Back to the reality: The YY Times has an interesting look at the deteriorating relationship between Olbermann and MSNBC/NBC. Apparently the two parties had been considering a split since last summer. Olbermann gets credit for making MSNBC a contender in the cable news fight, but he also gets portrayed as a diva:
...Stories about Mr. Olbermann’s thin skin circulated widely in the newsroom. One such story, which was recalled independently by two hosts, dates to early December, when [Lawrence] O’Donnell, then carving out some success as the 10 p.m. host on MSNBC, collegially proposed via e-mail that Mr. Olbermann come on his show to talk about President Obama’s tax-cut compromise.
Mr. O’Donnell had written this post on Twitter: “Liberal critics of the Obama deal say exactly what Pat Buchanan said of George H. W. Bush: he’s weak.” The message speculated that Mr. Obama’s critics would do to him what Mr. Buchanan “did to H.W. Bush: destroy him and help elect a president from the other party.”
Mr. Olbermann apparently interpreted the message as a personal attack; he declined to appear on Mr. O’Donnell’s show. “I saw what you wrote on Twitter,” he snapped at Mr. O’Donnell.
O'Donnell, a former staffer under Senator Moynihan and a writer/executive producer of The West Wing, will be taking over Olbermann's old 8 p.m. timeslot on MSNBC. The Wall Street Journal points out, "Swapping in Mr. O'Donnell could be a financial windfall for MSNBC. Mr. O'Donnell's contract costs a fraction of Mr. Olbermann's [Olbermann had a four-year $30 million contract], according to two people familiar with the matter. MSNBC said that he has in the past been able to hold onto much of Mr. Olbermann's audience when acting as a fill-in."
The Times also reprints some old quotes from Olbermann's former bosses calling him crazy: Olbermann once worked for Fox Sports and Rupert Murdoch had said, "I fired him; he’s crazy," while MSNBC president Phil Griffin told the New Yorker (while Olbermann was still at the network), "First day he was in TV, I knew right away that Keith had something that I’d never seen. He was made for this. I mean, the guy is crazy, but he is made for this."
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.
Want Gothamist's suggestions on what shows to check out, where to eat, what to buy, where to go for a quick trip? We'll be bringing you some exclusive tips and ideas via email every day! And don't worry—you'll still get a list of our top stories.
Sign up for Gothamist Daily, which will deliver useful tips—plus Gothamist's most popular stories—to your inbox at 11 a.m. This way, you'll be able to plan your week or month as well as catch up on Gothamist if you've stepped away.