Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
World
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways
Reuters - Saturday, January 22
Send
IM Story
Print
Co-host Keith Olbermann answers questions during the panel for "NBC Sunday Night Football" at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California July 16, 2007. REUTERS/Phil McCarten/Files
By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES - U.S. cable news television network MSNBC and its top anchor, Keith Olbermann, abruptly parted ways on Friday, less than three months after the liberal broadcaster was suspended for campaign donations to Democrats.
Olbermann, who had two years left on his contract, signed off for the last time on his "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" political affairs program on Friday night.
"This is the last edition of "Countdown," Olbermann said on the program, which drew over 1 million viewers a night.
"MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract," the network said in a statement. Neither Olbermann nor MSNBC gave a reason for the move.
His departure came just over two months after MSNBC briefly suspended Olbermann for giving money to three Democratic politicians during the congressional election campaign, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was coincidentally shot and wounded in an assassination attempt on January 8 in Tucson, Arizona.
"MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors," the network statement said.
Olbermann, whose talks with MSNBC management about his future at the company had been going on for some time, seemed to suggest during his signoff that the decision to leave MSNBC had not been entirely his own.
"I think the same fantasy popped into the head of everybody in my business who has ever been told what I have been told, this will be the last edition of your show," he said.
He then mentioned the 1976 movie "Network," where a news anchor declares, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" and persuades viewers to yell out their windows.
Olbermann's program helped define MSNBC as a liberal voice in cable television and a counterpoint to Fox News' largely conservative bent. MSNBC is now second in cable news ratings behind Fox News and ahead of CNN.
The outspoken former sportscaster with ESPN went to work for MSNBC in 2003. He had the highest-rated host on MSNBC. The New York Times said he signed a $30 million four-year contract extension in 2008.
Olbermann would often take aim at conservative politicians and commentators, in a segment he called "The Worst Person in the World." His targets included rival commentator Bill O'Reilly from Fox News and New York 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino.
MSNBC is a network in transition. Comcast Corp earlier this week won approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Justice Department for its combination with NBC Universal, the company behind MSNBC.
Once the deal closes, Comcast will acquire a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co.
Jeremy Gaines, a spokesman for MSNBC, said Comcast had nothing to do with Olbermann's departure.
Comcast said in a statement it did not yet have operational control of MSNBC.
"We pledged from the day the deal was announced that we would not interfere with NBC Universal's news operations," Comcast said. "We have not and we will not."
MSNBC said it would move its relatively new show "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" to the 8 p.m. "Countdown" time slot.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - Saturday, January 22
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways Reuters - Saturday, January 22
Opera stars turn out to honour Placido Domingo at 70 AFP - Saturday, January 22
MTV's "Jersey Shore" sets another series high Reuters - Saturday, January 22
Oprah Winfrey to reveal "family secret" Reuters - Saturday, January 22
News Search
Top Stories
Obama vows to shift economy into overdrive
Haiti to probe Duvalier excesses: rights group
BA-Iberia hit turbulence as merger takes off
US expert panel gives nod to Alzheimer's scan
Bank of America posts heavy losses
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Bank of America posts heavy losses
Migraines don't damage brain: study
Toshiba to build 'huge solar plant' in Bulgaria
Bedbugs resistant to pesticide, study finds
Boeing to cut 1,100 jobs in C-17 program
More Most Viewed »
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 22 January 2011 Karzai wins Russian backing on milestone visit
BA-Iberia hit turbulence as merger takes off
Mexico to pioneer iris technology on ID cards
Haiti to probe Duvalier excesses: rights group
Three shot dead as protests erupt in Albania
|
Scandal-weary Berlusconi clings to key allies
Lebanon's Druze leader backs Hezbollah
US-TECH Summary
U.N. concerned over Afghan parliament delay
|
US expert panel gives nod to Alzheimer's scan
Lebanon's Jumblatt becomes possible kingmaker
Leadership worries hang over chipmaker AMD
Bank of America posts heavy losses
Sudan army, Darfur rebel clash kills 21: military
|
Music industry working on global copyright database
Thousands of Jordanians protest economic conditions
Time running out on Ivory Coast: AU's Odinga
|
World 'running out of Internet addresses'
Robot attends Russian school to help sick schoolboy
Lebanon's Druze leader backs Hezbollah
|
Verizon in challenge to FCC on 'net neutrality'
Ex-banker linked to WikiLeaks to be held in custody over weekend
Synaptics shares fall as PC market sales drop in Q2
One out of five cellphones sold is unlicensed copy: Nokia
Uzbekistan down Jordan to make semi-finals
In charm mode, China leader pledges US jobs
Wounded US congresswoman leaves Arizona hospital
Five Thais walk free in Cambodia border case
Knox lawyers confident ahead of appeal in Italy
Indonesia leader plays down torture of Papuans
Belgian breaks with black at Paris menswear shows
Hu's U.S. visit sets new tone but tensions remain
Bollywood star on Berlin film fest jury
Analysis: EA wins new friends with social, mobile games
|
Opera stars honour Placido Domingo at 70
Myanmar's Suu Kyi gets web access
India's top painter pulled from show over threats
Sprint seen adding subscribers, at least in the fourth quarter
|
Breakthrough after U.S. warns China on North Korea
Palestinians find freedom in the surf of Gaza
Heavy snow in Southwest China forces 79,000 to evacuate homes
Fashion for the few casts its spell in Paris
Pirates have upper hand as music industry meets
Leadership worries hang over chipmaker AMD
|
Old school and new at Berlin computer game museum
Canada's 'Igloofest' revels in music, loves cold
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Ex-banker linked to WikiLeaks to be held in custody over weekend
|
India's Reliance Industries profit rises 28%
Pakistan rupee eases on dollar demand; stocks edge up
Italy's ENI, Petrochina in tie-up, focus on Africa
Japan trade minister warns on rapid yen rise
S.Korea Dec crude imports up 10 pct yr/yr
Japan lifts economic view but risks remain
China farmers to get $15 bn subsidies amid drought
South Korean shares fall 1.7 pct on banks, autos
Hu urges US to ease high-tech export restrictions
Canada watchdog wants review of Dire Straits ruling
|
Iran nuclear talks enter final day, little to show
Lenovo, NEC in talks to combine PC businesses: sources
Obama vows to shift economy into overdrive
Blair sounds warning on Iran
Facebook raises $1.5 billion, valued at $50 billion
Iran nuclear talks enter final day, little to show
|
US Army gives soldiers a few tips on social media
Baby Doc offers regret, no apology, to Haitians
|
Obama to answer questions from YouTube users
Estonia to lend cyber-expertise to Belarus exiles
Haiti candidate warns of protests, U.S. pulls visas
|
Meyer defends lead at Tour Down Under, Ventoso wins stage 5
Google targets spam-laden websites
Oprah Winfrey to reveal "family secret"
Clijsters, Murray into Aussie Open last 16
Malaysian commandos free tanker off Somalia
Lawyers challenge 'Merchant of Death' trial
TV watchdog urges advertisers to drop "Skins"
Japan culls 10,000 chickens to contain bird flu
Cuba halts all mail deliveries to US
Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, tweets pregnancy
S.Korea navy praised over pirate rescue
Wounded U.S. congresswoman flies to Texas rehab centre
Meryl Streep is highest grossing actress in comedy
'Captain Bligh' steers Australia in flood crisis
Calif school eyes accounts of sex by 2nd graders
Soderling, Zvonareva into Australian Open 4th round
US company stops making key death penalty drug
Beijing welcomes inter-Korean talks
Fights, vodka at classic tennis press showdowns
In charm mode, China leader pledges US jobs
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways
Opera stars turn out to honour Placido Domingo at 70
Facebook to unveil financials, raises $1.5 billion
|
MTV's "Jersey Shore" sets another series high
Google's Page brings change and questions
|
Oprah Winfrey to reveal "family secret"
Ricky Gervais helps CNN beat Rachel Maddow show
TV watchdog urges advertisers to drop "Skins"
Roger Ebert gets prosthetic chin ahead of TV return
Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, tweets pregnancy
China to US: boost exports to trim surplus
MSNBC and anchor Keith Olbermann abruptly part ways
|
Oprah Winfrey to reveal family secret
|
Sundance debuts with Harry Belafonte documentary
|
MTV's Jersey Shore sets another series high
|
How Black Swan will reach the $100 million mark
|
TV watchdog urges advertisers to drop Skins
|
Ricky Gervais helps CNN beat Rachel Maddow show
|
Director gives Mumbai fresh face in film Dhobi Ghat
|
Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, tweets pregnancy
|
Roger Ebert gets prosthetic chin ahead of TV return
|
Street pressure mounts on Tunisia PM to go
|
Nuclear talks with Iran fail
Apple's App Store hits 10 billion downloads
New DNA experts in Knox murder appeal
Google looks to its next decade
Afghan politicians in talks on parliament deadlock
'Inconclusive' Iran nuclear talks enter final day
Cowen resigns as party leader, but remains Irish PM
|
Shiite cleric Sadr 'returns to Iran' from Iraq
Italy's Berlusconi digs in heels despite sex probe
|
Karzai proposes Wednesday opening for parliament: MP
|
Iran bars Tehran mayor from U.S. transport ceremony
|
10 militants killed in eastern Afghanistan
Saudi king arrives in Morocco after surgery in U.S.
|
Iran official supports NKorea nuclear programs
Albania opposition vows more protests
|
Protesters clash with police in Algerian capital
|
Japan's soccer team warn 'We are tougher than ever'
U.S. and Canada walkers join Iraq pilgrimage for charity
|
Australian 'inland sea' flood threatens towns
Coach Zaccheroni heralds Japan's attacking qualities
New Zealand thrash Pakistan in cricket ODI
Russian spy Chapman makes debut as TV presenter
Meyer, Goss to duel for Down Under cycling crown
Lloyd Webber wine collection sells for $5.6 mln
Philippine bomb squad training gets too realistic
German navy captain sacked over mutiny
Japanese rocket puts cargo into orbit
UK court lets surrogate mother keep baby girl
Apple's App Store hits 10 billion downloads
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights