Keith Olbermann
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Keith Olbermann is a former ESPN sports anchor and liberal boogeyman who might just dislike Bill O'Reilly, but don't quote us on that. He is one of the most well known expressly liberal voices on American cable TV news (not that there are very many expressly liberal voices in TV news in the first place, bar everyone on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS). Originally a mild mannered, neutral-to-center-left observer of soft news (the job Rachel Maddow currently occupies), he became increasingly self-righteous during the Iraq War, styling himself as the heir to Edward R. Murrow and even signing off each episode with "Good night and good luck," Murrow's catchphrase. (His original sign-off was "Keep your knees loose," a good rule of thumb for any occasion.)
In November 2010 Olbermann was suspended from MSNBC for donating to political campaigns without telling his bosses. After his departure from MSNBC, Olbermann continued to host Countdown with Keith Olbermann on Current TV[1] until it was canceled in 2012. Now he's back where he started, having his own late-night show on ESPN2.
He has covered major political events, often working with Chris Matthews.
While many liberals revered him as a corrective to Fox News, many disliked his methods (a la Michael Moore), particularly the way that his show was often simply an echo chamber and a left-wing version of The O'Reilly Factor, complete with all of that show's flaws — namely, guests rarely disagreeing with him, and those that did being promptly hushed and shoved off the air.
He is known for his fast-paced speech and quick, witty comparisons that often mock popular conservatives. On the other hand, he frequently makes Oliver Stone look subtle by comparison.
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[edit] Countdown
Countdown with Keith Olbermann was a television news program hosted by Olbermann which aired on MSNBC from 2003 until early 2011. From there, it hopped over to Al Gore's Current TV, where it lasted for little more than a year (and served as the fledgling network's flagship program) until his firing on March 30th, 2012.
[edit] History
Prior to Countdown, Olbermann gained recognition as a sportscaster for CNN and, later, ESPN. From 1998-2001, he covered major league baseball for Fox Sports, but was fired for reporting rumors about Rupert Murdoch selling the Dodgers. He moved on first to ABC and then to NBC.
Countdown was launched originally on MSNBC in 2003 with Olbermann as its host. Within the first year, Olbermann had established his infamous rivalry with Bill O'Reilly and The O'Reilly Factor. This feud between the two pundits helped increase both Olbermann's and Countdown's popularity. Olbermann's intense partisanship (which appealed to liberal viewers looking for news programs that shared their ideology) and a newly instated "Special Comment" feature also helped boost the show's ratings and his popularity.
[edit] Features
Olbermann presented mainly political news on Countdown with a liberal point of view. The vast majority of the political analysts and politicians featured on the program are also liberal. The name "Countdown" refers to the way the show presents its top stories: counting down from the top story (five) which was the most important and had the most time dedicated to it, to a less important story (one).
In 2004 Countdown featured its first "Worst Person in the World" segment which highlighted three people, labeled "worse," "worser," and "worst," who had made some sort of comment or some sort of action that Olbermann viewed as very shameful or nasty. Bill O'Reilly was often featured in this segment which fueled the rivalry. Other figures who were often criticized in this segment and throughout the show include George Bush, Rupert Murdoch, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Dick Cheney, Sean Hannity, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Donald Rumsfeld and other prominent Republicans and Fox News pundits.
In 2006 Olbermann introduced his "Special Comment" segment, focusing on then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Although it wasn't featured daily, it became probably the most notable feature of Countdown. At the end of the show, Olbermann would address his audience concerning the actions of one person or group or a certain issue that he found particularly egregious. His intense criticism of his subject during the Special Comment has given him a lot of attention and controversy.[2]
[edit] Departure from MSNBC
Soon after the suspension by MSNBC for donating money to Democratic candidates, Olbermann left the network (it is unclear, however, if the suspension controversy played a role in his departure). His contract had expired and Olbermann moved his show to Current TV where it premiered in June of 2011 and ran until March 30th 2012.
[edit] Criticism
Olbermann has been criticized for being the liberal counterpart of O'Reilly. Critics consider him to be equally obnoxious and rude as the aforementioned Fox News host. Olbermann is known for engaging in ad hominem attacks against his opponents.
[edit] Currently
He now serves the mouse on ESPN going back to sports where he cut his teeth. Though his powerful diatribes haven't gone anywhere.[3] To prove that he can be a frothing lunatic about anything, for some unknown reason in September 2014 he decided to go on a bizarre tirade calling Derek Jeter a subpar baseball player; Jeter is the one thing in this world that Democrats and Republicans, to say nothing of New Yorkers and Bostonians, can agree on. Needless to say, a quick slapdown from everyone else who has ever watched a baseball game ensued.[4] Unless you're Skip Bayless, of course.
[edit] External Links
- MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann
- Friends of Keith (FOK) News, his blog since late February 2011
- One Angry Man, The New Yorker
