Comcast Prepares For KO's Feud With Billo

[Slfriend79]

I hope they have good security to keep 'Jessie The Stalker' away from them.

... On a more serious note, Cohen said that he was concerned about becoming a target of Fox News, a position that NBC and even GE — whose CEO was ambushed by Bill O’Reilly — often found themselves in:

Let’s just call it the Bill O’Reilly-Keith Olbermann wars. And we’re not really used to that. I’ve joked with [Comcast CEO Brian Roberts] — I’ve said, “You know, are you ready to wake up and turn on the television set, and there on some show is a picture of you over the shoulder of some anchor, because Bill O’Reilly has called you a pinhead?” [...]

I mean, we’re totally committed — really really — to letting Keith Olbermann be Keith Olbermann, and we don’t have any problem with that. But in this world — we saw Jeff Immelt get dragged into something. Jeff Immelt was committed to letting Keith Olbermann be Keith Olbermann too, and all of a sudden, for a month, he’s a national story. So I think that’s going to be an adjustment for us. That’s going to be a challenge for us.

Read The Whole Story Here:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/04/comcast-msnbc/

[Marie]

Well, at least he's going into this with his eyes open, LOL!

Let Keith be Keith, always!!!

-Marie-

[Marie]

What's a bad sign? That they're focusing on Keith?

I think the expanded article Susie posted in the TV section explains why: the bloggers have been obsessing on whether they're going to allow as much editorial freedom as there is now.

(And it should be noted, the FCC hasn't signed off on this yet. And there's considerable opposition to further media consolidation of this magnitude in Congress. So it's not quite a done deal.)

-Marie-

[Marie]

I thought I spoke Corporate (though, to paraphrase C3PO, it's not like second language to me!)

It sounds like they're psyching themselves fr what's to come. I see what you're saying but I don't read a hidden message there. Just, "This is going to be a new experience for us."

They haven't been in the business of content, up to now, so I hope they'll let those who know the territory teach them a few things before they take any kind of dramatic action on what their on-air personalities say.

I wonder if Keith is weighing his options, just in case. He has quite a bit left on his contract, so he has time.

-Marie-

[WeReAllDoomed]

Dear oh dear, I really am getting the Heebie Jeebies now - Comcast have a reputation for deciding what you can and cannot do with their services:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21376597/

Comcast blocks some Internet traffic
Tests confirm data discrimination by number 2 U.S. service provider

And you're right, Michael, that was a big, round "but" in the middle of that paragraph, it made me sigh anyway.

[ShinyCaterpie27]

Ah, come on, don't panic. I mean, Keith is a (relatively) big ratings grabber. The network would never screw him over. Or, would they? After all, Comcast is the real-life evil empire. Almost even more so than News Corp. But, hey, maybe this will be good for NBC.

[CandyCanes]

They'd better not bother Keith. What's Fox going to do about Comcast, anyway?

[RPY]

Comcast will do precisely what every corporation is trying to do: make more money.
Let them decide whether K.O. is good for their business.

[Slfriend79]

I like 'WPITW' the way it is, a fluff piece of something stupid someone says or does to break up the shows 'Hard News' spots.

If KO did nothing but 'Hard News' on the show it would be the same as watching the News at 6:30 PM or what I read online ... I like that Keith makes the show a little fun so it's not all depressing and dull stories.

And if you feel Keith should go to all 'Hard News' and hope that Comcast makes him do it then they will do the same with all the other 'Prime Time' shows.

So Rachel can kiss goodbye 'Moment Of Geek', 'GOP In Exile', and 'Cocktail Moment'... And I would miss those as much as 'WPITW', 'BPITW', and 'Oddball'.

Then there would be no point for me to even watch MSNBC anymore.

[Slfriend79]

P.S. - And it's good that KO calls out Billo, Beck, the other morons at 'Fixed Noise, Limbaugh, and the rest of them for their lies, fear-mongering, and hate speech because no one else in TV News will do it.

Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert are good about it but they are comedians, these people need to be called out by TV MSM but they had been given a pass for years until Keith had the courage to start calling them out.

[SusieQ]

Way off topic here but just a question for SLfriend. Is that the same guy in all those pictures in your avatar or does one happen to be Colin Firth?

[Slfriend79]

Way off topic here but just a question for SLfriend. Is that the same guy in all those pictures in your avatar or does one happen to be Colin Firth?

10 different guys ... Sorry, no Colin Firth.

[SusieQ]

Thanks! I thought the one in the right bottom corner looked sort of like him.