Is Comcast Killing Off Progressive Talk?

[MattParker]

I don't care what his co-workers say he's like. I don't have to work with the guy. Nor do I know what drives him to act the way he does, or what drives his co-workers to complain about him.

Now here's some that meets your criteria...from a bona-fide right-wing tabloid source: Rupert Murdoch's New York Post. They say KEITH HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF HIS CONTRACT FOR OVER A YEAR BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK FOR COMCAST AND REPUBLICAN SOB (Son of Boss) BRIAN ROBERTS.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/olbermann_wanted_out_year_ago_iDqK4HhA8d79YN4O1y0cAO

Brian Roberts reminds me of the classic Herblock cartoon. Picture Brian Roberts saying to a homeless man shivering in an alley: "If you have any initiative, you'd inherit a cable company." (In the original, Barry Goldwater said "...you'd inherit a department store.")

 

[beachguy3b]

Nothing like waiting for the facts to come in before jumping to conclusions and starting a thread...

 

[DonTheTrucker]

I don't care what his co-workers say he's like. I don't have to work with the guy.

You're also not the one signing his contracts. He's exactly like O'Reilly, but one gets ratings and one doesn't. That's the only reason he's out of a job. MSNBC can get the same ratings with O'Donnell in his slot, with a lot less trouble and expense.

Stop being a fanboy for two seconds and look at this objectively, and you'll see why the guy is gone.

 

[MattParker]

I don't care what his co-workers say he's like. I don't have to work with the guy.

You're also not the one signing his contracts. He's exactly like O'Reilly, but one gets ratings and one doesn't. That's the only reason he's out of a job. MSNBC can get the same ratings with O'Donnell in his slot, with a lot less trouble and expense.

Stop being a fanboy for two seconds and look at this objectively, and you'll see why the guy is gone.

Fanboy? I never watch his show. I just find the hypocrisy of political groupies laughable. As already pointed out, you talk about free speech when Juan Williams gets fired and you gloat when Olbermann is fired and spout made up reasons why he should have been fired.

Maybe you should stop repeating Beck's lies about Olbermann and think for yourself.

Well, since Olbermann got ratings are you saying O'Reilly did not? And as long as you want to talk about who's a pain, maybe you should check out the circumstances of O'Reilly's departure from CBS News.

Now go back to cleaning your gun collection.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

And as long as you want to talk about who's a pain, maybe you should check out the circumstances of O'Reilly's departure from CBS News.

You really need to get some reading comprehension. I've said 2 or 3 times that O'Reilly is as big a jerk and pain to work with as Olbermann. I said the reason he keeps his job is that he brings in three times the viewers. MSNBC has found that they can get the same 800,000 with anyone in the Olbermann slot, so why would they get into a contract war with a guy they don't even like?

 

[KMGX]

I don't care what his co-workers say he's like. I don't have to work with the guy.

You're also not the one signing his contracts. He's exactly like O'Reilly, but one gets ratings and one doesn't. That's the only reason he's out of a job. MSNBC can get the same ratings with O'Donnell in his slot, with a lot less trouble and expense.

Stop being a fanboy for two seconds and look at this objectively, and you'll see why the guy is gone.

Fanboy? I never watch his show. I just find the hypocrisy of political groupies laughable. As already pointed out, you talk about free speech when Juan Williams gets fired and you gloat when Olbermann is fired and spout made up reasons why he should have been fired.

Maybe you should stop repeating Beck's lies about Olbermann and think for yourself.

Well, since Olbermann got ratings are you saying O'Reilly did not? And as long as you want to talk about who's a pain, maybe you should check out the circumstances of O'Reilly's departure from CBS News.

Now go back to cleaning your gun collection.

Or you could simply look at the fact that Olbermann has been fired from several other jobs and in each case the story is that he was a terror to work with. Remember, in this business there's really only one thing that matters, money--and if you're not getting the ratings to bolster those confiscatory ad rates or if you can't bring in big clients, then you're not sticking around long. On the other hand, if you're the biggest pain-in-the-ass talent and yet you continually pull huge numbers and generate big buck$... everyone will make excuses for you and keep you around. Charlie Sheen is a fine example of the latter scenario; drugs, prostitutes, destroying property and is given chance after chance because his show is immensely successful.

I don't know if you work in this business or not, but either way you have much to learn about how the game is played.

 

[MattParker]

Or you could simply look at the fact that Olbermann has been fired from several other jobs and in each case the story is that he was a terror to work with. Remember, in this business there's really only one thing that matters, money--and if you're not getting the ratings to bolster those confiscatory ad rates or if you can't bring in big clients, then you're not sticking around long. On the other hand, if you're the biggest pain-in-the-ass talent and yet you continually pull huge numbers and generate big buck$... everyone will make excuses for you and keep you around. Charlie Sheen is a fine example of the latter scenario; drugs, prostitutes, destroying property and is given chance after chance because his show is immensely successful.

I don't know if you work in this business or not, but either way you have much to learn about how the game is played.

I do, I have and what I've learned is the only thing broadcast management does well is lie. If money were the only thing that mattered, they'd do a much better job of making money.

When a suit says it's not about politics, it's about money it's like a hit man saying it's nothing personal, just business.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Or you could simply look at the fact that Olbermann has been fired from several other jobs and in each case the story is that he was a terror to work with. Remember, in this business there's really only one thing that matters, money--and if you're not getting the ratings to bolster those confiscatory ad rates or if you can't bring in big clients, then you're not sticking around long. On the other hand, if you're the biggest pain-in-the-ass talent and yet you continually pull huge numbers and generate big buck$... everyone will make excuses for you and keep you around. Charlie Sheen is a fine example of the latter scenario; drugs, prostitutes, destroying property and is given chance after chance because his show is immensely successful.

I don't know if you work in this business or not, but either way you have much to learn about how the game is played.

You essay makes perfect sense to those who repeat what they hear repeated by other people: Olbermann had poor ratings.

If on the other hand, Olbermanns ratings are as good as his co-workers (you know, those people he beat up and misteated) say they are, then your essay makes no sense what so ever.

Did Olbermann have the highest ratings of anyone currently on MSNBC? That is what the beat-up, mistreated people are telling us... not in some grocery-store check-out magazine... but right there on MSNBC programs... programs where MSNBC management can easily call them in and say: That's a lie... it makes us look bad.. so STOP IT!

As my Daddy used to say when the winds whipped up the sandstorms across the Texas plains: When the dust settles, we will see what is really happening.

 

[KMGX]

Or you could simply look at the fact that Olbermann has been fired from several other jobs and in each case the story is that he was a terror to work with. Remember, in this business there's really only one thing that matters, money--and if you're not getting the ratings to bolster those confiscatory ad rates or if you can't bring in big clients, then you're not sticking around long. On the other hand, if you're the biggest pain-in-the-ass talent and yet you continually pull huge numbers and generate big buck$... everyone will make excuses for you and keep you around. Charlie Sheen is a fine example of the latter scenario; drugs, prostitutes, destroying property and is given chance after chance because his show is immensely successful.

I don't know if you work in this business or not, but either way you have much to learn about how the game is played.

I do, I have and what I've learned is the only thing broadcast management does well is lie. If money were the only thing that mattered, they'd do a much better job of making money.

When a suit says it's not about politics, it's about money it's like a hit man saying it's nothing personal, just business.

Your metaphor actually doesn't make sense, a "hitman" is a hired assassin and it is therefore all about the money. This industry is pretty good at making money actually, even CNN still rakes in cash with poor ratings. As I said above, in the case of Olbermann, it's about both ratings //and// hte fact that he's difficult to work with. Which brings me to this...

You essay makes perfect sense to those who repeat what they hear repeated by other people: Olbermann had poor ratings.

Did Olbermann have the highest ratings of anyone currently on MSNBC? That is what the beat-up, mistreated people are telling us... not in some grocery-store check-out magazine... but right there on MSNBC programs... programs where MSNBC management can easily call them in and say: That's a lie... it makes us look bad.. so STOP IT!

Many commentators have similar politics to that of Olbermann. Some, such as Maddow are gaining ratings and closing in on similar numbers to those of Olbermann, therefore (had you read the entire premise) ratings that were attainable by others coupled with the fact that Keith was difficult to work with lead to his demise... and probably an argument over money. Suits at MSNBC don't really like to pay pains-in-the-ass more money when another host that's much easier to work with could garner similar numbers.

Again, ask yourself.... why has Keith Olbermann been fired from several other jobs and each time allegations circulated that he was not a good co-worker? Once is a fluke, twice maybe... but more than that and it becomes a trend. I'm not crying in my beer over a guy that's still under contract and making $7m/year (allegedly). If you look at it objectively, there's a history... no one can say to a 100% certainty here, but the pattern sure looks familiar doesn't it?

 

[DonTheTrucker]

Charlie Sheen is a fine example of the latter scenario; drugs, prostitutes, destroying property and is given chance after chance because his show is immensely successful.

That's an excellent example using a non-political, non-radio personality. I think when someone mentions that O'Reilly or Olbermann are not good employees, people get defensive due to political differences. The only difference between Olbermann and O'Reilly (aside from political differences) is that one of them gets ratings and makes him employer enough money to put up with his crap.

 

[Ultimajock]

The only difference between Olbermann and O'Reilly (aside from political differences) is that one of them gets ratings and makes him employer enough money to put up with his crap.

...and that "one of them" was Olbermann, who was the only one of the two actually drawing an audience in the money demos. You know, the demographics that advertisers want to reach, remember? The core of BillO The Clown's audience is, as Tom Leykis loved to put it, 65-to-DEATH...

 

[jh]

...and that "one of them" was Olbermann, who was the only one of the two actually drawing an audience in the money demos. You know, the demographics that advertisers want to reach, remember? The core of BillO The Clown's audience is, as Tom Leykis loved to put it, 65-to-DEATH...

The audience for O'Reilly may be old, but his numbers are so much bigger than anyone else in the time period, he is well above Olbermann in the "money demo" 25-54. Here are the ratings for Olbermann's last night, from tvbythenumbers.com:

8PM January 21
FNC THE OREILLY FACTOR: total audience 2,793... 25-54, 642

MSNBC COUNTDOWN W/ K. OLBERMANN: total audience 1,263... 25-54, 388

That night, MSNBC did beat Fox 25-54 the following three hours, Hannity/Maddow and Greta/MSNBC Investigates and the O'Reilly repeat/MSNBC investigates. Checking numbers from earlier, Hannity beat Maddow 24-54 the other nights last week.

 

[raccoonradio]

Think I read O'Donnell, who replaced Olby in his time slot, got ratings half again as high as Olby's average his first night (curiosity factor part of it)

 

[jh]

O'Donnell was up but not by that much...

FNC THE OREILLY FACTOR 3,485 (total) 815 (25-54) 1,681 (35-64)

MSNBC LAST WORD W/ L. ODONNELL 1,533 (total) 332 (25-54) 651 (35-64)


But to put things in perspective, the top rated cable shows on Monday night:

Pawn Stars 10:30pm 6.9 million viewers
Pawn Stars 10:00 pm 6.7 million
American Pickers 6.1 million
WWE Raw 4.9 million


and among broadcast networks Monday night:

Two and a Half Men 11.4 million
House 10.4 million
Harry's Law 10.4 million
Mike and Molly 9.3 million

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

That's a little unlikely. In the last ratings, the station was #23 overall with a one share, and that's up from a 0.8 in October.

If true (I haven't looked), that'd be quite a fall for KPOJ. At one point not long after its start, 620 was actually beating CC conservatalk sister KEX for a while in 12-plus.

Thom Hartmann hasn't been doing a local morning show in some time on KPOJ. They have another local host now, and the station does carry Thom's syndicated show.

 

[umfan]

I don't see Olbermann landing anywhere unless CNN becomes highly desperate for 8PM. Not completely unlikey as 'Parker-Spitzer' isn't doing very well.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

I don't see Olbermann landing anywhere unless CNN becomes highly desperate for 8PM. Not completely unlikey as 'Parker-Spitzer' isn't doing very well.

It's not. But I think he'll end up doing sports somewhere, or maybe even radio.

 

[radio30]

Liberal "Progressive" talk is doing an excellent job of killing itself off. Unfactual, unentertaining, and unlistenable. That is why it has never gotten huge numbers. Sorry, but the truth is really the best explanation here .

 

[Ultimajock]

Liberal "Progressive" talk is doing an excellent job of killing itself off. Unfactual, unentertaining, and unlistenable.

..."unentertaining and unlistenable" are opinions based upon your personal taste. But "unfactual" is not. I challenge you to come up with at least a dozen specific examples of where specific progressive talkers have been "unfactual" in the last year...

 

[DonTheTrucker]

But "unfactual" is not. I challenge you to come up with at least a dozen specific examples of where specific progressive talkers have been "unfactual" in the last year...

Just Google "Ed Schultz". A dozen factual errors is a good day for him.