The Liberated Keith Olbermann Is Making Powerful TV

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd

The Liberated Keith Olbermann Is Making Powerful TV
Notice anything different about one of America's favorite progressive anchors lately? It's not just the station...

July 22, 2011 |


On Tuesday, Keith Olbermann anchored a special live broadcast of the News of the World hearings from Parliament. Interspersing Rupert Murdoch’s historic testimony with commentary and conversation from John Dean, the former Nixon counsel turned progressive commentator, the several-hour broadcast was Olbermann at his finest: calm, cool, collected.

The topic, of course, was as delicious for him as it was for the rest of us—watching the super-wealthy, super-conservative Fox News godheads squirm under the interrogation of government—and so he certainly cracked a few jokes here and there. (Referencing the widespread web meme that Rupert and James Murdoch are akin to the Simpsons’ Mr. Burns and Smithers, he playfully compared Rebekah Brooks to Sideshow Bob.) But it also underscored a point longtime fans of his political commentary have known: Keith Olbermann is excellent at times like this; a level, serious breaking-news reporter whose demeanor under duress belies the hot-headed persona his deriders like to trot out. Even clearer, his new slot on Current is letting him stretch out and break free. We’re almost exactly one month in to the new slot, and these days, Keith Olbermann is better than ever.

It was no secret that his final days at MSNBC were riddled with strife, unhappiness, and depending on whom you believe, conspiracies to oust the outspoken anchor. While the network is no enemy to progressive viewpoints—they have Maddow, after all—the chatter was that new owner Comcast had, in the words of head conspiracy theorist Glenn Beck, “marked Keith for death.” As Howard Kurtz put it at the time, he was “on the defensive about his intense and sometimes incendiary style.”

But Olbermann had his own beef with the network, particularly when MSNBC suspended him without pay in November 2010 for making three political donations to Democratic Congressional candidates. When his final day eventually came without warning, the break was rough to begin with, but in retrospect it was one of the greatest things that could have happened for fans of Olbermann and of progressive reporting. The quality often termed “combativeness” has toned down a bit—he is not less passionate, but he does seem much more relaxed. Amazingly, even his hair is a little looser, poufed with a little swoosh and less gel than before. It gives him a more confident visual demeanor. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/151719/the_liberated_keith_olbermann_is_making_powerful_tv/

[DonCoquixote]

1. which is why

I want Cenk with him Asap

[rurallib]

2. Can I dream of Maddow also on Current?

[SusanaMontana41]

10. I'd love her more if she left corporate journalism.

After what happened to Cenk, and after an interview with Bill Moyers during which he decried corporate-journalism censorship, we can hope that seed will germinate. She must be thinking about it.

[jwirr]

24. I would guess that many of his former workers will finish out their

contracts and move on. I cannot see Rachel selling out to censorship. She is too good at in depth news to be willing to take some part out that Comcast does not like. I don't think any of them like Comcast hand picking their guests, etc.

As to KO, the article was absolutely right. I loved it the day he took off his suit coat and came in sleeves and vest. It is hot out there and he was acknowledging it. I watch them all but if I had to KO would come first no matter what. I also think that having more coverage of events like the Murdoch testimony is a very good thing. I actually turned the tv on to see if he was covering the events in Norway.

Another thing that is new in my life is looking to see what else is on Current. I watched the "Rape on the Reservation" segment - I was involved on that and other reservations in the 70s. Very good show. I want them to get an environment segment going as soon as they can. Maybe start one on KO's Countdown and expand it.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Dear KO and Current. HD, Please???

:shrug:Everything I watch now is HD... except KO.:(

[starroute]

8. It's not under his control

He keeps responding to this question on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/KeithOlbermann/status/94186444570112000

"Get HD" - you have it backwards. The cable carriers decide whether or not to grant you an HD channel...

[Major Hogwash]

4. "He's hard to work with."

They have said the same thing about every great leader this country has ever had!!
And it is always the snivelers that say that about those leaders.

[starroute]

9. People like Keith tend to be perfectionists

And yes, that does make it hard for the slackers and the just-good-enough crowd.

[chervilant]

18. And,

those prone to anti-intellectualism tend to be virulently anti-Olbermann. Furthermore, he's too much for those pathetic people who are lacking in critical thinking skills--unfortunately.

[1monster]

20. Not just lacking in critical thinking abilities. If they are lacking in vocabulary, Keith will

be incomprehensible to them.

I've always loved words and people who use them well. When I was a wee young'un, I used to love it when Eric Severied came on The Evening News. He used language like it was like it was music written by a master and his the greatest voice.

Keith's vocal style is different, but he too writes like prose is music.

[chervilant]

21. Yes,

I couldn't agree more. This erudite wordsmithing is a big reason for my appreciation of Rachel Maddow and Janeane Garofalo. It's why I think J. K. Rowling is one of our best contemporary authors.

[southernyankeebelle]

5. I watched the coverage with Keith and Dean. It was really good coverage. Especially

having Dean's point of view.

[BiggJawn]

6. Shame I can't get "Current".

I get TV with this new technology called "antennas".

Keith is available only in the more expensive tiers of service from The Great Satan (Xfinity ne Comcast) and it's not worth $90 a month to me to watch maybe 2 hours of Teeeeee-Veeeee a day.

[KoKo]

7. Check out

ROKU Box.. Reviews on C-NET..

[BiggJawn]

11. This is very interesting.

Researching to see if my piddly 1 Mb download speed will support this.

Kung Fu Theatre... OMG! I'll never leave the house!

[Mabus]

12. Same here but I found a way to watch KO and so you can too

http://monendroit.weebly.com/current.html

KO is on now.

[BiggJawn]

13. Wow. it *IS* Keith!

Thanks!

[ooglymoogly]

23. best way to get it live

http://tvpc.tv/Channel.php?ChannelID=4085

chekidout

[lucca18]

14. Keith is the best! nt

[farmboxer]

15. Would like to See Cenk On Current TV also

He was good.........

[DeSwiss]

16. K&R n/t

[grovernerdquist]

17. Great to have Keith back.

Comcast bites.

[onlyadream]

19. no current tv here :(

but I did go to the site to request it.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked but too late to recommend.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

[defendandprotect]

25. I'm been tuning in -- also to Amy Goodman and Thom Hartmann --