Oberman canned from msnbc

**gnome** · November-05-10, 04:28 PM

Poor Keith, seems he made donations to a few favorite political candidates. This seems to be against the policy at NBC.

lilpup · November-05-10, 04:48 PM

suspended not terminated

Bearinabox · November-05-10, 04:53 PM

Interesting.

It strikes me as something of a mixed message on MSNBC's part to hire overtly opinionated people for the sole purpose of expressing their opinions on the air, and then hold them to the same standards as impartial journalists. Still, Olbermann must have known about the policy when he made the contributions, so I don't get why he would consciously violate it unless those three races were somehow more important to him than his job.

**Downtown Lady** · November-05-10, 05:29 PM

Olbermann not Oberman

**Jimaz** · November-05-10, 06:30 PM

LOL! You can't make this stuff up.

In this bizarro land where unlimited anonymous corporate donations to unlimited political campaigns are protected as "free speech," an individual who donates a mere $7K to only three candidates gets suspended from his job for exercising the equivalent of that free speech?!

The only way to justify that is to assert the preposterous claim that General Electric's corporate policy supersedes The Constitution of The United States!

Sen. Sanders shames MSNBC over Olbermann suspension for donations

Attachment 7722

This ain't the America your father fought for.

**partyhardy** · November-05-10, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

LOL! You can't make this stuff up.

In this bizarro land where unlimited anonymous corporate donations to political campaigns is regarded as "free speech," an individual who donates a mere $7K to three candidates gets suspended from his job.

Sen. Sanders shames MSNBC over Olbermann suspension for donations

Attachment 7722

Hello, Fascism. Welcome to America.

**rjk** · November-05-10, 07:54 PM

KO can saydo what he wants, but not on MSNBC's dime and he has to act according to their rules. If he doesn't like it he can work elsewhere.
I'm wondering if this isn't a publicity stunt on KO's part.
I'm sure he knows the rules.

**Det_ard** · November-05-10, 08:08 PM

Free publicity for his failing show. Smooth move, Keith.

**partyhardy** · November-05-10, 08:28 PM

I don't know...I wonder sometimes the reason Olbermann has low ratings is because liberals don't need to have people parrot things to them. They've made up their own mind on the issues, whether through education or experience. I think he's valuable when he's pointing out FOX's hypocrisy.

**Jimaz** · November-05-10, 10:32 PM

It's time that we revoke General Electric's charter.

**East Detroit** · November-05-10, 11:00 PM

Since when is he an impartial journalist? He's a commentator with an obvious and repeatedly status bias of opinion. But I guess by the book he was wrong.

**gnome** · November-06-10, 06:18 AM

This situation is weirdly close to the juan Williams flap at NPR. Why are commentators not allowed to have opinions if they are in the opinion shaping business? NPR is tripping all over itself to justify the musseling of Williams, and now the even more Progressive, MSNBC is using the power of the purse to restrict Oberman's freedom of expression.

The NPR thing feels like PC-itis; the notion that "if you don't think like me, shut-up" new form of liberalism. Maybe not enough is yet known about the MSNBC, but does it sound the same to you guys?

Heck, aren't conservative's like Hannity and Beck going to political rallies and raising money? Are conservative new organizations the only ones that truly believe if freedom of expression? As strange as that sounds, these two incidents certainly point to that long held belief.

**jiminnm** · November-06-10, 10:41 AM

When Olbermann was hired, he agreed to the terms of his employment. He violated those terms. Now he must deal with the consequence of his actions. If he wasn't in agreement with those terms, he should have negotiated different terms or sought employment elsewhere.

**vetalalumni** · November-06-10, 11:04 AM

Mr. Olbermann this year has seemed increasingly too convinced of his own self. Often he becomes repetitively boring. MSNBC in general is faltering imo. Scarborough [["Morning Joe") is another irritating personality the way he runs that show.

**gibran** · November-06-10, 12:14 PM

one just have to look at Glenn Beck... he should have been muzzled long ago.. you got to be kidding if you don't think he has help promote Sarah Palin ...but I guess the one difference is that these were active candidates and she is just ...well she is who she is

**oladub** · November-06-10, 02:27 PM

Maybe Olberman's ratings weren't so good and MSNBC used the clause in his contract as an excuse to either get rid of him or to negotiate any renewed contract on MSNBC's terms rather than his.

I don't understand why the clause is even in his contract. MSNBC seems to let him be as opinionated as he wishes so why should MSNBC even care what he does with his private life. Of course, I would say the same for PeeWee Herman. I didn't like the way he was taken out either.

**Big Dog** · November-06-10, 03:03 PM

Be afraid, be very afraid of fascism.

lilpup · November-06-10, 03:11 PM

The deal with Olbermann's position [[as opposed to Juan William's) is that Olbermann probably has some say in who he has on the show and gives airtime to.

lincoln8740 · November-06-10, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

Maybe Olberman's ratings weren't so good and MSNBC used the clause in his contract as an excuse to either get rid of him or to negotiate any renewed contract on MSNBC's terms rather than his.

.

Maybe it is in anticipation of the comcast takeover.

The upper brass may have thought the whole "yes we have no viewers but we are liberal dammit!!" business mantra was about to be tossed out the window???

When you get beat night in and night out by fox--actually beat is too nice of term "destroyed" is probably better--somethings got to give.

**douglasm** · November-06-10, 04:03 PM

Actually, I read recently that MSNBC was the second highest rated cable news channel [[behind Fox) and Olbermann's show was MSNBC's highest rated program.....

lincoln8740 · November-06-10, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by douglasm

Actually, I read recently that MSNBC was the second highest rated cable news channel [[behind Fox) and Olbermann's show was MSNBC's highest rated program.....

Fox beats on a daily basis the viewership of CNN and MSNBC COMBINED

so if their are three cable news channels and the viewership breakdown on regular night is

Fox: 6 million
Msnbc: 1 Million
Cnn: 500 thousand

Being second means absolutely nothing.

**Detroitej72** · November-06-10, 04:22 PM

Maybe the powers at GE want to stamp out liberal views, and this is the start of a new cultural revolution where anyone who doesn't conform to the radical right's agenda will cease to be?

lilpup · November-06-10, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitej72

Maybe the powers at GE want to stamp out liberal views, and this is the start of a new cultural revolution where anyone who doesn't conform to the radical right's agenda will cease to be?

And yet they let us remain armed...

**Detroitej72** · November-06-10, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by partyhardy

I don't know...I wonder sometimes the reason Olbermann has low ratings is because liberals don't need to have people parrot things to them. They've made up their own mind on the issues, whether through education or experience. I think he's valuable when he's pointing out FOX's hypocrisy.

You might be onto something here. A vast majority of American's view themselves as middle/moderate, yet radical right wing shrills like Fox's entertainers allegedly have twice the numbers that moderate/impartial news organizations have.

Is that because American's enjoy watching train wreaks like Beck and spinsters like Hannity more than informative news? There is probably some truth to this, in the same vain as how people love to watch celebrities crash and burn on lame reality shows which seem to regularly crush any news shows ratings.

**Downtown Lady** · November-06-10, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Heck, aren't conservative's [sic] like Hannity and Beck going to political rallies and raising money? Are conservative new [sic] organizations the only ones that truly believe if [sic] freedom of expression? As strange as that sounds, these two incidents certainly point to that long held belief.

Nice attempt at a spin. It's not a matter of freedom of expression, it's a matter of journalistic integrity. It seems that Hannity and Beck and their conservative ilk have no qualms about blurring the lines of journalistic integrity, while progressive news organizations have proven that they hold themselves to a higher standard.

From the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics:

Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.

Journalists should:

—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.

— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.

— Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp