Kurtz: Vicious Infighting at NBC News (re: Olbermann)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Kurtz in a real a-hole but it's an interesting, gossipy (and long) article.

Vicious Infighting at NBC News
by Howard Kurtz
Howard Kurtz is The Daily Beast's Washington bureau chief.

Keith Olbermann was having dinner with his manager at an Upper East Side restaurant, chewing over their battle to lift his suspension at MSNBC, when Phil Griffin called. Michael Price stepped out of the Atlantic Grill to talk to MSNBC’s president, leaving his client with a platter of 18 oysters. It was Sunday, Nov. 7, and Price informed Griffin that if they couldn’t resolve their differences quickly, Olbermann would take his complaints public by accepting invitations from Good Morning America, David Letterman, and Larry King.

Keith Olbermann was having dinner with his manager at an Upper East Side restaurant, chewing over their battle to lift his suspension at MSNBC, when Phil Griffin called. Michael Price stepped out of the Atlantic Grill to talk to MSNBC’s president, leaving his client with a platter of 18 oysters. It was Sunday, Nov. 7, and Price informed Griffin that if they couldn’t resolve their differences quickly, Olbermann would take his complaints public by accepting invitations from Good Morning America, David Letterman, and Larry King.

“Why are you putting us in the position where you’re daring us to do this?” Price demanded, his voice rising. “If you go on GMA, I will fire Keith,” Griffin shot back. Such a move was clearly grounds for dismissal.

. . .

Even those who admired Olbermann’s broadcasting skills felt that his behavior, such as making his staff leave notes outside his door rather than speaking to him, had gone too far. He was a royal pain, they said, and management had become exhausted trying to rein him in.

. . .

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-11-14/keith-olbermanns-civil-war-with-nbc-executives-over-campaign-donations/?cid=hp:mainpromo4

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I read that as "viscous" infighting.....made me curious.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. Thanks. (fixed)

[gkhouston]

3. Nice knife you have there, Mr. Kurtz. Who sharpened it for you? n/t

[damntexdem]

4. Without Keith and Rachel, there would be no reason to watch MSNBC.

The rest is moderate-light, outright rightwing, or prison-porn trash.

[gratuitous]

5. Oh, no doubt

And Kurtz is just the guy to carry that water, all the while protecting his source(s). But isn't it interesting to see even now what sort of nonsense people want to peddle just to get back at Olbermann for annoying and then embarrassing Boss Griffin?

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. Kurtz is probably one of America's MOST corrupt media personalities

If dishonesty and corruption were water, Kurtz would be the Pacific Ocean!

[leveymg]

6. Ex-WaPo Kurtz is a putz and no friend of Olbermann or progressives.

I wouldn't give this story much credence beyond the threat to fire Keith, which everyone already knew.

[sabrina 1]

8. Keith must be doing something right.

All the mainstream 'journalists' who failed in their jobs over the past decade at least, are targeting Keith these days.

Ted Koppel who airc, never challenged the Bush lies or Fox. Puppet, Howie Kurtz who never hid HIS partisanship that I recall.

Jealousy and a fear that someone who is actually doing the kind of journalism THEY failed to do, giving us eight years of destruction under Bush, is exposing them for their cowardice.

I hope they keep it up. The more they talk about Keith, the better his ratings.

[shraby]

9. If I recall correctly, last year or the year before, Howie

said something out of line on Olbermann and that was the end of Howie on MSNBC. Is it payback time for Howie?

[Cleita]

10. Who cares what that has been Kurtz or what Tom Brokaw says.

Neither have much credibility left as journalists.

[Supersedeas]

11. just how much focus can Corp Howie the Beltway Shill focus, mention and elaborate on 18 oysters

Gossip -- that's as much journalism as Howie can handle between cocktail hours with the well-connected.