“Frankly, I knew before Gabby Giffords got shot, several weeks beforehand, that the NBC experience was coming to a close,” Olbermann told Marisa Guthrie. “I think the smart ones [colleagues] suspected something was up, because every night I was leaving with various objects from my office.”
But the deal to get out of his contract wasn’t sealed until the 8:30 commercial break, so his staff didn’t find out for sure until he announced it on the air.
His suspension for campaign donations also played a role, though he was less forthcoming about that.
“It seemed like this huge thing externally,” he said. “Internally, it was like, ‘OK, put that on the list.’”
A source told the Hollywood Reporter that it was simply the last straw. “At that point, I think they [MSNBC management] were looking for the straw that would break the camel’s back,” the source said. “I don’t know what’s less than a straw, a thread, an eyelash? He apologized. He took a suspension. It wasn’t a big amount of money. It wasn’t a big newsmaker that he made the donation to. It was a fairly minor infraction. But I think they were looking for some reason to end the relationship.”
MSNBC declined to comment, though the Reporter notes that neither side would confirm the reported existence of a non-disparagement pact.
Now Olbermann is about to launch a new version of “Countdown” on Current TV that competes directly with his old slot at 8 p.m.
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