Too Many Liberals? Olbermann says MSNBC bosses upset by liberal guests

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2707

MSNBC host Keith Olbermann recently revealed that network bosses were upset when he had two liberal guests too close together on his show in September 2003.

Speaking on October 25 to comedian and talk show host Al Franken, Olbermann said the following:

You were good enough to come on this newscast with me late in the summer of 2003. It was August or September. And by coincidence, either the next day or the day before, Janeane Garofalo had been a guest on the newscast. And I got called into a vice president‘s office here and told, "Hey, we don't mind you interviewing these guys, but should you really have put liberals on, on consecutive nights?"

Olbermann added, "Al, can you believe that the country was actually at that point that recently?" Later he would answer his own question, saying, "Thank goodness we have steered out of that time."

Franken was interviewed on September 2, and Garofalo on September 4. Apparently having them both on over three days--a period of time in which Olbermann's show interviewed a total of 9 guests--was grounds for being called on the carpet at MSNBC.

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Liberal media my ass

[SammyBlue]

7. Put FDR in your collage, please.

he makes me proud to be a democrat more than the other five. Thanks.

[Zomby Woof]

14. So her sig line should reflect YOUR opinion?

Isn't who SHE thinks makes her proud be of some importance?

Some Democrats are not big FDR admirers. They know he caved on anti-lynching legislation, and he interred innocent Americans of Japanese descent.

Then there was that arrogant move to pack the Supreme Court.

Anyway, I don't care much for JFK, but I cannot fathom telling another DUer that he or she shouldn't have him for their sig line or avatar.

[WCGreen]

26. Here Here ZW... Here Here

[Zomby Woof]

15. duplicate post

[Erika]

2. and the right wing wackos complain about fair coverage?

What do they want, their Bushbots 24 hours a day?

[ShockediSay]

10. They not right wing wackos; they're WHACKOS

cause they gotta be whacking somebody to get their money

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. *sigh*

[caledesi]

4. Bernie Ward (KGO) commented on this the other night. nt

[Marr]

5. If Dems don't take DRASTIC measures to break up big media

when they get power back, they're idiots.

[SammyBlue]

6. MSRNC strikes again.

Or is it MSGOP? Or is it just MESSS?

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain!

2 out of 9? Yep. There's your "librul bias"!

[GetTheRightVote]

9. There is something seriously wrong with msnbc !

Who do they think watches them anyway ??

:kick:

[deadparrot]

11. Yeah, the MSNBC of Carlson and Scarborough.

We have Olbermann.

Liberal media. :eyes:

[zann725]

32. And the MSNBC of Rita Cosby!?!

What a group!

[porphyrian]

12. Waaaaah!

I'm a MSNBC boss, and I can't stand that the guests aren't 100% conservative republican fucks! Waaaah!

[walldude]

13. Unreal.. I would have figured he'd be catching hell

for all those "the bosses are making me do this story comments".

[Tesla]

16. They did it Phil Donahue

at the time, their #1 show!!

[goddess40]

23. I was thinking the same thing

They don't care about ratings when it goes against their political (and therefore their pocketbook)agenda.

[jarnocan]

17. DANG

That is so incredibly hypocritical, considering what folks listen to night after night! UGH.
I love Olberman! I think he is quite fair.

[truthisfreedom]

18. we need more of this. enjoy it... relish it... we are gaining the upper

hand. by default, we will be in control of these fucking weasels!

[durablend]

19. Smells like they're trying to find a way to break his contract

Don't be surprised if KO is looking for employment elsewhere.

[trogdor]

24. HBO should have a news division.

Can you imagine that?

HBO don't take shit from nobody. They hire "controversial" people like Bill Maher who the networks fire for being something less conservative than Scarborough or O'Reilly. They pick up documentaries the networks don't dare put on the air. How do they get away with this? Simple. HBO is viewer-supported. No corporate sponsors means no corporate bullshit. Don't like what HBO puts on the air? You don't have to pay EXTRA to not watch it. That ought to tell you something about how liberal or conservative the American TV audience is.

A daily half-hour news program between the 8 PM movie and the 10 PM movie would kick all three cable news networks square in the nuts. Can you say Emmy? Can you say Peabody? I can.

[spooky3]

20. We HAVEN'T steered out of that time. MediaMatters

documented that the Today Show showed 7 RWers to 2 progressives over the past few weeks:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200510270019

and every day the same site documents many similar examples.

[spooky3]

21. and the same article linked in the OP gives more evidence:

(snip)


But has MSNBC truly "steered out of that time," as Olbermann suggests? If MSNBC management were genuinely worried about ideological balance, then the fact that the channel currently has two one-hour programs hosted by well-known conservatives (Tucker Carlson and Joe Scarborough) and none hosted by liberals would be of considerable concern. Or MSNBC could fret over Hardball's right-leaning panel discussion after a 2004 election debate (FAIR Action Alert, 10/12/04), or the Hardball "town meeting" on the Iraq war that skewed heavily towards the pro-war side (FAIR Action Alert, 6/29/05). The group Media Matters for America (10/21/05) recently documented that Hardball's discussions of the Plame Wilson leak case frequently skewed to the right, citing nine examples of panels that included only conservatives, or conservatives "balanced" by centrists; the group found only one case where a panel similarly leaned to the left.

[OneTwentyoNine]

22. BUMP.............n/t

[fearnobush]

25. No Way is the media more Liberal today.

Just look at all the Repukes on TV news spouting White house talking points. And just wait and see what will happen when and if indictments a released today. The media will become a GOP whore house in full swing.

[Bouncy Ball]

27. Well you know what, Olbermann's bosses?

*I* object to seeing pasty-faced spittle-spewing asshole bastard right wingers every single time I dare to turn on one of those shows.

Olbermann should tell them to shove it. He's got the ratings.

[Glenda]

28. Like Women Singers... years ago

When a radio station couldn't play 2 women musical artists in a row

[bunny planet]

29. Yes, and Keith went out of his way in the interview to point this out.

I think it was his way of telling us that he has quite a lot of difficulty getting a variety of guests and a balanced point of view across, not for his lack of trying. He still trys to do it more than any other news host, I can imagine he gets tons of flak from the higher ups.

[EFerrari]

30. They've been gunning for Keith since he held up the fax

of questions to ask Joe Wilson.

At which point I became a fan. :)

[Loonman]

31. The FOX effect

Totally.

[LostinVA]

33. Exactly what they did to Donahue....

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. ***Here's VIDEO of Olbermann talking about the "two liberals in a row"***

From Can-o-fun:



Olbermann-Two Liberals Two Nights in a Row Oct 25 05

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/olbermanntwonightsinarowoct2505.wmv