Keith Olbermann was fired

[nslay]

I just came across this here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/jan/22/keith-olbermann-msnbc-nbc-terminated

WOW. I didn't like his show, but I think that's a little harsh. Either the new owners did it or he did something really bad. I think the former.

[Sidoh]

Hasn't he been suspended for months now?

Ah -- in reading the article, it looks like he was suspended a few months ago, but was reinstated shortly after.  I guess I wasn't too surprised to read this headline knowing that the network cheese didn't really approve of him.

[nslay]

Hasn't he been suspended for months now?

Yeah, but he came back on the air according to that article.

[Sidoh]

Hasn't he been suspended for months now?

Yeah, but he came back on the air according to that article.

(see edit)

I'm not really sure how I felt about Olbermann.  I didn't watch his stuff enough to have a strong opinion about him.  The few bits I did watch led me to believe he was far more eloquent and well-mannered than most of the pundits on television, but maybe that's because he just sticks to a script.

What's the consensus here?  Is this good or bad news?

[nslay]

Hasn't he been suspended for months now?

Yeah, but he came back on the air according to that article.

(see edit)

I'm not really sure how I felt about Olbermann.  I didn't watch his stuff enough to have a strong opinion about him.  The few bits I did watch led me to believe he was far more eloquent and well-mannered than most of the pundits on television, but maybe that's because he just sticks to a script.

What's the consensus here?  Is this good or bad news?

I used to watch him a bit before the 2008 democratic nominations but grew fed up with his bias and stopped watching MSNBC altogether. However, if Fox can have biased right-wing commentators, I think it's good to have some left-wing commentators too. Olbermann was definitely left-wing.

I don't like political commentary much and I hate the fact that news networks start airing commentary at around 5pm when everyone comes home from work. All the news networks, including Fox, air actual news throughout the day. It's only the political commentary that's biased. Political commentary is like the blog of news.

[Rule]

Awhile ago he was suspended because he openly endorsed a Democratic candidate.  However, he returned from his suspension and continued broadcasting.  He may not have been recently fired.  MSNBC was coming under new management and wanted to change things.  Olbermann left a week before this happened.  It could have been his decision.

As far as his broadcasting...  

I do not feel strongly.  He is a bit deluded and annoyingly arrogant.  Also, I like some objectivity in news and he's not objective at all.  

That said he is passionate, talented, and reasonably articulate.  I just didn't enjoy his show overall.  It felt like a chore to watch it for more than 5 minutes.  A lot of self congratulatory bullshit.  He so obviously likes the sound of his own voice it's annoying.  

I think he's a decent guy though and I can see how people would like his show.  I'm glad he is a figure in journalism, but he's not to my taste.

[Rule]

I was trying to figure out why I didn't enjoy his program, besides the egoism, etc., and I think I have it now.  He always seemed a bit 'unstable', on the edge, out of control, overly emotional.  I think this is good if it happens from time to time -- it makes for passionate journalism -- but if someone is like that all the time they are stressful to be around.  Watching his show was stressful.

[while1]

Awhile ago he was suspended because he openly endorsed a Democratic candidate.  However, he returned from his suspension and continued broadcasting.  He may not have been recently fired.  MSNBC was coming under new management and wanted to change things.  Olbermann left a week before this happened.  It could have been his decision.

As far as his broadcasting...  

I do not feel strongly.  He is a bit deluded and annoyingly arrogant.  Also, I like some objectivity in news and he's not objective at all.  

That said he is passionate, talented, and reasonably articulate.  I just didn't enjoy his show overall.  It felt like a chore to watch it for more than 5 minutes.  A lot of self congratulatory bullshit.  He so obviously likes the sound of his own voice it's annoying.  

I think he's a decent guy though and I can see how people would like his show.  I'm glad he is a figure in journalism, but he's not to my taste.

I was trying to figure out why I didn't enjoy his program, besides the egoism, etc., and I think I have it now.  He always seemed a bit 'unstable', on the edge, out of control, overly emotional.  I think this is good if it happens from time to time -- it makes for passionate journalism -- but if someone is like that all the time they are stressful to be around.  Watching his show was stressful.

I agree 100% with your analysis of why I personally couldn't watching his show.  It's definitely like he's in love with his own voice.

He's not as batshit insane as Glenn Beck, but I get the same uneasy feeling watching his show that I get from Glenn Beck's show.  It's a sense of "Oh shit, is this guy just putting on a act or is he genuinely getting all worked up over _____?"

He's also personally not my taste.  Out of all the MSNBC news commentators, I'd say Joe Scarborough is more my taste.  While he may have his own biases and ideological beliefs (who doesn't?), from what I've seen he's more willing to listen and humor opposing points of view and approach a debate from common ground and not from the extreme.  Also, his ego doesn't get in the way of always having to win an argument, but he can concede the validity of points presented by the ideologically opposing view.  Olbermann's guests on his show generally seemed to be only those who shared in his opinions and ideology.

[CrAz3D]

He is an idiot and a dick, but there are plenty of people still on the "air" with similar personalities, so...yeah.