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November 06, 2010
Keith Olbermann Has Been Suspended Indefinitely Without Pay
Keith Olbermann suspended after donating to Democrats
MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay after POLITICO reported that he made three campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement 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."
Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 — the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.
NBC has a rule against employees contributing to political campaigns, and a wide range of news organizations prohibit political contributions — considering it a breach of journalistic independence to contribute to the candidates they cover.
In his statement to POLITICO, Olbermann said he wasn’t using his influence to solicit any donations for the candidates.
“I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level,” Olbermann said.
Inside MSNBC, employees were shocked at the news of Olbermann’s suspension. Despite a reputation for a prickly personality off-air, Olbermann was given wide berth inside the network because of his stature – and his ratings.
Insiders were stunned that Griffin moved so swiftly to yank one of the network’s true stars off the air, and some suspected that the recent tensions with NBC News, which has grown increasingly uneasy with its sister network’s more ideological stance, contributed to the swift decision. Some have even speculated that Comcast’s coming merger with NBC Universal has heightened sensitivities about MSNBC’s ideological profile.
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Wild Thing's comment........
It’s ironic that he was suspended for spending a few thousand dollars confirming the bias that everybody knows he has, but has used millions of dollars worth of air time to campaign for Democrats without any repurcussions.
LoL! The new Comcast management can’t stomach the village idiot Olberfuermann? heh heh
Posted by Wild Thing at November 6, 2010 03:45 AM
Comments
MSNBC may be fighting for it's on air life. It has the lowest viewership of any of the cable news probably because of it's far left bias. Comcast may be run by some wiser people than NBC and sacking Olbermann may be a warning to the other on air personalities at MSNBC to tone down their bias.
Posted by: TomR, armed in Texas at November 6, 2010 10:00 AM
Methinks that MSNBC has been looking for a fool proof way too get rid of Olberdouche. One that they would not have to go to court over, and they have found it.
Mr. Olbermann has an interesting history. He was let go by ESPN, but soon turned up here in Los Angeles. working for the local CBS affiliate, as a Sports Anchor. He did not last long there either. Next he appears on MSNBC.
He does seem to be able to bounce back, and reinvent himself. We have not seen the last of this blithering idiot. Not that anyone, other than Keith and his hundreds of listeners care.
Posted by: Sean at November 6, 2010 11:45 AM
Posted by: Jonathan Swift at November 6, 2010 04:52 PM
Thanks so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 7, 2010 04:13 AM
