Something I found in a broadcasting industry column - what MSNBC really did to Olbermann

[calimary]

It's from the LARadio.com site. If you're a radio freak, especially here in L.A. it's really worth it to subscribe. Since Olbermann was on the air out here for quite awhile, he's still of interest.

The headline is "Olbermann Suspended Over $$."

(snip)

"In the world of inflated egos and paychecks, the word from an inside source at NBC is that Keith Olbermann was suspended because he was making too much money and balked at pay cuts. To end the internal strife, MSNBC used a violation in contributing to three political candidates as the reason to dump him to get his attention.

"With so many changes in the media landscape, if you follow the money, often times the reason behind decisions and actions become apparent. We have had recent examples of belt-tightening in the local tv news arena. One 17-year anchor was asked to take a 50% pay cut and politely declined thinking he could do better elsewhere. He couldn't and ended up with a further compromise and eventually found himself no longer on the air. Another highly visible tv anchor for decades quietly retired recently after suffering through four pay cuts and when asked for a fifth, he passed. Now he's off the air.

"Quietly behind the scenes, LARP have had to compromise on issues they never thought they would be confronted with - take on extra duties at sister stations, an extra day at no pay, showing up for more sales calls, no pay increases, reduced contract periods, and participation at NTR events, just for the good of the station.

"MSNBC has reinstated Keith Olbermann, the former KNX sports guy, but not before they got his attention. KLAC's Pat O'Brien commented on the initial Olbermann suspension news: "I've known Keith for 20-30 years. I can tell you, right now, he is in a fetal position somewhere alone with the shades drawn. I've been there." What we don't know and may never know, the circumstances and perhaps compromises that Keith had to make in order to come back Tuesday night. Management looks for minutiae to terminate or release employees. Think Juan Williams."

Thought you'd find that interesting.

[Cleita]

1. It certainly adds another dimension to why he

was singled out for what shouldn't even be considered an infraction, supporting the candidates of your choice in your government.

[aquart]

2. I'll take a fly leap and suggest executive bonuses have not been cut.

I'm going to guess they've increased.

[tabatha]

3. And blows Malloy's theory out of the water.

[EFerrari]

4. That *is* interesting. Can you tell me what LARP and NTR means?

I was involved with radio peripherally for a long time and never could understand how people deal with the intransigence and the tight fistedness of the industry. The insecurity would drive me nuts in about a week. :hi:

[calimary]

5. NTR I'm not sure about, but LARP in that column always refers to LA Radio People.

He was a local radio sports guy out here for awhile so he still fits.

It's a very good column. Sort of like a local radio blog bible here in L.A. Lots of local radio gossip and industry insights that you never saw in the L.A. Times. Nobody covers local radio in the L.A. market like it does.

What's always disappointing is that most of the management-versus-talent fights end up with management winning. And lots of people talk about it on LARadio.com. There's always a fair amount of gloating voiced in emails to the column when one of those management types finally gets his.

There was one rather infuriating item that quoted a female general manager as blathering about how important the client was to the radio station, and she said "the most important priority for radio to serve is our advertisers." And I wrote back an email saying "uh... excuse me? The most important priority for radio to serve is YOUR LISTENERS." Several other people did, too. But that mentality is there in spades. After I submitted my comments I stopped for a moment and thought - gee, that's one GM who'll never hire me. But fuck it. Besides, I'm out of range now anyway (retired).

[EFerrari]

7. Good to know! Thanks. n/t

[dgibby]

9. She'd make a great congresswoman. Is she going to run? n/t

[Kookaburra]

6. This makes much more sense than the

reason MSNBC was offering.

It's always about the $$, in't it?

[Warpy]

11. It's either money or a pissing contest between two colossal egos

and I was always betting he'd mooned management, at least metaphorically.

[Kalyke]

8. Somehow I doubt he's in a fetal position.

He's made several million over the past few years. I'm doubting he needs work.

[dgibby]

10. I agree.

If anybody's in a fetal position, I'd be betting it's management, not Keith.

[orwell]

12. I could retire...

...on 1 month of his salary.

[stopbush]

13. It's not only about the $ with celebrities like KO.

The $ is simply the tangible evidence of the intangibles you bring to the job.

I'm quite sure that KO believes his informed opinion is his biggest asset, not his bank account.

Sure, he could retire this minute a very rich man and spend the rest of his life going to sporting events or whatever he likes to do in his spare time. But that's not what he's all about. He's driven to do exactly what he's doing. He's created a bit of an empire for himself, even if it's in a niche market.

That's what's important to him.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. I wondered if he would be forced to compromise.

[LiberalFighter]

15. If NBC is really serious about cutting their costs then they should

cut the salaries of their management and their news personalities. Excluding Maddow, KO, Schultz and other of our supporters.

[gkhouston]

16. More likely, this article was written by a tentacle attached to MSNBC, which is

trying to save face.

[pacalo]

17. Thanks for sharing that information with us, calimary.

Just a light thought here -- your clever find reminds me of Melanie Griffith's key find in an entertainment magazine in the movie "Working Girl". This information sounds very likely.

[KharmaTrain]

18. One Problem...His Contract

It's an industrywide trend to downscale in broadcasting. I know a lot of people who are working more hours for less money and glad they have a job. But most of them don't have contracts and for the ones who did it was when their deals ended that they were given the choice of working without a deal and having a job or adios.

Keith's situation is far different...the only way he could take less money is if he renegotiated his deal and he'd be crazy to. Just cause there's a supposed breach doesn't give NBC/Uni the right to renegotiate. If it was a deliberate act, maybe he could be terminated...maybe but not renegotiated.

No doubt there's a lot of egos at play and I suspect the ham-handed way MSNBC handled this the egos just got a bit bigger...but glad to see Keith will be back tomorrow night.

[calimary]

20. Egos is certainly a key word here. And MSNBC evidently has a lot of egg on its ego.

Did you see this other thread:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9511468

Quotes The Plum Line in the Washington Post:

The speed of MSNBC's reversal shows how tenuous their case against Olbermann was from the outset. What's particularly surprising is that the network seems to have been caught completely off guard by the magnitude of the backlash to the original suspension and the P.R. disaster that resulted -- another sign of the folly of its continuing equivocation about the liberal identity that's been responsible for much of its success.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/11/the_morning_plum_126.html

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the wording chosen here! I'm a big advocate of PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT. They sure are "managing" the perception about MSNBC here! All to the bad. :rofl:

Here's what I posted:

Telling phrases applied - including:

"The speed of MSNBC's reversal shows how tenuous their case against Olbermann was from the outset. What's particularly surprising is that the network seems to have been caught completely off guard by the magnitude of the backlash to the original suspension and the P.R. disaster that resulted..."

Get that?

-- "MSNBC's reversal" (word choice implies they had to back down)
-- "shows how tenuous their case against Olbermann was from the outset" (proves their case wasn't as rock solid as many assumed)
-- "seems to have been caught completely offguard" (they misread things HORRIBLY: MSNBC management = boy are they idiots! guess who winds up looking bad here? ALSO indicates - um ... gee .. well, I guess there really ARE large numbers of liberals/progressives we HAVE to pay attention to after all... um... election --- um... doesn't compute... what to do... besides fuck things up...)
-- "magnitude of the backlash" (liberals/progressives don't have a voice and don't deserve one and the election just proved it, so we can start fucking with them = WRONG WRONG WRONG, boy did management misread THAT one! The rumors of our iminent demise have been greatly exaggerated.)
And my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE:
-- "and the P.R. disaster that resulted" (WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! The good guys WON that particular PR war. VERY significant. PR is all it's about anymore. It's PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT. That's all it is, in politics and pop culture and everything else. It's not what you actually ARE. It's what people THINK you are. MSNBC management thought they had the situation, and us, sussed. They blew it. They blew it in public. They blew it for everyone everywhere to see and it blew up all over the internet and their phone lines and their email addresses which all had to be shut down or had been broken down. Wonder if any Dems in Congress bothered to take note? In this day and age, you win by winning the PR wars. And MSNBC management did everything BUT.)

It's a good day for the good guys! Now we should focus on making as much hay out of this as possible - both against MSNBC management (reminding them who's REALLY boss - it's the viewers THEY SERVE!!!) and with our reps.

This is and can be - and SHOULD BE progressives' and liberals' "you woke the sleeping giant" moment.

[K8-EEE]

19. LMAO Pat O'Brien = "come do coke & sex with me" phone message

Wow I think he is a SUPER EXTRA BIG ASSHOLE putting him and his "fetal position" issues in the same category as Keith!! Nor do I think that 300,000 people or even 3 people cared if Pat was on the air or not! Ridiculous assumption!

[LawnLover]

21. I don't buy a word of this

Olbermann is under contract. He's not about to lose his job OR his pay until his contract is up. Now, if he's at the end of his contract and negotiating a new one, then yes, this would make sense. But I don't think that's the case.