The MSNBC suspension of KO is all about money.

[spooky3]

Yes, that's how cynical I am.

1) Keith WILL be back because his ratings are excellent. Advertisers are paying for time on his show and MSNBC is in the business of getting advertising $.

2) The more controversy about this decision, the happier MSNBC is. Free publicity. Keith's ratings will be sky high when he returns.

Ah, capitalism...

[fadedrose]

1. Wow, the ratings on his first show back - wow.....eom

[eleny]

2. absolutely

[bbgrunt]

3. Yeah, it's all about money--the money

that comes to the reich wing corporate establishments when they have complete control of all the media in the country and can totally control the conversation and congress. Ever heard of cut-throat competition where you drive out all your competitors by taking short-run losses--in the end you control the whole shebang.

$ doesn't mean shit here. They canned Phil Donahue while he was the most popular program they had--all because he might talk against the war in Iraq.

[rurallib]

4. Agreed - In totallity Olbermann's audience is not that large

MSNBC could be a FUX clone and survive.
My impression is that Comcast is trying to assert its control. If it is one thing wingers love it is controlling others.

[spooky3]

5. The internet has expanded greatly since then. This is all over the internet

whereas you heard very little about Phil Donahue at the time.

How exactly do you propose that MSNBC is going to drive out Faux News by firing Keith and taking losses?

[bbgrunt]

7. I didn't say they were going to drive out faux news--their

objective is to drive out any liberal voice. Just like the 150 channels you may get with cable, they are mostly repeats of old programs and reality crap. You will have multiple "news" stations repeating all right wing pap and propaganda. It's worth the short run loss if you can convince everyone that liberal ideas simply don't exist because it isn't on the tv.

edited to add: and guess what corporate amerika wants in regard to net neutrality? hang on to that internet!

[spooky3]

8. well, that's what your analogy implies

The Wal-Marts of the world who undercut the competition want to get rid of other businesses that make money in the same industry.

In this case, MSNBC would be shooting itself in the foot to get rid of Keith, especially if they can't replace him with a conservative @#*%&(* who can get better ratings than Faux.

[bbgrunt]

9. sorry if my analogy was misleading. Maybe a more

appropriate way of looking at it is the way the right wing flooded all the radio markets with Limbaugh by providing his content free to many markets (and taking big losses) to get control of talk radio. Bigger money is at stake than the loss of KO's program is all I'm saying.

[McCamy Taylor]

6. It is all about Obama saying "no" to Cap & Trade two days ago.

KO is getting the boot as GE tries to blackmail Obama into pushing for Cap & Trade again. Cap & Trade will make GE a lot of money. GE is now mad as hell at Obama when they ought to be mad at the Koch Brothers and their oil funded Tea Party.