Good night and good luck!
I’m absolutely stunned!
Keith Olbermann and MSNBC abruptly announced tonight that “Countdown” has ended, effective immediately.
Olbermann broke the news to his viewers during his show’s final sign-off (full video below). MSNBC issued a statement with the news following tonight’s episode. According to the New York Times, the host came to an agreement with NBC management late this week to step down. “Countdown” aired for just under eight years.
The bizarre timing of the announcement has raised a number of speculations, from Olbermann’s suspension last November to the departure of NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker in light of the network’s recent acquisition by Comcast.
NBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said the Comcast merger had nothing to do with the decision.
Within minutes of the announcement, MSNBC unveiled their restructured evening lineup. Lawrence O’Donnell, host of “The Last Word,” will move to 8 P.M., while “The Ed Show” with Ed Schultz will air at 10 P.M. Rachel Maddow’s program will remain in its original 9 P.M. slot.
A source close to MSNBC management said network executives have grown increasingly impressed by O’Donnell and feel he has “grown into the job nicely.” According to the source, Schultz will play well with both the late night and west coast audiences.
“The debut of the new lineup will be the State of the Union, with Lawrence now the central player,” the source said.
Others believe “Hardball” host Chris Matthews will benefit from the shakeup. “One of the other winners in this is Chris Matthews,” a source close to MSNBC management said. “He’s been steady and uncomplaining. His numbers are better and he has a natural Philly connection to Comcast.”
MSNBC’s statement on Olbermann reads as follows:
MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.
In his final goodbye, Olbermann made a point to thank his audience for supporting him when he felt he could not continue the show:
There were many occasions, particularly in the last two-and-a-half years, where all that surrounded the show–but never the show itself–was just too much for me. But your support and loyalty and, if I may use the word, insistence, ultimately required me to keep going. My gratitude to you is boundless and if you think I’ve done any good here, imagine how it looked from this end…this may be the only television program wherein the host was much more in awe of the audience than vice versa.
Petitions by loyal fans supporting Olbermann have already surfaced online.
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- Keith Olbermann abruptly fired by NBC | Richard Adams (guardian.co.uk)
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1. WTF???
2. I really hope we’ll know what happened.
3. All the best for Olbermann…
Saw it on CNN last night. I’m stunned too (is Comcast out of their corporate mind?), but gotta admit,as a die hard pinko-commie-tree huggin liberal, I stopped watching Keith a year ago or so . . . he was moving into all outrage all the time territory which I identify with talk radio jabberers. He was of course so much smarter, so much more informed. A great mind, a great heart – I loved when he went through the time with his father dying. I wanted to keep tuning in, but I didn’t like seeing him use the style of those who weren’t as good as he way.
Know what I mean?
Meant to add, that in spite leaving the show myself, I already find myself defending the hell out of Keith. He’s near the top of my list of people I’d like to have dinner with.
Well, his agenda has more free time in weekdays now… You have a chance…
So much insane things happened over the last 2 years… It’s hard to keep your cool in these conditions. It’s a lot easier to remain at the top of your game when the amount of crazy people acting crazy is marginal.
I would have yelled a lot more than he did sitting on his chair, believe me.
I wanted his voice to stay out there, but I thought he was moving into ‘criying wolf’ territory – when that happens, the important stuff gets lost in a flurry of marginal stuff.
I hope O’Donnell is up to it. It’ll be different for sure.