MSNBC Almost Brought Back Olbermann to Replace Maddow

[ificandream]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Spazito (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: The Daily Beast/By Lachlan Cartwright

To fill its upcoming Rachel Maddow void, MSNBC almost took a time machine back to the good old days of 2011.

Keith Olbermann, who shaped the network’s liberal voice before being canned more than a decade ago, was in lengthy discussions with NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and news boss Cesar Conde to return to MSNBC and take over the key 9 p.m. time slot, the former Countdown host told Source Material.

(snip)

“I offered to have her production company ‘produce’ the show. Would give her some proxy control and a fuckton of money but she and [former MSNBC chief-turned-consultant to Maddow’s production company] Phil Griffin refused,” Olbermann told Source Material, claiming that the network also offered him a show in 2016.

“I do not expect to continue negotiations with the successors to this management team,” he added. “Management is worse than asleep at the switch.” MSNBC declined to comment in response.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-almost-brought-back-keith-olbermann-to-replace-rachel-maddow?ref=home

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Please, MSNBC, make this happen. Please ....

[DURHAM D]

1. No we don't. nt

[orleans]

18. "no we don't" what? nt

[elleng]

2. "Management is worse than asleep at the switch."

[msongs]

3. bad mouthing the company where he wants to work? theres a job strategy nt

[NJCher]

16. Because it's not worth it to him

They obviously wanted something he wasn’t willing to give.

[gab13by13]

34. Keith was willing to use Maddow's production crew.

[NJCher]

47. that's great, but

to focus in a little more on what I meant, they probably asked for concessions he didn't want to make. Couldn't be bothered with.

For example, I am dealing with a bank right now who is offering me an attractive deal, but they want me to jump through some hoops that I don't feel like jumping through. Their deal isn't that meaningful to me that I'll play in their dog and pony show. So I shrugged them off.

Who knows what they asked him to do? Probably keep his sarcastic character in check.

[montanacowboy]

4. Olberman made Rachel Maddow

From the days of Air America

[SoCalDavidS]

5. This Might Have Got Me To Watch A News Channel Again

MSNBC is going to be in for a world of hurt once Rachel's show ends.

[Magoo48]

23. I'll probably never watch corporate owned media again.

Be it radio, internet, or tv; one cannot be both critical of America and anti-war if one is in anyway connected to corporate or government backing. You will lose your platform. From Phil Donahue to Lee Camp to MLK. You will be blackballed or killed. One way or another you’ll find yourself without a platform unless your platform is entirely listener backed. Anyway, Keith probably walks too close to the line of being critical of the USA and being anti-war.

[Big Blue Marble]

6. Why would Maddow veto Olbermann?

Does not make sense, besides he helped make her a star.

[PatSeg]

43. Yeah, I'm trying to understand it

Perhaps a conflict of egos or personalities? I remember a time when Maddow was in awe of Olbermann, he was the master. Now she is holding the 9:00 pm time slot hostage and getting paid an outrageous amount of money to do so. I'd honestly rather watch Keith than Rachel any day. This past year I rarely watched her show anyway.

[crickets]

7. Damn. *sigh*

[JohnSJ]

8. So I guess gossip is LBN now

[ificandream]

9. Read the story. Olbermann confirmed it.

[pnwmom]

17. Of course he did. He's probably pushing it. n/t

[Mr. Evil]

10. Keith won't toe the corporate line.

That's why they labeled him as 'difficult to work with.'

One thing is for certain. Keith will tell the truth. If he makes a mistake or some other factual error he corrects himself asap. I've seen him do it on-air.

Right now, with all that is at stake on this planet, I'd trust him more than anyone to give me the information I need to help me make potential life decisions. News isn't supposed to be entertainment, it's supposed to be the brutal truth.

[ificandream]

11. Which is why I hope a deal will be made somehow. We really could use him now.

[Mr. Evil]

12. You can sure say that again!

[PlutosHeart]

13. I wish he would be able to return

I might watch MSNBC again.
Was also under the impression he made Maddow and wasn't she part of the reason he lost his job? Could be wrong but I recall something about that.

[PatSeg]

45. Maybe move Hayes to the 9:00 pm slot

and give Olbermann the 8:00 pm slot - that was the time slot he had before he left MSNBC anyway.

[lucca18]

15. I would love to see Keith Olbermann back on MSNBC!

So disappointed!

[BigmanPigman]

14. Bringing Keith back would increase their ratings...MSNBC is foolish

[FreepFryer]

19. Keith olbermann is the source of this leak? Pricelss. Toxic, bitchy, dysfunctional.

Time for some new people, Olbermann brings nothing new to the table, this story is proof.

[Wanderlust988]

20. MSNBC sucks since Olbermann left...but yet they keep wallflower Chris Hayes??

I'd rather watch watch grass grow than his boring ass show. I don't understand how he keeps a primetime spot and they let Keith go?

[gab13by13]

36. Aha, I see you picked one of the 3 people who I watch on msnbc,

Chris is one of the few cable news anchors who understands what is going on. Hayes isn't a teleprompter reader like the rest are. Funny how the right tried to get rid of Chris just because his wife ran for political office, as dreaded Democrat.

Once msnbc gets rid of Chris and Nicolle, the purge will be complete.

[Paladin]

41. Here, let me help you out.

Chuck Todd and Ari Melber both suck big-time. Olbermann would be a vast improvement over either of them.

[PatSeg]

46. I really like Chris Hayes' show

Now with Brian Williams gone, I often catch up on the news by watching Chris Hayes. He is very interesting and informative. As I recall, Olbermann helped further Hayes' career as well as Maddow's. I doubt that either one of them would have an MSNBC show if not for Olbermann.

[OhioTim]

21. CNN Has A Better Newsroom..

but I do watch some MSNBC. Some of their hosts are quite average. Don't trust Scarboro as he often talks about his conservative leanings. Would like to see Keith up against Carlson. That would get viewers. Tucker is a bomb thrower and so is Keith.

[Auggie]

22. Clash of styles IMO (Olbermann/RMS production team). Maddow made the right move.

[gab13by13]

33. Keith offered to use her production team to produce the show.

[Vinca]

24. If Keith can't fill in for Rachel, then put him somewhere else. He's a voice that needs to be heard!

[Mike Nelson]

25. Hmm...

... well, I like Velshi best, so far. He should have a regular, M-F, prime-time show. I would watch Keith, too... he does have more of a bomb-thrower style, but FOX has them, so why not MSNBC? Bombs get ratings... Maybe money is a problem. They have to pay Rachel big money for whatever her new role is, and Keith would be more big money.

[hlthe2b]

27. Velshi, to me is the best fit for that time slot... and he has earned it over the past several years

multiple times over, apparently filling in for the network whenever they needed no matter how crappy the timeslot, and doing so with unmatched professionalism. I have always liked Keith's honesty, but he is a determined rabble-rouser. While we'd all enjoy watching him go after F...ker Carlson and the rest on Fox and RW media, TFG, and the rest, I'm sure there is a reticence among Network Suits to so directly go into "battle mode."

[gab13by13]

30. Exactly, MSNBC is moving farther to the right,

people better get used to it. I fully expect Chris Hayes and Nicolle Wallace to be next out the door and then I won't have a reason to watch cable news. I will listen to Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann on Sirius.

[Joinfortmill]

40. I love Velshi. Wish he had a prime time show.

[Mr. Sparkle]

26. I like Keith, really miss him from Tv, but he shoots himself in the foot

been so difficult to work with.

[bucolic_frolic]

28. 2022 isn't 2011, Olbermann is older, and his YouTube series edgy even angry

Ranting old man is not a good cultural fit

[gab13by13]

32. You mean like Fox?

How are its ratings?

[Wuddles440]

35. Did I miss something?

"Ranting old man" perfectly describes the (dick)head of the previous administration and an individual who commands the adoration of tens of millions of our fellow citizens (i.e. cultist) and their media. Sorry, but I think a progressive voice that's "edgy, even angry' is just what's needed in these perilous times. I'm tired of the vanilla and squishy broadcasts - it's time to get vocal!

[bucolic_frolic]

37. It would be preaching to the choir in my view /nt

[Wuddles440]

39. Well,..

yes, that's the point! We need a voice(s) that powerfully amplify progressive messages and inform the masses of such. Timid and cowardly is neither inspirational nor aspirational.

[gab13by13]

29. Olbermann made concessions, but was shot down,

I keep telling people that MSNBC is not liberal, COMCAST is owned by Vanguard and BlackRock.

MSNBC doesn't want to move any further left than it is right now and believe me, it's not liberal.

Olbermann, who helped develop the network's voice before he was ousted in 2011, told The Daily Beast's "Source Material" that he was deep into negotiations with NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell and news chief Cesar Conde to return to MSNBC in the 9 p.m. weeknight spot before Maddow intervened.

“I offered to have her production company ‘produce’ the show," Olbermann said. "Would give her some proxy control and a f*ckton of money but she and [former MSNBC chief-turned-consultant to Maddow’s production company] Phil Griffin refused."

“I do not expect to continue negotiations with the successors to this management team,” he added. “Management is worse than asleep at the switch.”

[gab13by13]

31. Face the facts people,

cable news will soon be unwatchable, as it is now I only watched Rachel, Nicolle, and Chris. We can't have a fair and balanced major cable news network if our nation flips to an autocracy.

[Joinfortmill]

38. Okay, so I think I get why Rachel may have vetoed Keith, if she did..

Keith is passionate and edgy (he is and we all know it). Rachel is calm, thorough, and methodical (somethimes her emotions break through). It's a bit like oil and water. Keith is about his opinion on everything. Rachel is about the facts on everything. Just saying.

[gab13by13]

42. I think the problem is that,

Keith deals in inconvenient facts at times.

The way I see it; Keith would have increased ratings and revenue for msnbc, so that tells me that msnbc is purging progressive content.

Most likely, I don't know this, moderate Democrats probably don't like Keith.

Maintaining the right wing narratives, talking points, is critical for the GQP, and it is tremendously underrated. The narrative that the right is pushing now is that president Biden should be doing more in Ukraine, that president Biden is weak. Keith would have been a right wing talking point buster. Right now I only see Nicolle and Chris who go against the flow.

Honestly, I think someone got to Rachel, I mean, made her an offer she couldn't refuse. Nicolle and Chris will be next.

[McKim]

44. Yes, MSNBC Might Make Up for "Countdown Iraq"!

Yes, if MSNBC had Keith back they might make up a bit for their shameless war mongering. Their "countdown Iraq" meme with ominous music was sickening, like they could hardly wait to feature the fireworks of "Shock and Awe". We cried in our bed that night while they celebrated this savagery!

[Spazito]

48. *LOCKING*

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