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Monday, November 8, 2010

And The Countdown Continues....

NBC: Olbermann Suspension Ending Tuesday

Keith Olbermann's suspension from msnbc television for donating to three Democratic campaigns will end this coming Tuesday, NBC announced Sunday night. according to a story at msnbc.com.   Olbermann was suspended indefinitely Friday for violating NBC News rules about donations.

(Msnbc.com, a joint venture of NBC Universal and Microsoft, also has a policy against its journalists contributing to political campaigns.)

In a statement released Sunday evening, Phil Griffin, president of msnbc television, said he had deliberated about Olbermann’s status for several days.

“I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy,” Griffin said. “We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.


On his own Twitter account, Olbermann broke his silence about the suspension  on Sunday. “Greetings From Exile! A quick, overwhelmed, stunned THANK YOU for support that feels like a global hug & obviously left me tweetless XO,” he wrote.

Olbermann Refused On-Camera Mea Culpa

From Mike Allen's Playbook at Politico.com:
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Network sources tell Playbook that Keith Olbermann was suspended because he refused to deliver an on-camera mea culpa, which would have allowed him to continue anchoring “Countdown.”

Olbermann told his bosses he didn't know he was barred from making campaign contributions, although he is resisting saying that publicly.

Olbermann may not hold as many cards as he thinks. He makes $7 million a year, and MSNBC's prime time is not as dependent on him as it was before the addition of Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, who make considerably less.
Also read here:

The Media Equation: Olbermann, Impartiality and MSNBC (David Carr, NYTimes)

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