Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on February 2, 2010

MSNBC's left-wing extremist Keith Olbermann's viewership numbers dropping

Can you believe that MSNBC gave Keith Olbermann a raise? He was previously making $4 million a year — a huge salary — but then, a raise he received last year jumped that figure up to $7.5 million a year now. Almost double. Must be nice. With the network’s news viewership dropping during the worst economic recession in decades to boot.

MSNBC deserves to be losing money hand over fist with this pompous, unhinged lunatic.

From Daily Finance: Is America Getting Over Keith Olbermann?:

Keith Olbermann was already a renowned sportscaster when he rose to prominence as a political commentator. This was during the Bush Administration, when the left was badly in need of a forceful voice to rally around. Such was his popularity that MSNBC reoriented its entire primetime lineup around it.

But now the Democrats control Congress and the White House, and there are creeping indications that the world may not have quite as much need of — or patience for — Olbermann and his shtick as it once did.

Ratings for Olbermann’s Countdown have been soft recently, and the 8 p.m. shows on CNN and HLN have narrowed the gap. In the important demographic of adults 25 to 54 — the group advertisers are looking to reach — Countdown was down 44% year-over-year in January. It averaged 268,000 viewers in that demo, only 3,000 more than Nancy Grace’s show on HLN, and 12,000 more than CNN’s Campbell Brown. Fox News’s O’Reilly Factor dominated the hour with 964,000 viewers age 25 to 54, and was the only cable news show in the time period to increase its audience, by 55%.

But there are also more subjective signs that Olbermann’s stridency and lack of proportion are alienating some of his natural allies. Quite a few eyebrows elevated last week when Jon Stewart, in a parody of one of Olbermann’s “Special Comment” segments, called out the newsman for going way over the top in his denunciations of Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts. The criticism was all the more remarkable, given that Stewart and Olbermann usually take the same side on most issues, especially when it comes to Fox News and the Republicans.

Olbermann’s overheated rhetoric also drew a sharp response from Joe Scarborough, MSNBC’s house conservative, who called his fellow host’s attack on Brown “reckless” and “sad.” The exchange (and a few earlier, similar incidents) inspired network president Phil Griffin to issue a stern memo admonishing his charges: “We do not publicly criticize our colleagues. This kind of behavior is unprofessional and will not be tolerated.”

Griffin, not surprisingly, says he doesn’t believe Olbermann’s recent hiccups are part of any larger trend. “Keith has been our tentpole,” he says. “I watch the show every night. It’s a great show. It’s as smart and clever and fun as any out there, and I’m pleased with where we are.”

This was published at Pop Matters before Olby got his almost-doubled salary increase:

At an estimated $4 million a year, he’s the highest-paid on-air talent at the network. As part of his new four-year deal, he’ll also do occasional essays for “NBC Nightly News” and prime-time “Countdown” specials for NBC.

Video rewind: As was mentioned in the Daily Finance piece, I’m including the Jon Stewart parody that smacks Olbermann for his outrageous, vicious attacks on Scott Brown — but in case you missed it the first time, here it is again:

Daily Show: Jon Stewart Brilliantly Slams Keith Olbermann for His Violent Rants Against Scott Brown, Michelle Malkin, and Others

Related reading:
Radio Vice Online: Olbermann calls Scott Brown worst person in the world
I Hate The Media: Desperation: Olbermann calls Scott Brown a homophobic racist who supports violence against women.
Diary of a Mad Conservative: We can only hope Olbermann’s on the ropes
Hot Air: Scarborough blasts Olbermann for smearing Brown
NewsBusters: Radio’s Steve Malzberg Fact-checks Olbermann’s Brown Rants
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Warrior Justice: Jon Stewart Slices & Dices Left-wing Crazy Keith Olbermann for His Violent Rants Against Scott Brown & Michelle Malkin (video) and Absurd & Vile: Olbermann & His Racist Smears Against Massachusetts, Brown, & Truck Owners (video)
Nice Deb: Sore Loser Olbermann: Doubling Down On Yesterday’s Anti- Brown Idiocy and Sore Loser Olbermann: Brown Win A “Euphemism” For Racism or Something and Olbermann: Scott Brown Is “Irresponsible, Homophobic, Racist, Reactionary, Ex-Swimsuit Nude Model, Teabagging, Supporter Of Violence Against Women and Against Politicians with whom He Disagrees” and Tea Party Express Kick-Off Rallies In CA A Huge Success – To Keith Olbermann’s Dismay
Patterico’s Pontifications: Keith Olbermann Owes James O’Keefe a Correction
Gateway Pundit: Crazy Fool at MSNBC Continues to Smear Scott Brown (Video) and Olbermann On Scott Brown: In Short We Have an Irresponsible, Homophobic, Racist, Reactionary, Ex-Nude Model, Teabagging… (Video) and Olbermann Compares Brit Hume to Jihadists and Michele Bachmann: “I’m Certainly Not Going to Fear the Likes of Keith Olbermann” (Video)
Scared Monkeys: MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann Goes Mental … “In Short We Have an Irresponsible, Homophobic, Racist, Reactionary, Ex-Nude Model, Teabagging…”
The Right Scoop: Olbermann: Scott Brown is a homophobic racist
Michelle Malkin: Clown who called me “big mashed up bag of meat with lipstick” says Scott Brown hates women and The indelible whiteness of MSNBC
The Hot Joints: Predictable: Olbermann Calls Scott Brown A Homophobic Racist
Carpe Diem: Olbermann Cries Racism in Massachusetts Uprising
Story Balloon: Keith Olbermann On Scott Brown: In short, in Scott Brown we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex nude model, tea bagging..
Andrew Marcus, Big Government: White House Spintacular: ‘Scott Brown Win Is A Referendum Against Bush Years’
NewsReal: Olbermann Says Glenn Beck and others brought Van Jones down because they are racist.
Mark Finkelstein, NewsBusters: Massachusetts: Olbermann Cries Racism
Olbermann Watch: How Long Will NBC Tolerate Keith Olbermann’s Racist Comments?
The Angry White Guy: Typical liberals when you can’t win – smear.
Political Byline: Olbermann smears Scott Brown, beclowns himself
Thomas Del Beccaro, Big Government: Between Barack and A Hard Place — The Lesson of ’68 Looms for Democrats
GayPatriot: Brown Victory: “The Most Significant Non-Presidential Election”?
Greg Gutfeld, Big Hollywood: Daily Gut: ‘Teabaggers’ Tuesday Triumph
The Raw Story: Scarborough slams Olbermann’s rant against ‘homophobic, racist’ Brown

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