Keith Olbermann Vs. MSNBC Boss - "It's War"

[DToTheJ]

The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz (you might remember him from The Washington Post) has an interesting write-up about an apparent war that's broken out between MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, and his boss, Phil Griffin - in fact, Griffin himself is quoted as saying to Keith's manager, "We are at war":
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-...-with-nbc-executives-over-campaign-donations/

More coverage:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/repo...riffin-told-keith-olbermanns-manager-its-war/

 

[quadraphonic]

Is Olbermann going to go straight to calling him "Pig Vomit" or will they drag it out?

 

[Irishfl]

***yawn***

Now KO can copy Howard Stern's whole management is against me / trying to stop me. He can start talking onair about memos he gets, and how he even has to fight his boss to bring the truth. Maybe even name some NBC executives as worst persons every now and then.

Maybe we can get an onair stunt inwhich Olbermann is trash talking the boss, and his mic gets turned off.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Yawn.

 

[DToTheJ]

"Hoo hoo, I invented getting into skirmishes with higher-ups in broadcasting, tell 'em, Fred..."

 

[DToTheJ]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/blog/Fates_Fortunes/31791-Olbermann_In_or_out_at_MSNBC_.php

Olbermann is halfway through a four-year, $30 million contract, but NBC is about to merge with Comcast, so only time will tell if Olbermann remains the face of MSNBC... if you are looking to keep your job, two months before your company is about to merge and gain new leadership is probably not the best time to make waves.

 

[quadraphonic]

It seems to have worked for Donovan McNabb.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Olbermann is halfway through a four-year, $30 million contract, but NBC is about to merge with Comcast, so only time will tell if Olbermann remains the face of MSNBC... if you are looking to keep your job, two months before your company is about to merge and gain new leadership is probably not the best time to make waves.

It would come as no surprise to me if Comcast, once it takes over NBC, looks to sell MSNBC to another company. The first way to make a company look profitable is to cut personnel making the big bucks. Olbermann, Maddow, Matthews must be pulling down more than minimum wages.

Another thing to consider is if Olbermann is let go by the cable network, where else will he go?
Fox certainly will put his resume into a shredder. CNN has enough "talking heads" already.

 

[DToTheJ]

[Arguing with your boss] seems to have worked for Donovan McNabb.

Not last night, it didn't...

And by the way... Whenever someone signs a big contract/extension, it usually doesn't bode well for that team's next game. That $40 million extension for McNabb came from left field.

 

[KeithE4]

[Arguing with your boss] seems to have worked for Donovan McNabb.

Not last night, it didn't...

And by the way... Whenever someone signs a big contract/extension, it usually doesn't bode well for that team's next game. That $40 million extension for McNabb came from left field.

Apparently it came from McNabb's agent's imagination. Only $3.5 million is guaranteed and the Redskins can cut him after this season and save $74 million. If they keep him, then the big money starts kicking in. But after last night's dismal Derek Anderson-like performance, and with the strained relationship between himself and Mike Shanahan, I don't expect him to be a Redskin in 2011.

But getting back on topic: Arguing with your boss, especially publicly, is usually a very easy way to find yourself standing in the unemployment line. Even if you're the "franchise player" at your place of employment, and whether you are under contract or not, get mouthy and you could be gone. A new owner has the right to clean house even if he has to eat a contract.

 

[landtuna]

The best bosses never let a relationship deteriorate into a public brawl.

 

[Ultimajock]

... all this must be deja vu for Maddow. She was at Air America Radio when new network owner Mark Green tried pulling the same crap with the network's last remaining star of note, Randi Rhodes, in order to get Rhodes to renegotiate her contract. Rhodes left, and Air America folded within a matter of months...

 

[KeithE4]

Microsoft still owns 18% of MSNBC, so they would have at least some say in its future. Unless Comcast buys them out, I can't see the network being shut down with or without Olbermann. I can't see it anyway, unless it's bleeding so much money that it can't sustain itself.