And so, they've done it. After weeks of on-air in-fighting and months of accusations of liberal bias, MSNBC demoted stars Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from all-around sensations back to where, some might argue, they belong: the pundit caste. No longer will they man the anchor chair usually reserved for straight newsmen like Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw, who have made no secret of their disapproval for the "gone too far" approach of pretend-friends Olbermann and Matthews. In the coming weeks, as all the cable networks head into the final stretch of the presidential election, O+M will, at least on the surface, play a far less significant role. When the presidential and vice presidential debates come roaring around, and election night results flow in, it will be NBC News chief White House correspondent (and Meet The Press candidate) David Gregory who mans the anchor chair; Olbermann and Matthews will be mere "analysts." The move, officially handed down from MSNBC head Phil Griffin, will be seen by outsiders and critics as the network admitting it veered too far to the left in its political coverage. Not so.
Inside MSNBC, the assumption that the network is the liberal alternative to Fox News remains. Looking beyond the election, whether it's Obama or McCain who ends up in the Oval Office, MSNBC wants to shush critics who say it's a liberal soapbox, though it'd be silly to think otherwise. They've built their brand on Olbermann and Matthews' left-y rhetoric, and far from abandoning it, it will only grow stronger. By putting the hard news coverage in the hands of non-pundits, the network gets to at least pretend it's reforming its ways. But look for Gregory & Co. regularly tossing questions to O+M, you know, to get their completely biased take on things. To be sure, this is how the other networks do it.
And while we don't yet have definitive word on this, all signs point to this decision being made far higher up than MSNBC brass, which really stops at Phil Griffin. Such an in-the-public-eye decision to "reduce" Olbermann and Matthews' roles smells like the type of thing that Jeff Zucker would be involved in, or even General Electric chief Jeff Immelt and his inner circle of execs, who have long ago grown tired of attacks on the network — or, more so, attacks on NBC proper — of leaning too far in any direction.
Editorial Director
So when Olbermann told his Kos readers to ignore what was written about him on Jossip, Gawker, Radar, and the NY Post he was pretty much just lying right since all of you have turned out to be right about the turmoil within MSNBC/NBC. As Chris Matthews would say, "HA!"
Just take off the "T" from Blake Edwards's 1962 movie "Experiment In Terror" and there's MSNBC's Olbermann/Matthews anchor gambit. Error. Another error. MSNBC is permitting the pair to be political analysts for the rest of the election.
MSNBC head Phil Griffin and NBC News president Steve Capus should have known that the "bold experiment" pitting two pathological egomaniacs against each other on TV was doomed to failure. The buck stops with them. NBC president Jeff Zucker should seriously consider firing Griffin for refusing to reign in Olbermann. Since Olbermann started throwing his weight around with impunity, MSNBC has collapsed into chaos. The internal bickering has been leaked to other media - much to the embarrassment of both networks. Olbermann terrorized and chastised other MSNBC talent on the air during the Democratic convention coverage. He was whisked back to HQ by suits claiming he had to cover Hurricane Gustav. Olbermann re-emerged anchoring the Republican convention coverage from New York.
Lofty NBC News is now overcome by the stench emanating from the farm club. Dumping the warring unprofessional pair will not banish the smell. I suspect the defining moment for NBC's head Zucker was at the Republican convention when the jeering crowd started chanting "NBC! NBC! NBC!" during Sarah Palin's acceptance speech "News Flash" condemning media bias that was seen by 40 million TV viewers - a tsunami compared with MSNBC's highest-rated program - Olbermann's "Countdown." The last thing Zucker wants is NBC tainted with a liberal brush. The internecine battles at MSNBC that ended up on the air are threatening the reputation of NBC Universal brand and parent company General Electric (one of the top U.S. defense contractors). It's reported Zucker was close to flying to St. Paul to quell the on-air antics of Olbermann and Matthews. Zucker cannot afford the perception of his brand as liberal and in chaos. It's all about money. And advertisers. And stockholders. And pressure from the aforementioned. Zucker's own reputation as a manager is at stake with GE corporate CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
It should've never gotten to that point. Surely Phil Griffin and Steve Capus know that Olbermann doesn't know the difference between news and commentary. Although the NYT's Brian Stelter writes today: "MSNBC insisted that Mr. Olbermann knew the difference between news and commentary." The minute Olbermann went off the news reservation and into the tumbleweeds of commentary, Griffin should've called him on the carpet. Instead they fed his paranoid obsessions and venal attacks, repeatedly denying there's a left-wing tilt at MSNBC and spinning Olbermann's bizarre on-air antics as "passion."
Olbermann continually violates the line between news and commentary. Griffin to Brian Stelter: “I think ideology means we think one way, and we don’t." Rather than label MSNBC’s prime time as left-leaning, he says it has passion and point of view.
Five years of "Countdown" airchecks render the above invalid and absurd. The "point of view" appears to be coming from one person who appears to have hijacked MSNBC and is holding not only employees but Phil Griffin hostage.
Neither opinionated Matthews nor Olbermann possess the serious journo cred required to anchor political coverage. Matthews is a former Democratic congressional staffer who springboarded to TV by shooting off his mouth. Olbermann comes from sports with a checkered resume. Matthews got his big TV start with a show on CNBC. Olbermann had a previous short-lived stint at MSNBC anchoring a prime-time show in the late 1990s. But he quit over the wall-to-wall Bill Clinton Lewinsky scandal. He was hired back in 2003 to fill the 8p slot.
MSNBC ignored the internal and external hue and cry and sldiered on in its lust for ratings. Somebody's head has to roll over this. The genie's out of the bottle. It won't be Olbermann's head. NBC's negotating a multimillion dollar contract extension running four years through the next presidential election. Like Dr. Jekyll MSNBC created the monster. Now they have to kill him.
Marty,
I am with you. Griffin f-ed up big time. One of his duties is to manage the talent and he has done an extremely poor job of it. Keith is a rabid power hungry beast that won't be tamed easily. I wonder if Rachel Maddow's show, which premiere's tonight will suffer as a result of all of this nonsense.
It also troubles me that so many MSNBC insiders are talking to the press and are stoking this fire. Clearly Griffin's staff don't feel comfortable going to him to address these problems. Another reason why Griffin should be shown the door.
CWRITE: I suspect Rachel will be given an injection of vanilla by MSNBC brass.
I loved how MSNBC said that Olbermann's and Matthews incredible bias wouldn't 'leak over' to their political journalism duties. How anyone could actually believe this is incredible.
Just last week MSNBC had an afternoon crawl - 'Breaking News, How Many Houses Does Palin Selection Add To GOP Ticket?'
Even Griffin called that an 'embarrassment'.
Nice to see there's still hope for NBC News.
I think it is a sad day for MSNBC when they take Keith and Chris down and don't let them report the news. How pathetic to bow to the far right hold on this country. You might as well change your name to Fox News.
How pathetic that NBC brass thought two liberal commentators could anchor election coverage and there wouldn't be any backlash!
Phil Griffin and Steve Capus should be shown the door along with Olbermann and Matthews.
Rosie, I could not agree more. We need more people like Keith and Chris, not less. The right wing bias is tired. It was terrific to have a couple of guys anchoring who really seemed to speak to me. Thank goodness they still have their Monday to Friday gigs!
Olbermann and Matthews need to be reduced further to being mere unemployed pundits.
Why go around the bushes, and pretend to be civil when it comes to these two clowns at MSNBC??! They have been preventing many of us around the country from watching the once-beloved NBC during the entire primary season. O+M, my foot!! It is a shocker that the claim "the network is the liberal alternative to Fox News" has escaped most of us for so long!! Alternative?! With these clowns at helm??!… Well, it is about time someone "far higher up than MSNBC brass" finally woke up to make a half-way decent decision! Now, these two clowns are going to "be mere analysts," huh?! Analyze THIS!!… If one is not going to be true to his/her profession, why be allowed to be in the business?? One can't blame these two clowns for being who they are, could one?!! Some big shots at NBC must have approved of their behavior, which totally and permanently tarnished journalism as a profession??! Clear your reputation NBC, reach the heights you once enjoyed being at in the public's eye!! Remove the Doberman and Hairhews form being a part of the honorable NBC News family, while you still have a couple of months to be honest with the American people!!!
I love Keith and Chris! Yes, they are left wing –but so am I so I enjoyed every minute of them. They should get rid of rude, arrogant, loud obnoxious Joe Scarborough instead. I love Morning Joe when he is NOT there. Mika is fantastic but Joe talks over her and really is loud and rude. Love whenever he has a little rant and doesn't show for a few days. When he comes back from his little "snit" I'll change the channel again.
Bring back Tucker Carlson! He's great. Also, I like Mika with Willy this morning.
Whats with all this bias crap, look at O'Rielly he is the epitomy of right wing bias and why may I ask is it improper to have at least a few progressive minded talking heads when the great majority are all far from "fair minded" their just right wing bias talking heads
I did watch Joe Scarborough this am when I noted that Pat Buchanan was not there. This show has become more "Fox News" since he is there. Also the show is better without Joe. He talks over Mika and shows her no respect. Also, two of my favorite shows are Keith and Chris….MSNBC needs to go after Fox and all their right wing stuff. The country needs someone to stand up to John McCain/Palin. What if she would become President???? Hopefully, this country is not that stupid to put two more right wing republicans in office this time. The country thought George was such a friendly, beer drinking man…look where that got us.
I'm sad to see these guys demoted, as they are among the few in the MSM who aren't bending over and puckering up for McShame/Ailin'. At the same time, Olbermann and Matthews did behave unprofessionally. I have to blame this on the two of them. But the biggest blame goes to the MSM for what their rampant unprofessionalism — Palin praised for a substance-free speech containing only well-delivered lame jokes and attacks and document out-and-out lies? — will mean to the nation's future and to the lives of their viewers.
News reporting has become a joke anymore. I'm talkin both sides. Report the news as is. If you have an opinion on it I will listen. I have an opinion on it too! Let's not slur the person giving his or her opinion so ours sounds more credible. Nobody listens to anyone anymore. Lets get in each others face and force our opinion on each other!!!!! What a joke we have become!!!!
"The Dodge" is right. The joke is that Olbermann and Matthews are supposed to be NEWS anchors at a political convention, not OPINION presenters. Or fine, if Olbermann wants to shoot off his bloated mouth yet again then run a BIG banner across the bottom saying "Keith will now go on a politically biased rant." But don't give me this crap that he's reporting the news.
And don't give me the equally garbage argument that Liberals love to use which is "Well, Fox News is slanted right so it's only fair that we get MSNBC." Here's a news flash for you — NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IT SHOULDN'T WORK THAT WAY.
If you think Fox news is slanted, fine, that's your opinion. So do the obvious thing: don't watch it anymore. Tune out and ignore them. But to say "Hey, they're slanted over there, so I should get to take over THIS network" is just lunacy. Didn't your parents ever teach you the simple rule that two wrongs don't make a right?
So if Olbermann wants to do COUNTDOWN as a politically biased show…and if the network wants to put it on the air…fine. Ultimately the ratings and ad revenue it pulls in will determine it's future. But don't put an utter egotistical ass like Olbermann in the center chair at a NEWS event and think he's going to be fair. Because in that case he's every bit the ugly monster and shrill political hack that the Left wants to claim Fox is.