Interesting. Simplistic. But ratings aren't the issue. The Olbermann-instigated on-air strafing of rival O'Reilly is resonating in GE's executive suite and board room. Not so much Fox?
I don't give a rat's ass about the ins and outs of GE's Immelt pleading to Rupert to make O'Reilly stop bashing GE on his top-rated cable news show.
MSNBC president Phil Griffin should be fired. Seriously pathological rogue Olbermann has finally done it. Managed to not only sabotage himself as is his custom, but his benefactors. Months ago I deliberately took myself out of the daily Olbermann look what he said last night hand-wringing by declaring a moratorium on anything Olbermann. So I've been out of the loop re: the Immelt/Murdoch powwow.
Olbermann cannot be counted on to restrain himself. And what will Griffin do about it? But the seemingly immune MSNBC star has now painted himself in a box after years of on-air O'Reilly and Fox attacks crushed Immelt's dick in a vise publicly and with GE shareholders. By flicking away the gnat Olbermann and elevating Olbermann's hate speech beyond a two-man pissing contest, O'Reilly and Fox exhibited solid Sun Tzu strategy in targeting NBC's parent company GE.
Well, and who the fuck are they, I ask you? Smarter than the blowhards "taking credit" for a "deal" that ain't gonna work. Deal, schmeal. If Olbermann won't shut up, shoot him.
The beyond salvage Olbermann racheted up the noise when he attacked John McCain after McCain's set-up video piece was shown to the Republican presidential convention in Minnesota.
Anchor/commentator role-blurred Olbermann was recalled to NY after anti-NBC chanting and signs held by some Repubs 'in the audience were caught on TV.
The controversy went from the convention hall to GE's board room where a subsequent shareholders' meeting became unexpectedly heated over MSNBC's cable news fare.
The novelty of Olbermann's O'Reilly and Fox attacks has worn off big time. Olbermann's ratings went up as his O'Reilly jabs brought in and retained viewers eager to see what Keith would say and do next.
Call it war fatigue. Olbermann is like a Rodney Dangerfield joke the drunk life of the party retells at every social event. Nobody's amused anymore.
Least of all Jeffrey Immelt and NBC chair Jeff Zucker.
we'll see what olbermann does when he returns from vacation. any predictions?
ReplyDeleteKeith will MAYBE dial back a LITTLE, hoping it'll all blow over. But he'll rachet it back up, and he may be right. It may blow over. But has anybody really controlled Keith yet? MSNBC? ESPN? With the big O, you know what you get. If you don't like it, you have to fire him. He ain't changin' permanently.
ReplyDeleteOr FOX, Jim?
ReplyDeleteNo, he won't change permanently, but if I know these kinds of personality disorders, they can't help themselves.
It's like on the Minnesota Multiphasic test. They can't answer questions "right" - meaning they are unable to stop themselves from revealing their true selves. Example: "Do you enjoy torturing little animals?"
A) Always
B) Sometime
C) Never. How ghastly.
The truly defected won't go with C which will falsely catalogue them within the normal (whatever that is) range.
Jim, it won't blow over if O'Reilly and Fox continue the anti-GE drumbeat... Guaranteed.
On the Fox end of things, that'll be interesting. O'Reilly is quite capable of reining in--if he chooses. Or if Rupert runs a tighter ship, as I suspect he does.
ReplyDeleteI must say that this is an impressive website. I love how your posts tie in with current politics so well. You seem to really love your site. Aside from my medical practice, I have a deep interest for all things related to politics. Keep up the great work and please visit by my blog sometime. The url is http://healthy-nutrition-facts.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, Bill hasn't beaten the anti-GE drum as much, if at all, lately.
ReplyDeleteBut Keith's constant O'Reilly, Fox, and News Corp attacks made me loathe him greatly. From the late '90s to some time in 2005, I actually liked him for his sports anchoring. I loved his catchphrases and shtick. "The Big Show" audiobook (written by him with Dan Patrick) got me through the last leg of a long car ride to Florida and I listened a few more times after that.
Now, I'm ashamed to have ever been a fan. Thank goodness for Olbermann Watch.
I repeat.
ReplyDeleteOlbermann is like the loud mouth, wise ass gunslinger who comes into town to challenge the sheriff. When the sheriff is that good and popular, usually the gunslinger ends up on Boot Hill. This town is only big enough for one 8:00 time slot star and it isn't Keith the Kid.
He needs to watch his back. In KO's case, let him get shot.
Vinney
Mike C: I used to like Olbermann, too! I watched in the late 1990s when he had that MSNBC show - the Big Story, big Show, whatever.
ReplyDeleteI watched when he came back to MSNBC after the wonderful Jerry Nachman became ill with cancer in 2003.
But then Olbermann's ego went through the stratosphere...
I think it was "The Big Show with Keith Olbermann." "The Big Story" was John Gibson's FNC show.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like I had an equally stratospheric ego when I was in radio. But I'm probably just being hard on myself when I think that.
Mike C,
ReplyDeleteWait until Cap & Trade bill that the house passed hits the Senate, I suspect the GE rants will come back stronger than ever. Bill O'Reilly is just keeping his powder dry GRIN.
Marty
ReplyDeleteA PUMAS eye view of this topic.
http://cinie.wordpress.com/2009/08/01/dueling-astroturf-iii/
Olbermann went to the air after Tiller's murder and blamed oreilly for it and because of that he would not mention oreilly again. Now a story breaks that says the big bossess put a halt to the feud. Now isnt this the same Olbermann who once stated "I dont answer to anyone". I think Olbermann will deny it on Monday, saying at no time did someone approach him and told him to cut it out and it was is own decision.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about an O'Reilly - Olbermann feud. I have never heard Bill mention Keith, although. as the article says, he does come down on GE, MSNBC, etc. When you look at the ratings of the two shows, it seems more like BOR winning and KO whining.
ReplyDeleteI think it was "The Big Show with Keith Olbermann." "The Big Story" was John Gibson's FNC show.Sometimes I feel like I had an equally stratospheric ego when I was in radio. But I'm probably just being hard on myself when I think that.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about an O'Reilly - Olbermann feud. I have never heard Bill mention Keith, although. as the article says, he does come down on GE, MSNBC, etc. When you look at the ratings of the two shows, it seems more like BOR winning and KO whining.
ReplyDelete