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Olbermann Doesn’t Let Facts Get In Way of Story
We dig Keith Olbermann’s daily “Worst Person in The World” segment, which closes his 8 p.m. program on MSNBC. Since NBC News fired Don Imus in April, it’s the best thing going on MSNBC.
Case in point – Tuesday’s clip exposing CNN anti-immigration apostle Lou Dobbs, who Olbermann calls a hypocrite since the “elitist” horse show jumping industry – supported by Dobbs and his two equestrian daughters – employs countless illegal immigrants to shovel manure.
Olbermann is entertaining, and he is no doubt one of the most talented writers in the TV news business. But he may need to double check some facts before he trashes the competition in his “Worst Person” segments.
Last Friday, Olbermann aimed his cannon at Fox News Channel, citing an incorrect report in MCN sister Variety that Fox courted CNBC star Jim Cramer for its Fox Business Channel before CNBC renewed the contract of the Mad Money host. Olbermann was peeved that Fox responded to the report by criticizing Cramer’s CNBC ratings, and noting that Fox had fired Cramer years ago.
“They [Fox] would kill for Cramer’s ratings,” Olbermann said in the “Worst Person” segment. “Oh, and by the way,” Olbermann added, “Alexis Glick, Liz Claman and Neil Cavuto – the heart of a Fox Business machine being watched by literally dozens of investors – each of them dropped by NBC and CNBC.”
That’s where Olbermann got it wrong. Cavuto, one of the first employees hired at Fox News in 1996, had the highest rated program (Market Wrap) on CNBC before he jumped ship to Fox along with dozens of other NBC News staffers. That’s how The Washington Post reported it when Cavuto joined Fox in September 1996.
Eleven years later, Liz Claman was one of the most popular anchors on CNBC – with a large fan following – when she quit the network over the summer. Claman joined Fox Business Network in October – after a three-month non-compete clause expired — and landed an interview with Warren Buffet for her first day on the job. CNBC morning anchor Becky Quick tried to top Claman a week later by flying to China on Buffet’s private jet for a series of reports on the mogul.
The facts surrounding Glick’s departure from NBC News last year are fuzzier. Glick was passed over as a replacement for Today anchor Katie Couric by NBC, which instead hired Meredith Vieira. But was she canned? No. The best way to put it would be to borrow a term from Variety’s slanguage dictionary – she ankled the place.
oldewok commented:
MSNBC whould get rid of this fool (Olbermann)...He is one of the reasons the MSNBC ratings are very low...Who can stand to watch this nut ...except other nuts.
Dorrie commented:
FACTUALLY, the "Worst Person" segment doesn't close out the Countdown broadcast, it falls somewhere around the middle. That's one. And I think Olbermann was saying that FBN would kill for Cramer's ratings NOW. At least that's how I interpreted it, since the last I heard the new Fox enterprise isn't doing so hot.
Lurker commented:
Nice try freaker. That's not what he meant. Watch out, Steve. Thin skinned Olby is probably going to name you WPITW lol.
freaker commented:
I think what KO meant was that "...each dropped by..."--meaning each made a stop at (once worked for) NBC and/or CNBC.
