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Keith Olbermann
*** Shopping-Tip: Keith Olbermann
Image:Keith olbermann.png thumb|Keith Olbermann
'''Keith Olbermann''' (born
January 27,
1959 in
New York City) is an American
News presenter news anchor and radio
sportscaster. He currently hosts ''
Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' on
MSNBC, an hour-long nightly newscast that counts down the top news stories of the day. He can also be heard on ''The Dan Patrick Show'' on ESPN Radio weekdays at 2:00 PM EST.
Early career
Keith earned his
Bachelor of Science degree in communications arts from
Cornell University in 1979, and during that time served as sports director for
WVBR, a student-run commercial radio station in
Ithaca, New York.
Olbermann began his professional career at
UPI and
RKO RKO Radio before joining the nascent
CNN in 1981. In 1984, he briefly worked as a sports anchor at
WCVB-TV in Boston, before heading to Los Angeles to work at
KTLA and
KCBS-TV KCBS. His work there earned him eleven Golden Mike Awards, and he was named Best Sportscaster by the California
Associated Press three times.
Olbermann at ESPN
In 1992, he joined
ESPN’s ''
SportsCenter'', a position he would hold until 1997. His edition of ''SportsCenter'' was often hosted together with
Dan Patrick, and the two became known as the #1 ''
SportsCenter''
anchor team. Olbermann quickly became known and loved for his acid wit, his brutally honest reporting style and clever catch phrases, as well as his tight chemistry with co-anchor Patrick. In 1995, Olbermann won a
Cable ACE Awards Cable ACE award for Best Sportscaster while co-anchoring the “big show� as he called it (often referencing the Sunday night ''SportsCenter''). Olbermann would later co-author a book with Patrick called ''The Big Show'' about their experiences working at ''SportsCenter''.
New Ventures
While at ESPN, Olbermann was instrumental in helping to launch
ESPN Radio and
ESPN2, most notably opening the first program on the latter network—designed at its outset to be the younger, hipper ESPN—by stating, “Welcome to the end of our careers.�
Leaving ESPN
However, he became increasingly unhappy commuting to ESPN’s studios in
Bristol, Connecticut, due to the area’s remote location and lack of an active social scene. Those issues, coupled with whispers that he could be difficult to work or get along with contributed to his departure from ESPN in 1997. Other factors in his decision stemmed from his living in New York City and an inability to drive due to a head injury on a New York City subway car that permanently damaged his
depth perception. Even several years after his departure, many people still consider Olbermann to be one of the best anchors that ''SportsCenter'' ever had, and his pairing with Dan Patrick the best tandem ever.
Opinions
Olbermann is a dedicated
baseball fan and historian of the sport, with membership in the
Society for American Baseball Research. He has argued, for example, that
San Francisco Giants New York Giants baseball player
Fred Merkle should not be denied inclusion into the
Baseball Hall of Fame simply because of a single baserunning mistake. Olbermann also took documentarian
Ken Burns to task about the accuracy of Burns’ television series ''
Baseball (documentary) Baseball'', pointing out dozens of factual and anachronistic errors in Burns’ documentary. In high school, Olbermann compiled an extensive list of first and third base coaches in baseball history. This documentation now sits in the Hall of Fame, and is considered the definitive such
compendium.
After ''SportsCenter''
In 1997, Olbermann left ESPN to host his own primetime show on
MSNBC, aptly named ''The Big Show''. The news variety program covered three or four different topics in a one-hour broadcast. Olbermann also occasionally hosted the weekend edition of ''
NBC Nightly News'', and he was the co-pre-game host (along with
Hannah Storm) of
NBC Sports’ coverage of the
1997 World Series.
When the
Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1998, he began hosting another news program, ''White House in Crisis''. Olbermann says he became frustrated when the Lewinsky story constantly consumed his regular show. He left MSNBC after 17 months to return to sportscasting, although he has said that even if Lewinsky never happened, he still would have left to return to sports.
In 1998, Olbermann became an anchor and executive producer for ''The Keith Olbermann Evening News'', a nightly sportscast similar to ''SportsCenter'', which aired nightly on cable’s
Fox Sports Net. While at Fox, Olbermann was again a host of the World Series and also
Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting’s baseball ''
Major League Baseball television contracts Game of the Week''.
Return to reporting
Olbermann left Fox Sports in 2001 for “other opportunities� and kept a relatively low profile. He worked for a time as a regular contributor on
CNN and provided twice-daily sports commentary on the
American Broadcasting Company ABC Radio Network. The
September 11, 2001 attacks attacks of September 11, 2001 provided the impetus for Olbermann to return to full-fledged news reporting. He won an
Edward R. Murrow Award for reporting from the site of the attacks for 40 days on ABC Radio.
Olbermann was rehired by MSNBC in early 2003 as a substitute host on ''
Nachman'' and as an anchor for MSNBC’s coverage of the
2003 invasion of Iraq war in Iraq. His own show, ''Countdown'', debuted shortly thereafter on
March 31,
2003 in the 8:00 p.m. ET time slot previously held by programs hosted by
Phil Donahue and, briefly,
Lester Holt. On
October 13,
2004, Olbermann launched ''[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/ Bloggermann]'', his ''Countdown''
weblog, hosted on MSNBC.com. Olbermann leverages the open format of the blog to expound on facts or ideas alluded to in the broadcast, to offer personal musings and reactions, and to break news at odd hours. As such, he has distinguished himself by making inroads into the
blogosphere and bridging the gap between the “
mainstream media� and the “
new media.� Olbermann and Chris Matthews’ ''Hardball'', also on MSNBC, tied for 1st place on MSNBC (and 21st place in all of cable news) in February 2006 with 400,000 viewers each for the month, according to Nielsen Media Research. CNN and FOX News Channel’s top programs for the month were ''Larry King Live'' with 901,000 viewers and ''The O’Reilly Factor'' with over 2.2 million viewers.
In June of 2005, it was announced that Olbermann was returning to ESPN Radio every Friday, co-hosting with his friend and former colleague
Dan Patrick’s three-hour weekday program.
On November 28, 2005, Olbermann’s co-hosting duties expanded to Weekdays, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET.
Feud with Bill O’Reilly
An open and mutual feud exists between Olbermann and his direct competitor on the
Fox News Channel,
Bill O'Reilly (commentator) Bill O’Reilly. Olbermann has named O’Reilly his “Worst Person in the World� sixteen times. O’Reilly has openly petitioned for the ouster of Olbermann from MSNBC and the return of
Phil Donahue to Olbermann’s time slot. The feud stems from Olbermann's public happiness and joy during Bill O'Reilly's harrassment suit where he jokingly kept track of money his viewers pledged to buy the tapes from O'Reilly's accuser. Olbermann ran a "Save the Tapes" campaign complete with parades and fanfare in an attempt to embarrass O'Reilly. Since then, Olbermann makes various references to the law suit and its details in most of his comments on O'Reilly.
In March 2006, Bill O’Reilly dropped a caller from his live radio show, for mentioning Olbermann's name. O'Reilly accused the caller of being part of a larger group of individuals who has been calling O'Reilly with the sole purpose of mentioning Olbermann. The customary seven-second delay for live radio feeds prevents us from knowing precisely what the caller said, other than, "I like to listen to you during the day. I think Keith Olbermann--." O'Reilly responded to "Mike" as follows:
:"We have your own phone number and we're going to turn it over to Fox security and you'll be getting a little visit. [...] When you call us, ladies and gentlemen, just so you know, we do have your phone number, and if you say anything untoward, obscene or anything like that, FOX security will contact your local authorities and you will be held accountable. Fair?"
On March 9, while being interviewed by Olbermann, the caller, Mike [http://www.callingallwingnuts.com/author/admin/] stated he was part of a group called
www.callingallwingnuts.com. Mike further explained that he had been in contact with other callers from
www.callingallwingnuts.com who had been called by Fox Security. See [http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=5592a2c4-e5c7-4687-aead-2d1082334fa0&]
(In fact, it is Westwood One who broadcasts O'Reilly's radio show and not FOX). On a subsequent ''Countdown'', Keith had "Mike" on as a guest to discuss the incident. Mike denied that he had said anything obscene before O'Reilly cut him off. See the [http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DRMN_23962_4522137,00.html Rocky Mountain News article].
Accusations of Bias
Most cable news hosts who express their opinions lean to the right, but Olbermann is unique in that he is sharply critical of the Bush administration. He starts off many editions of his program with news from the White House. He also was the only television host to openly question the validity of the 2004 Presidential elections in contested states where Bush won like Ohio and Florida, but spent little, if any time covering contested states like Pennsylvania that went for Kerry. Olbermann also closes each program by reminding viewers exactly how many days its been since the President's declaration of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, during a Presidential speech in 2003 on an aircraft carrier.
Olbermann frequently reports on scandals concerning conservatives like Presidential advisor
Karl Rove, Vice Presidential advisor
Lewis Libby, and former House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay but showed open disdain at MSNBC's constant coverage of President
Bill Clinton's
impeachment for perjury which led to his leaving MSNBC initially in 1998. see [http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/1998/cyb19981207.asp#5] However, he usually only reports on these stories when there are, or have recently been, developments. Olbermann's main complaint with the coverage of the Clinton impeachment was the endless coverage, which would usually encompass the entire hour on his old MSNBC program "The Big Show".
Smoking
On Monday, August 8, 2005, the day following
Peter Jennings’s death from
lung cancer, Olbermann revealed on-air that he had a benign fibrous tumor removed from his palate just ten days earlier. In an explicit and controversial monologue, he attributed his tumor (and the resulting fear and pain) directly to his 27-year habit of smoking pipes and cigars. He vigorously urged his viewers not to wait until they see symptoms to quit. “Do whatever you have to do to stop smoking—now. While it’s easier.�
This marked the beginning of “I Quit,� a recurring segment on ''Countdown'' which offers anti-smoking tips and encouragement. On August 16, 2005, Olbermann’s colleague at NBC
Mike Taibbi joined him for “I Quit� to discuss kicking the habit.
See: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514671/#050808b “Flush the Butts� Bloggerman Entry] from August 8, 2005.
Trivia
*Has named American comedy team
Bob and Ray as his greatest professional influences, and had the opportunity, at age 15, to see them working in the studio (Source:
C-SPAN interview with
Brian Lamb, 3/06.)
*Possesses six
lumbar vertebrae instead of the usual five.
*Wears a size 14 shoe.
*Damaged
depth perception in 1980 by rushing to catch a
New York City Subway subway car at
New York City’s
Shea Stadium and slamming his head into the top of the door frame. [http://www.q-and-a.org/Program/?ProgramID=1067 (See C-SPAN'S Q&A: Keith Olbermann interview from March 12, 2006.)]
*Has
Coeliac disease (gluten intolerance).
*Was raised
Unitarian.
*Is related to
Boxing boxer Mike Tyson by marriage. (Olbermann’s father’s brother married the niece of Tyson’s adoptive father
Cus D'Amato Cus D’Amato, making Olbermann and Tyson first step-
cousins in-law once removed.) He sometimes refers to this fact on ''
Countdown with Keith Olbermann Countdown''.
*Considers media personality
Bill O'Reilly (commentator) Bill O’Reilly to be his
Wiktionary:nemesis nemesis, taking joy in poking fun at him and referring to him with
nicknames such as “The Big Giant Head� (apparently a reference to the
sitcom ''
3rd Rock from the Sun'') and “Ted Baxter� (after
Ted Knight’s pompous character on ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show''). O’Reilly usually responds by stating, “No one watches MSNBC.�
*
New York Yankees second baseman
Chuck Knoblauch accidentally hit Olbermann’s mother in the head during a botched play at
Yankee Stadium in 1998. Bill Scheft of
ESPN the Magazine commented, “I think I speak for the whole ESPN family and sports fans everywhere when I say, ‘Wrong Olbermann.’� Olbermann, an employee of competing cable network
Fox Sports Net at the time, blasted Scheft on his radio show the next day, calling him “swine.�
*Is a well known vintage baseball card collector of T-206
tobacco cards.
*Appeared in a
cameo as himself in an episode of
NBC’s ''
Surface''.
*Appeared in a series of television commercials for the
Boston Market restaurant chain in 1997, in which he tells a bunch of
Calvin Klein-type models - contemplating empty, burning sensations inside - to "Eat something."
See Also
*''
Countdown with Keith Olbermann''
*
MSNBC
External links
{{Wikiquote}}
-
MSNBC—''Countdown'' with Keith Olbermann Front Page
-
Bloggermann, the ''Countdown'' blog
-
Olbermann.org—An Unofficial Keith Olbermann Fan Site
-
A critical Olbermann watchdog site
-
Video and audio of Olbermann lambasting the federal government's response to [[Hurricane Katrina] on MSNBC, September 5, 2005], and [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8514671/#050905a a transcript of that segment].
Articles and interviews
-
" March 9, 2006 Olbermann interview with O'Reilly caller Mike Stark"
-
"Many ready to spar with Bill O'Reilly," ''USA Today'', January 8, 2006 Addresses the rivalry between Olbermann and O'Reilly
-
"Keith Olbermann: Truth Teller," Tim Dickinson, ''Rolling Stone'', December 15, 2005 Pro-Olbermann article
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"Despite scorched bridges, Olbermann rejoins ESPN," Michael Hiestand, ''USA Today'', June 13, 2005
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"Keith Olbermann, Tale of a Partisan Hack," Andrew Bernie, ''The Cornell Review'', December 17, 2004 Conservative article accusing Olbermann of bias
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"On Air and Online, Olbermann Draws Attention to Voting Problems," Mark Glaser, ''Online Journalism Review'', November 30, 2004
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"'Playgirl' picks Olbermann as its newscaster pinup boy," ''USA Today'', September 13, 2004
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"Olbermann's Re-Countdown," Joe Hagan, ''New York Observer'', November 29, 2004
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"Three, Two, One, Olbermann," ''Washington Post Media Notes'', July 28, 2003
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"Keith Olbermann: The PBJ Interview," Bob Sassone, ''Professor Barnhardt's Journal'', April 22, 2003
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"So what do you do, Keith Olbermann?" Jesse Oxfeld, mediabistro.com, April 15, 2003
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"ESPN: Mea Culpa," Salon.com, November 17, 2002
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Olbermann's Convocation Speech at Cornell University. May 23, 1998
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