Barry Nolan: Why I Was Fired by Comcast
Last week, CN8 - the television network owned and operated by Comcast - dumped veteran newsman Barry Nolan, a former "Hard Copy" host. Nolan co-anchored CN8’s program "Backstage."
Nolan was fired after protesting "a decision by the New England media association to bestow its top journalism award on Fox News anchor [Bill O’Reilly]," reported ABC News.
Per ABC:
Nolan said he objects to the commentator’s bullying style, claiming that O’Reilly frequently bends the facts in order to get across what he described as venomous opinions. It’s not the type of journalism that should be recognized in the profession for excellence, he said.
Nolan started lobbying the board of governors in the New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences….Nolan says he was warned by CN8 executives to "tone it down," but he quietly distributed the six-page anti-O’Reilly handout to attendees of the event. He did not confront O’Reilly or "make a spectacle," he said.
On May 12, he was hit with a two-week suspension and on Tuesday of this week, CN8 fired him, citing him for insubordination.
Here are some snippets from Nolan’s first person account, published this morning on ThinkProgress.
So, I’m that TV guy who got fired by Comcast over Bill O’Reilly. I protested the fact that O’Reilly was chosen to receive the Governors Award at this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony. That’s the highest honor that they hand out. The important word here is: honor….
O’Reilly was an appalling choice, not because of his political views, but because he simply gets the facts wrong, abuses his guests and the powerless in general, is delusional, and, well, you might want to Google: Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Plus there was that whole sexual harassment thing – the lawsuit he settled for an estimated $10 million. Not the kind of guy you normally think of when it comes time to pass out honors.
I found that most of my colleagues felt the same way. So, on May 10th at the Emmy Awards dinner, I quietly passed out a document that contained – not my opinion – but O’Reilly’s own words and quotes from his sexual harassment lawsuit. And that is what got me fired. I got fired from my job on a news and information network for reporting demonstrably true things in a room full of news people.
Bill Groper commented:
Hi I'm Bill "The Telephone Heavy Breather" O Bilelly. Oink I'm a fat pig with no ense of humor and I buy all my own books. I couyldn't get a job in Boston. I'm a right wing nutjob.
Johanna Lynch, Publisher, Russian River commented:
Barry Nolan is 100 percent correct.
And journalism critic, Norman Solomon is also correct to spotlight this perverse, unfair "award for journalism" to Bill O'Reilly.
Even if we overlooked the insufferably rude O'Reilly style, his repeated use of incorrect, spun information, must be recognized, not to be rewarded, but to be exemplified as the worst example of American journalism.
He gives all media reporters a bad name.
Rick commented:
Lance, you're guilty of the same generalizing that you claim Mary is making, when Mary wrote all of two sentences in this column, and NONE of the demonized anyone for doing anything. She merely reported the facts - something O'Reilly (and many others with a closed-minded agenda) will certainly never be accused of.
Lance commented:
Hey Meeeow...
Wake up!!
It is a m-e-d-i-a organization.
They have every right to bestow an award on anyone they want; be that person liberal...conservative...or whatever.
Mr.Nolan has every right to protest...but the manner he went about it was childish and boorish. Everyone saw the act for what it was..a cheap political stunt borne of blind rage against FOX. It seems you and Mary have a deep case of FOX derangement syndrome.
Would you or Mary have objected if a liberal media person/commentator be given the award? I doubt it....
As far as Obama...listen up...Im Jewish..and I object when ANY politician...Republican..Democrat...when they try to use the Holocaust for votes.
Its an easy mistake.... when you are not familiar with the history....
meeeow commented:
nolan should not have been fired. o'reilly is not a journalist and therefore does not deserve a journalist's award. an obama's uncle helped to liberate buchenwald, not auschwitz--easy mistake to make when working on two hours sleep. or maybe people like lance never make mistakes...like the new england media association.
Lance commented:
Mary...
One more thing...
Will you and Mr. Nolan point out that Obama was wrong about his uncle liberating Auschwitz...
News flash for you all knowing people in the news media...
Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army.
So, unless, Obama's uncle was a member of the Red Army, I doubt he was ever near the infamous death camp.
Lance commented:
Mary,
Im disappointed, but not surprised.
Im disappointed that you seem to think its important to carry the water of left wing nut jobs like Nolan.
O'Reilly was granted an award...
That is the perogative of the granting organization....
But...Nooooooo...
If the person is right of center, or, doesnt conform to the left wing mantra...
They are savaged by people like you and Nolan.
Mary, did you devote a column about KO's "Heil Hitler" salute?
Do, you find it troubling when Conservative speakers are attacked on stage?
I have no doubt you feel its ok...
But, heaven forbid, a conservative gets an award...and you go into a tizzy.
Oh brother....
Find something new to write about...
Dan commented:
I think it's officially time to rename "TV Crush" to "Bill O'Reilly Crush." ;-)
