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Olbermann suspended for refusing to apologise on-air for donations to Democrats

Your subject indicates that is what happened rather than a question as posed by the link.

In fact, according to the link, KO has nothing to apologize for and is probably enjoying the "huge backlash" against MSNBC for his suspension.
 
I cannot stand Olbermann, but this suspension is preposterous. If he broke a policy he was supposed to be following, fine. But it's absurd to hire a guy to give his opinion, then tell him he can't back them up in his private life. He's not a journalist or an anchor. He's a commentator.

This strikes me as an excuse to get rid of him.
 
tested said:
I cannot stand Olbermann, but this suspension is preposterous. If he broke a policy he was supposed to be following, fine. But it's absurd to hire a guy to give his opinion, then tell him he can't back them up in his private life. He's not a journalist or an anchor. He's a commentator.

This strikes me as an excuse to get rid of him.
Click to expand...

Yep. Exactly. How much is Comcast involved in this decision? Just wondering.
 
tested said:
I cannot stand Olbermann, but this suspension is preposterous. If he broke a policy he was supposed to be following, fine. But it's absurd to hire a guy to give his opinion, then tell him he can't back them up in his private life. He's not a journalist or an anchor. He's a commentator.

This strikes me as an excuse to get rid of him.
Click to expand...
Well, that didn't last long

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sho...lbermann-back-from-suspension-on-tuesday.html

"MSNBC has decided to return "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann to work on Tuesday, meaning that his much-discussed suspension for making unauthorized political donations will have lasted all of two work days."

Because, after two days without ranting, he's learned his lesson. ::)
 
They probably realized how bad Thomas Roberts was on Friday and thought... "he learned his lesson..."
 
I'm trying to figure out what country he lives in, where you have to get "permission" to donate to a candidate or political cause.

Did he (himself) make any public declarations of support for any partisan cause? If not, I don't see any problem. If somebody noticed his name on a legally-required declaration someplace, that's not anything he can help...it's just a law.
 
kenglish said:
I'm trying to figure out what country he lives in, where you have to get "permission" to donate to a candidate or political cause.
Click to expand...

It's not a law but rather a condition of employment. Rachel Maddow had an excellent piece last Friday on both the NBC donation position and KO's violation of it. Basically, she said NBC has that prohibition for everyone employed by its news departments, no matter what their individual titles, because NBC does not want their news coverage to show the possibility that personal political preferences would slant their stories. She explicitly compared NBC to Fox News.

Whether you believe NBC achieves journalistic independence with this rule depends on your perception but that is its intent according to Maddow.
 
I actually didn't understand how Maddow felt about the suspension. Her reaction was fox does it, and then she ended with a scrolling list of people from fox who have made contributions. Now what fox has to do with it I already don't understand. Its not like they have the same parent, and fox is getting away with it. However other then that does she support the suspension, and is calling for fox to do the same to their people? Is she on KO side, and is just saying fox people do it, why not us?

She also tried to spin the reason why NBC did it, because they have higher standards then fox. However its been noted that NBC employees can with permission donate, so how do we know those at FOX didn't have permission? Then of course the real reason from tv insiders seems to say its everything from comcast sending a message to its hosts...to comcast is trying to get rid of KO and rebrand MSNBC.
 
Re: Olbermann suspended for refusing to apologise on-air for donations to Democr

The article is misleading

It says he was suspended for not making an apology. This is so, but it's like going to an advertised June White Sale and finding out June White died and they are selling her stuff. Not quite what you thought it was.

The article says Olbermann was found out to have made political contributions in violation of company policy.

The results of this would be a suspension

THEN it goes on to say, if Keith wanted to avoid that suspension all he did was have to apologize.

He was given a choice, this is not clear unless you read the article.

When you work for a business they have the right to make policy, if you don't agree with it, you either try to change the policy or you quit and find a new job.

It's not a special rule that singles Keith out.

I worked at a hotel and the rule was all people pass by security and security will look in your bag. EVERYONE did that. If I decided I that rule was not to my liking and akin to implying I'm a theif, does this mean I can just walk out the front door?

Companies have a right to set policy (with in the law, such as no racial discrimination and the like). If employees don't like it, they can try to change it, strike (if applicable) or seek employment elsewhere.

The company should've just suspended Keith, not given him the option of apologizing to avoid this suspension. He was given special treatment and refused. Good for him. He was treated like any other violator.

Whether you agree with the company policy isn't the issue, it's there.

It's like saying that red light shouldn't take 3 minutes to change. I'll just go through it anyway. Well that's fine for you, but don't complain when you get a ticket.
 
If Comcast wants to take MSNBC in a new direction, I have no idea what it should be. They fill a niche now and with 1,000,000 cable channels, what isn't being done already? Maybe counter programming to Nick Jr.?????? :eek:
 
Conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt is a two-time winner of Olbermann's Worst Person in the World Award.
Despite this he has formed an online group made of of other former WPITWA winners to support Olbermann and
to lobby MSNBC to drop the punishment. They are calling themselves "Worst People for Keith".

Hewitt's rationale is that Olbermann is being punished for being the one honest liberal in mainstream journalism.
Nobody is more transparent on what he believes or where he stands on an issue. And he has openly supported
candidates who agree with him. Which is far preferable to all of the other people in mainstream journalism who
also agree with him, but who feign false objectivity and claim to be free of any biases.
 
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