"Liberal Media" Suspends Keith Olbermann and only

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Shortly After Major Bush Donor Takes Over MSNBC, Network Selectively Applies Rules To Suspend Olbermann
Earlier today, MSNBC declared that it would be suspending progressive host Keith Olbermann because he violated NBC’s ethics rules by donating to three Democratic candidates for Congress. As many bloggers have noted, conservative MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has donated to Republican candidates for Congress while promoting the same candidate on air, but has never been disciplined. Moreover, Gawker notes that MSNBC has been exempt from the formal NBC ethics rules for years. It is still a mystery why MSNBC selectively applied NBC’s ethics rules to Olbermann. However, it important to realize that MSNBC has undergone a fundamental change in leadership in the last two months.

Late last year, Comcast — the nation’s largest cable provider and second largest Internet service provider — inked a deal taking over NBC Universal, the parent company of MSNBC. Comcast moved swiftly to reshuffle MSNBC’s top staff. On September 26th of this year, Comcast announced perhaps the most dramatic shift, replacing longtime MSNBC chief Jeff Zucker with Comcast executive Steve Burke. Burke has given generous amounts to both parties — providing cash to outgoing Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) as well as to Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and other top Republicans. But as Public Citizen has noted, Burke has deep ties to the Republican Party. Public Citizen’s report reveals that Burke served as a key fundraiser to President George Bush, and even served on Bush’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology:

Comcast – the country’s largest provider of cable TV and broadband Internet services – has increased its political giving along with its mergers and acquisitions. CEO Brian Roberts was a co-chairman of the host committee at the 2000 Republican Convention. Comcast Cable President Stephen Burke has raised at least $200,000 for Bush’s re-election campaign. [...] The company was a “platinum sponsor” at the 2000 GOP convention, and Roberts was a co-chairman of the host committee at the Philadelphia event. Burke was appointed to the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in 2002.

Why would Comcast be interested in silencing progressive voices? Historically, Comcast has boosted its profits by buying up various telecommunication and media content companies — instead of providing faster Internet or better services (overall, American broadband services are far slower than in many industrialized nations). Many of these mergers, as Public Citizen and Free Press have reported, have been allowed by regulators because of Comcast’s considerable political muscle. Comcast’s latest regulatory battle has been to oppose Net Neutrality — a rule allowing a free and open Internet — because the company would prefer to have customers pay for preferred online content.

Olbermann has been a strong voice in favor of a free and open Internet. Republicans, on the other hand, have supported the telecommunication industry’s push to radically change the Internet so corporate content producers have the upper hand over start-ups like blogs, independent media, small businesses, etc. As Reuters has reported, the incoming Republican Congress has signaled that it will vigorously side with companies like Comcast against an open Internet.

It is not clear why MSNBC has selectively suspended Olbermann indefinitely without pay — but the move showcases the limits of the corporate media. While modern technology has created a seeming multitude of entertainment and television choices, the reality of corporate media consolidation has resulted in fewer investigative news options and less voices in the media with a critical perspective on powerful business interests. Olbermann has stood out as a voice for working people in a media universe dominated by “reality television” and business lobbyists posing as political pundits. It is unfortunate that Comcast and MSNBC have chosen to suspend him.

UPDATE Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts tacitly acknowledged that he would be open to interfering with the editorial content of MSNBC shows and with hosts like Keith Olbermann:
Comcast is in line to acquire control of NBC Universal, once regulators sign off on the $30 billion deal. Mr. Chernin asked Mr. Roberts how he planned to handle daily editorial control of such an immense news operation. “Are you saying that you’ll never interfere?” he asked. Mr. Roberts blanched slightly at the question, which included a hypothetical situation that had Keith Olbermann, an MSNBC host, attacking a couple of Republican congressmen just as the approvals were being finished. “Let’s have that conversation in six months or 12 months,” Mr. Roberts said.

UPDATE Media Matter's Eric Hananoki notes that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough gave a local Alabama Republican candidate $5,000 this April, and CNBC host Larry Kudlow donated $1,000 to Republican Chris Shays in May of 2009. Indeed, Kudlow also serves on the Leadership Council to the Club for Growth, a group that has donated over $2 million to Republican candidates this year. Do NBC ethics rules apply to Scarborough, Pat Buchanan, Kudlow, or other conservatives working for the media company? As Greg Sargent reported, a close reading of the NBC ethics rules suggest that the political donation standards do not even apply to opinionated hosts like Olbermann.


http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/05/bur ... ast-msnbc/


There are many links throughout the article so I strongly recommend you read from the source to get all the cited and implied works.

Too much conspiracy there. Simple answer: NBC is dumb. Like really really dumb. Inept even. Anybody who has paid attention to their programming and management over the last few years can see this quite obviously. Sucks for Olbermann tho, couldn't of happened to a better guy.

I think that there is a plan to join the totalitarian right wing echo chamber in the near future. The US media sounds more like that of a totalitarian state - instead of "capitalist running dogs", they say "big government" - full of slogans and catch phrases and ever so stilted.

Conspiracy theory when it's from the liberal side, "socialist takeover" when it's from the conservative side, right?

I was reading a blog post (with a somewhat anti-Olbermann tilt) that claimed "indefinite suspension" sounds a lot worse than it is. I only hope the suspension isn't too long, as MSNBC would have royally screwed itself by removing their top-rated show.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/olbermann-fans-freakout

Time will tell, but if it ends up being more than a week I will be royally p**sed to the point where I'll consider signing online petitions.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4192

Oh, and why do the bosses get to donate copious sums to various politicians?

I think they should hire Alan Grayson.

I'd rather see them hire Julian Assange; a high-caliber investigative reporter.

Not sure what you're referring to but all I'm saying is that NBC was very very inept in terms of management particularly the recently fired Jeff Zucker. A glaring example of this was the whole Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno debacle earlier this year. At the time of Zucker's hiring in 2007, NBC was the highest rated network on TV now it's lowest of the big 4 and is beat out regularly by cable channels.

I'm assuming the reason the other people weren't reprimanded is because it was during the previous Zucker regime who for whatever reason didn't enforce company policy. To be fair, it's a pretty dumb policy since it's suppose to make them not appear bias but the very nature of their opinionated programming is supposed to bias. That's why it's opinionated programming.

If MSNBC is looking for a new host of Countdown, I can promise you that I've donated NO MONEY WHATSOEVER to ANY American Political Party - Republican, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Socialist Worker's, Communist, Constitution, or whatever!

Although I have given probably, over the years, almost $60 to the New Democratic Party head office, $40 to the NDP Churchill Office, and $20 to the NDP Edmonton-Strathcona office.

BE WARNED OF THE POTENTIAL BIAS THIS GIVES TO MY OPINIONS ON CANADIAN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, WP!! !! !

NEXT WEEK - I INTERVIEW LINDA DUNCAN.

I've donated to a Republican candidate before so I'm probably more of what they want than you.

That'd certainly be interesting but I don't think anybody wants to be with in a 100 feet of Assange since he announced that he'll be leaking Russian documents soon. That guy is going to end up dead, the Russians don't mess around and would do it in broad daylight.

Don't really understand the left's fascination with Alan Grayson. Some folks even want the guy to be the chair of the DNC. He's actually good on the war and the FED but is an insane d-bag. Haven't you guys heard you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar? You'll turn way more people off with people like Grayson and Pelosi. You'd be MUCH better served going with people like Howard Dean(he's got a little crazy in him too but I don't find him as offensive) and Russ Feingold to lead your movement.

I really hope some Canadian watching gets the "Edmonton-Strahtcona Office" and "Linda Duncan" reference.

I think I'm the most qualified for the position, as like the preceding host I...

1) Can talk really fast and blurt out many facts.
2) Am no Alan Colmes and am willing to issue massive amounts of moral condemnation.
3) Have an encyclopedic memory.
4) Have Celiac Disorder.

However, there's one MAJOR UP on the previous host I'd possess - I am willing to kiss the boss's you know what.

to be honest , I never liked Keith Olbermann. I always thought he was a far left liberal douche who never understood America and when he donated to Jack Conway I knew I was right.

I personally like Nader the most, though (if he's running in Swing States) does sip a few marginal votes away from the Democrats.

The latest from Wikileaks was them saying they got word back from the White House neither admitting or denying a CIA plot to kill Julian. So I think the CIA might get to him first...unless he hits the CIA before they hit him; which isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.