Olbermann and Matthews: "Little By Little, The Slippery Slope Lost its Ground"

[DeepModem Mom]

TV Newser: Monday, Sep 08
"Little By Little, The Slippery Slope Lost its Ground"



A lot of the talk inside NBC and MSNBC today is not about the campaigns, or Hurricane Ike or the markets; it's about today's news that Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews have been removed as co-anchors for MSNBC's political coverage. TVNewser talked with several NBC and MSNBC insiders for their reaction and what the mood is like today. The comments range from 'it needed to happen' to asking, 'what's next?'

An NBC News executive believes the Olbermann-Matthews pairing was dicey almost from the start — on the night of the New Hampshire primary, when Olbermann and others on his panel mocked John McCain's victory speech. "It evolved into the monster that it is, and no one was minding the image," says the executive. "They banked on the team to do the events, and little by little the slippery slope lost its ground." An NBC News correspondent told us, it was "a move that needed to happen. There was a perception in the political world that what was going on at MSNBC was bleeding over into NBC News. It was an easy front for the GOP to exploit and thus a shake-up needed to happen."

Olbermann emailed the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz with his reasoning for the change. "Phil (Griffin) and I have debated this set-up since late winter/early spring (with me saying, 'Are you sure this flies?' and him saying, 'Yes, but let's judge it event by event') and I think we both reached the same point during the RNC." In fact, it all came to a head Thursday night after Olbermann made...comments (about the showing of a 9/11 tribute at the GOP Convention). An MSNBC insider tells us the discussions continued Friday and that Saturday the decision was made. "It's important to note that we don't see this as a diminishing of Keith and Chris' role," says the insider. "They're still going to be front and center, it's just that we're adding David to the mix as anchor."

In Washington, home base for 11-year MSNBC veteran Matthews, the perception is that he has become the fall guy. "There's a real sense of unfairness that Chris is being made to pay for Keith's behavior. Not just on Chris' part — others at the network recognize it, too," a person close to the situation tells us.

As for the future, the NBC News exec tells us, "From an executive level, I don't know what they're thinking. Is Gregory the answer? Who knows? But there's a lot at stake." MSNBC decision-makers are also quick to make clear that Olbermann is still the anchor for big news stories, just not politics. Olbermann signed a contract extension last year that keeps him at the peacock until 2011, with an extension until 2013 in the works. Matthews' deal with MSNBC is up next year, and the MSNBC insider we talked to says it's unclear what Matthews is thinking.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/little_by_little_the_slippery_slope_lost_its_ground_93811.asp

[fascisthunter]

1. Fuck You MSNBC.... you are Doing This Because Ya Wanted to...

this so-called excuse is exactly what you needed to silence a couple voices that didn't go along with your conservative ideology. Fuck you and the fascists that own you.

[On the Road]

2. Looks Like MSNBC Did This

because they are subordinate to NBC.

[fascisthunter]

4. and subordinate to a pro-corporate echelon which is antithetical to Democrats,

populists, and most people calling out Republicans....

[lynnertic]

3. oh you KNOW you're going to watch anyway, even with Gregory as babysitter.

I bet you can't help yourself

:evilgrin:

It's all being treated like a sports game. Shameful.

[fascisthunter]

5. actually, I watch very little network (corporately controlled)news....

so I may just skip it.....

[dbonds]

6. Lots of right wingers posting comments on that site.

KO is one of the best journalist on TV. Rachel Maddow will be there along side him. Gregory is tool.

[Muttocracy]

7. retreating from Maddow's rise at MSNBC too? nt

[louis-t]

8. This PROVES that 'liberal media bias' is fake.

The corporate masters would never allow it.

[orleans]

9. chris as fall guy? bullshit. he's the one who has those little orgasms

with tingling legs over the sight of various republikas.

maybe they popped them off because tweet couldn't contain himself--and his disgusting sensations. ewwwww....

also, i remember keith and chris got into a "thing" during the dnc. i forget what it was about--but they were getting kind of pissed off at each other. (naturally, i was siding with keith)

[bkkyosemite]

10. I have noticed on MSNBC in that last couple of days they have been pushing the Palin story more and

more. I watched MSNBC because of Keith........I will watch less......because of NBC and what they did to Keith......