fox uses MSNBC as proof of a "lame street media" or whatever you want to call it. So MSNBC fires back by essentially canning their biggest player to prove they aren't what Fox keeps saying they are, yet all their programming is basically a mirror image of what Fox is running (Maddow is bizarro O'Reilly, Olbermann is Beck, etc, etc).

I'd feel more sorry for Keith if he hadn't been such a willing pawn in the whole thing. And its pretty silly to bitch about Murdoch doing the same thing you do yourself and then you get canned for it.

[J Arcane]

Here we go...

I will donate $1 to the first person who posts proof of a Fox News presenter donating to the Republicans.

Then we can go back and forth and back and forth ad infinitum until someone gets banned or the thread gets locked.
It seems you owe Ms. Maddow $1.
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/05/maddow-keith-olbermann-su_n_779851.html)

Mind, it is interesting to point out that she takes the tack that Olbermann's removal is justified, and that such removal is what distinguishes the network from Fox.

[jeffbax]

Eh its pretty stupid. He's one of the most partisan people in the media. We all know where he stands, and no this does not make MSNBC somehow not the Fox news of the left. Where people donate out of pocket doesn't change the millions donated every night to serve as a mouth peace for the administration.

In the end, it was his contract that he broke, and it's NBC's right to handle it's employees as it sees fit.

For the record, I think they should be allowed to donate whatever they want where they want, regardless of where they work - left or right... but in the end he took the job agreeing that he wouldn't and it is NBC's right to do whatever they want.

[National Kato]

I will donate $1 to the first person who posts proof of a Fox News presenter donating to the Republicans.

As J Arcane said, pay up. (http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-suspension-keith-olbermann)

I think Maddow highlights the difference between FOX anchors and those of other networks. Chris Wallace said FOX is going to make the GOP primaries a production of FOX News (http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/chris-wallace-gop-primaries-will-be-producti).

"As I said on Stewart, because we own all of the people who are running for president, we're going to turn it into a 13-week series, like Dancing with the Stars or something," he said. "The Republican primaries will be a production of Fox News," Wallace added.

The marketing of Republican presidential candidates is already underway at the network. In a new special, host Bret Baier will profile 12 top potential GOP candidates in 12 days. The network has landed interviews with 11 of the of the 12.

Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum are four Republican presidential contenders that work as contributors for Fox News.

[Urizen]

Keith Olbermann belongs back on ESPN's Sportscenter. Both have gone downhill since he left. Of course, he wasn't above getting into trouble back then either.

Sportscenter died when Kenny Mayne left. He delivered sports highlight commentary as if channeling an alternate Steven Wright. Such disinterest and nonchalance. He invented the idea of underselling the sporting event, where everyone else tried to over-sensationalize.

That's all I have on this thread. Carry on.

[Ultima Thulian]

Also, he violated the terms of his contract. More than once. He's lucky it's only a suspension.

Him and Juan Williams should have a beer and exchange notes.

It's funny you mention Juan Williams, because NPR supports Olbermann.

[ShivaX]

Hes already coming back.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101108/cm_yblog_upshot/keith-olbermann-returns-to-msnbc-on-tuesday

MSNBC president Phil Griffin announced Sunday night that "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann will return to the air on Tuesday. The announcement comes just two days after he was suspended "indefinitely" for contributing to three 2010 candidates without prior consent from the network.

"After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy," Griffin said in a statement. "We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night."

[Widgetcraft]

Cool vacation, bro.

[ShivaX]

Cool vacation, bro.

I fucked up and they gave me Monday off.