Media

‘Unnecessary Drama’: Olbermann Apologizes to Fans — But Not MSNBC

NEW YORK (AP) — Keith Olbermann is apologizing to his fans – but not NBC News – for the “unnecessary drama” surrounding his two-day suspension for making political donations.

Olbermann is due to return to work Tuesday night on MSNBC’s “Countdown” show. In a statement issued Monday, he says he wanted to apologize to viewers “for having precipitated such anxiety and unnecessary drama.”

He was suspended for donating money to three Democratic candidates in violation of NBC News rules. Olbermann says it was an inconsistently applied rule that he had known nothing about before making the donations. He says he was suspended without a hearing after being told that no suspension was contemplated.

An MSNBC spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Transcript via Mediate:

A STATEMENT TO THE VIEWERS OF COUNTDOWN

by Keith Olbermann

I want to sincerely thank you for the honor of your extraordinary and ground-rattling support. Your efforts have been integral to the remedying of these recent events, and the results should remind us of the power of individuals spontaneously acting together to correct injustices great or small. I would also like to acknowledge with respect the many commentators and reporters, including those with whom my politics do not overlap, for their support.

I also wish to apologize to you viewers for having precipitated such anxiety and unnecessary drama. You should know that I mistakenly violated an inconsistently applied rule – which I previously knew nothing about – that pertains to the process by which such political contributions are approved by NBC. Certainly this mistake merited a form of public acknowledgment and/or internal warning, and an on-air discussion about the merits of limitations on such campaign contributions by all employees of news organizations. Instead, after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated, I was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the media.

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient ‘mistake’ by their recipients. When a website contacted NBC about one of the donations, I immediately volunteered that there were in fact three of them; and contrary to much of the subsequent reporting, I immediately volunteered to explain all this, on-air and off, in the fashion MSNBC desired.

I genuinely look forward to rejoining you on Countdown on Tuesday, to begin the repayment of your latest display of support and loyalty – support and loyalty that is truly mutual.

–K.O.

Comments (58)

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  • Andrewk369
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:41am

    good apology for the most part besides the inconsistent part. If he is going to throw that out there he needs some facts to back them up. Let him donate his money wherever he wants, all the fox opinionists do it too, it’s no big deal. But the rational side of me is saying this was a stunt to draw viewers.

    Report Post »  
    • heavyduty
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 10:38am

      It is a big deal when you work for a biased news agency that is trying to pass themselves off as an unbiased news agency. One kind of kills the other. But you are right about him wanting to throw his money away is fine with me also. But when a company, or corporation makes rules you need to adhere to them, or find another place to work. But I guess when they are paying you that much you can endure just about anything.

      Report Post »  
  • Atrocities
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:28am

    Like I said in every thread about this story, it was a SCAM. MSNBC hatched this scam in order to drive up Olbermann’s public notice and generate ratings for him and his show during sweeps month. They saw how Juan Williams went from being an NPR nobody to an over night ratings sensation for FOX over his wrongful termination from NPR. So they hatched this story for Kieth “bathtub boy” Olbermann to try and do the same thing for him. There is a word for this, fraud. But whats new with this over at MSNBC? Well it didn’t really work. No one really paid any attention to Olberdouce and this story other than to thank God for getting him off the air for a couple of days. America needed a breather from his special kind of hypocritical leftist hate of all things American.

    Well their ploy failed like a bad poker player with a bad hand at an expert player table. Everyone, except the left wing loons, didn’t bite. The ground breaking support he got was silence, and there is nothing more ear shattering than silence.

    Report Post » Atrocities  
  • Doc_Slammin
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:18am

    I see, so MSNBC suddenly, for no apparent reason decided it was ‘pick in Keith Olbermann’ day?

    I want to hear MSNBC’s side of the story. Are those ******* actually going to back down?

    Report Post » Doc_Slammin  
  • Cowboy
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:13am

    “I mistakenly violated an inconsistently applied rule.”

    ???

    There are others?

    Report Post »  
  • TEAmerica
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 2:38am

    “…inconsistently applied..”?! Sounds like a teenager defending a bad decision!

    Report Post » TEAmerica  
  • New-American-Saviors
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 2:33am

    Who got suspended ?…What Happened….? It didn;t cause any distress I can think of.

    Report Post »  
  • Goohuman
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 1:42am

    They would have gotten a lot more for their effort if they dragged it out awhile longer. … like a year or ten.

    Report Post » Goohuman  
  • staythecourse
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 1:07am

    It was done to draw attention away from monitizing the debt…. and Obama’s sell out in India. Always always always pay attention to what the “other hand” is doing!

    Report Post »  
  • joseph Fawcett
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 12:26am

    Blaze why should we care one way or the other about this guy. Are you really for this guy and like him? Do you like his opinions and his view points?? I am starting to wonder because he blows his nose and you seem like you have to report it. This guy is not worth listening too never mind reporting on, especially on this type of subject. This is not news, I thought that Glenn had hired you guys to report on news, real news that we were not getting. I would love to hear more about what Obama is giveing away or selling us out in India than this crap! You guys are you really doing your job or playing games here. I, for one, are counting on you for real responsible news, not trash like this. Please reconsider what you are considering news, and lets stay out on all this nonsense!

    Thanks

    http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist

    Report Post » joseph Fawcett  
    • Kraus79
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 1:33am

      This news item is not about the guy but what happened to him. His employer has a ridiculous rule about donating to political candidates and he unknowingly violated it. It’s our first amendment right to support any candidate, financially or not. I don‘t agree with that man’s politics one bit, but I stand behind his right to throw his support to whom ever he wants without any danger of losing his job. Why? Because the same thing could happen to any of us.

      Report Post » Kraus79  
  • Quasimofo
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 12:26am

    Cough*PR STUNT*Cough

    Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on November 9, 2010 at 12:20am

    Yeah that guys a total fraud, you’re better off getting your news from a high school graduate, like Rush Windbag.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • Cliff
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:58pm

    hey my profile picture didnt change???

    Report Post » Cliff  
  • CloudNine
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:54pm

    Idiot.

    Report Post » CloudNine  
  • crichton
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:53pm

    “He says he was suspended without a hearing after being told that no suspension was contemplated.”

    Since when to employers have to hold hearings to enforce their rules? Welcome to the real world Ogremann.

    Report Post »  
  • thepatriotdave
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:52pm

    And why do we keep hearing about this over-paid anti-American vomit-breath POS?

    PatriotShops.com

    Report Post » thepatriotdave  
  • Cliff
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:49pm

    he looks like the eagle newscaster from the Muppet show… what a dork! go look and laugh!! I am going to change my profile picture just for laughs!!! I just had to do it!

    Report Post » Cliff  
  • HouseNegro
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:48pm

    I’d like to use Olbermann to stump break a mule.

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • Contrarian51
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:46pm

    As if there was any mystery surrounding the political leanings of Olbermann individually or MSNBC as a whole.

    I have no use at all for Olbermann but this really reflects most poorly on the sorry excuse for a network that MSNBC has become. I bet there are more than a few behind-the-scenes employees over there who can’t wait for the Comcast takeover to finalize.

    Report Post »  
  • alienguns
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:43pm

    it was all a big sham to try and get viewers to notice their irrelevant biased news corp.

    Report Post » alienguns  
  • IVillageIdiot
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:42pm

    Still nipping at the feeding hand…. eh Keith…..

    Keep going, keep going…. feel the pride pulse in your veins and try one… more…. little…. nip….

    I won’t hurt a bit….

    Report Post » IVillageIdiot  
  • QuietRiot
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:38pm

    I was hoping this turd was flushed for good …

    Report Post »  
  • Tazzy
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:37pm

    Who cares what he says ?

    Report Post » Tazzy  
  • General K
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:36pm

    Creep! He needs to go permanently!

    Report Post »  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:31pm

    this msnbc moron is totally irrelevant to our American lives.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
    Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:27pm

    Still say this whole junk is nothing but a set up on the side to score sympathy after the Juan Williams debacle at NPR.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • IVillageIdiot
      Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:44pm

      I’d like to hear more about the “inconsistently applied rule” … that sounds interesting and vaguely threatening…

      Report Post » IVillageIdiot  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 12:11am

      @IVillageIdiot

      Guess this is another case of the “Read the contract, I am too busy goofing off to read the contract” type of nonsense, then again maybe that is why he was/is/whatever working with MSNBC. They have gotten that desperate.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • TruthTalker
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 12:51am

      thanks for following in my message.

      Report Post »  
    • rebel
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 1:35am

      YAY! we get more wacky clips of keef

      Report Post » quiet little lamb  
    • Atrocities
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:30am

      Oh you had better believe it was a scam. They, by they I mean Olbermann and a huge chunk of bloggers over at the Daily Kos, posted about doing this last week. (Before they did it.) And oddly enough, all the talk about this was “scrubbed” from their web site. Hummmmm. I guess honesty is something the left is fearful of.

      Report Post » Atrocities  
    • Robert W
      Posted on November 9, 2010 at 3:31am

      umm…who cares.

      Report Post »  
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