CBS Evening News Considered Keith Olbermann for Anchor Slot

NewsBusters ^ | June 15, 2008 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

A profile of MSNBC host Keith Olbermann by Peter J. Boyer in the current edition of the New Yorker, gives us a good clue as to why the man known for his laughable impressions of Edward R. Murrow is so antagonistic towards CBS Evening News Anchor Katie Couric. She beat him out of a job as anchor at CBS. Yes, you read that right. In fact I had to read it twice in amazement when the article, "One Angry Man," stated that the CBS execs actually considered Olbermann for the anchor position (emphasis mine):

After Rather’s unhappy departure from CBS, the network’s president, Leslie Moonves, said that he wanted to blow up the “Evening News”—by which he meant, he later explained, that he wanted to do away with the program’s outmoded “broadcast of record” posture, and its accompanying burden of summarizing the world in twenty-two minutes each night. Moonves and Andrew Heyward, then the president of CBS News, held a secret meeting with Olbermann at his apartment, and asked how he would approach the “Evening News” job. Olbermann, who was nearing the end of his contract at MSNBC, said he thought that it was a waste for networks to spend so much money on their anchors, when they shared so much airtime with field correspondents. Olbermann said that he would, of course, be less freewheeling than he had been at “Countdown,” and that he would redirect the broadcast incrementally, beginning with a three-minute block at the end of each newscast to which he would apply his personal touch. “Maybe in a year’s time, after you’ve given me those three minutes to sort of reprogram, maybe I’ll get four or five,” Olbermann says now. “You don’t go in for the full revolution. You do not come on and do ‘Naked News.’”

The meeting ended, and Heyward was not convinced that Olbermann was the right choice for an institution where even the use of music in a news report, let alone voice impersonations by the anchor, is strictly forbidden. But soon afterward Heyward was replaced as news-division president by the head of CBS Sports, Sean McManus, who agreed to a second meeting with Olbermann, at CBS News headquarters on West Fifty-seventh Street. In the end, CBS hired Katie Couric—a decision, Olbermann likes to point out, that has not worked as well as had been hoped. (Couric consistently comes in third in the network ratings.)

Olbermann, licking his wounds over not getting hired for the coveted anchor position, then took a potshot at the current network anchors which would include NBC's own Brian Williams:

Olbermann himself thinks that he could succeed in the traditional nightly network-news slot. “I think it would not do any worse than the three that are out there now,” he says. “It would not get more than double the amount of protest that any of the shows have now.”

If you think Olbermann's distinct lack of humility (or rationality) is just a recent phenomenom, take a look at this incident early in his career:

...When he was twenty-three, he told Bill MacPhail, the former CBS Sports executive who had overseen the introduction of instant replay, that MacPhail didn’t know anything about television sports...

It's pretty obvious that the incredibly narcissistic Olbermann has bias issues to such an extent that leads many to question his sanity but what does that say about CBS News when they actually offered this far left loon the anchor slot? What next? Will CBS News be scouting the lunatic rantings on the Democratic Underground or the Daily Kos for candidates to succeed Katie Couric if, as has been rumored, she departs CBS Evening News after the November election? Oh wait! Olbermann does post his rantings at the Daily Kos so perhaps that would be a good place for CBS to do their personnel search.

[PJ-Comix]

Good news for Keith! Katie Couric will be leaving in a few months so he still has a chance at See-BS.

[SamKeck]

No doubt the odious Olberman will soon be interviewing for the spot that Russert’s passing has left open.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Compared to Keith’s numbers Katie is a huge hit.

[Libloather]

They WANT ratings to drop even further? Good for them!

[SevenofNine]

OH ABB check this out LOL!

[Joe Boucher]

Couric or Olbernut, makes little difference. Both aren’t worth a bucket of warm spit. Neither are warchable so either will do nicely at C. BS

[raccoonradio]

>>She beat him out of a job as anchor at CBS

Laura Ingraham hinted at that a little while back

[navyguy]

Go for it! And bring Cindy Sheehan in for color commentary.

These networks are run by complete imbeciles. Its not that they just don’t get it... they actually forge ahead with their own destruction. They are a perfect metaphor of what Democrats want for America.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Olbermann is like the neighbor on your street you thankfully have as little contact as possible. You only notice him a couple of times a year and if you gave him one thought it would be to hope he moves away.

I thought the whole idea in the anchor choice was for CBS to lose ratings as fast as possible. If so Olberman would have done it.

[celtic gal]

This guy is a raving mad man..full of himself and if put to the tasks he accuses others of failing at so miserably he would soon find out he is less qualified than those he condemns with his venom.

[johna61]

Maybe he should beg McLame to put him on his ticket.

[KevinJohnson]

” stated that the CBS execs actually considered Olbermann for the anchor position (emphasis mine): “

CBS execs are even more clueless and brain dead than previously thought.
They were going to replace a guy that they sacked for bias and making up anti-Bush stories, with a guy who is the biggest lunatic on TV today, who is 100% a propaganda officer for the Democratic Party and loony left? Do these guys smoke crack every morning?

[Non-Sequitur]

In place of Katie? So they want to go from the ridiculous to the grotesque?

[abb]

Wow. Moonves is much loonier than I could ever have believed.

[writer33]

No doubt. Ratings would drop under Olbermann.

[Biblebelter]

I guess they chose a perky B***H over an aging queen.

[NoobRep]

Is there some reason why this turd blossom thinks he’s so much smarter than the rest of the world? Maybe its just the way communist elites act. I can honestly say, the world and the United States which he loathes, will be a much better place when Olbermoonbat takes a permanent dirt nap.

[gidget7]

Bwahahaha Oh that’ll help!! /S

[SevenofNine]

He must be really looney if he want KEITH COME ON it no joke Dude

OMG I couldn’t believe this story

How long before Keith get a*** rung by episode of Simpson or TMZ here in SO CAL LOL!

[hkp123]

Katie should jump ship, go back to NBC and take over Tim’s place on Press the Meat. Betcha talks are going on.

[STARWISE]

Murdoch staunchly defended the Fox News Channel’s “Fair and Balanced” motto as accurate, adding that even Bill O’Reilly “gives both sides all the time” — a remark that prompted laughs from the audience.

So why aren’t there more liberal voices on Fox News, Kara Swisher asked? Murdoch replied that he would hire a liberal voice if he could find one that was strong enough.

“Would you hire Keith Olbermann?” Swisher asked.

Murdoch’s response: “No, I fired him five years ago… He’s crazy.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/dnotebook/2008/05/29/murdoch-obamas-a-rock-star/

[tips up]

Couric may be third out of three anchors.

Olbermann would be fourth out of three.

[chris_bdba]

Is Network news having some sort of unannounced race for last place?

[DManA]

I have GOT to watch the movie “Network” again. I think what seemed outrageous then would seem quaintly restrained now.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

What, Mary Mapes turned them down?

[Sadie5]

Can’t remember where I read that Olberman wants the press secretary job with Obama if he is elected. Nobody else wants Olberman but them Obama isn’t what we want in office either.

[wayoverontheright]

CBS execs are even more clueless and brain dead than previously thought......

I think what we on the right have to understand is that CBS and the others are "niche marketing", in other words, they see the liberal consumer of news as their target market. These consumers need.....no, CRAVE someone to spin the day's events so that their bankrupt tenets can continue to be propped up. What with half the country voting for Gore and Kerry in the last two elections, I'm not so sure it isn't a very viable business model, for the time being.

We shouldn't expect to see anyone with any objectivity whatsoever replace Couric.

[Rebelbase]

CBS contemplates suicide! Love it!

[Stentor]

Email CBS in support of our boy Keith. We won’t settle for any more.

[wildwood]

what’s up with newsbusters domain?

[MindBender26]

Called the desk in NY. There is NO talk among the troops that it will be Overshoe.

Will call a few Suits tomorrow, but I doubt this story.

Was he considered? Sure. Everyone with an agent is considered, even Ed Sherdlu, D. B. Cooper and Jo-Jo the Dancing Bear.

Bob Schieffer is by far the leading candidate. The only reasons it might not be Bob Schieffer are: 1, he doesn't want the job (again) or 2, Suits and affiliates think he will skew too old in the demogrpahics.

In that case, John Roberts.

[DGHoodini]

....”reprogram”?....Well...at least he was being honest at that point....

[Doctor Don]

Pompous pagan Olbermann is the right “man” for a job in Antartica!

[PJ-Comix]

The NY Times follows while NewsBusters leads the way. Take a look HERE. Their story appeared several hours AFTER the NewsBusters story. Notice how the headlines are almost identical? Hee! Hee!

[mewzilla]

From 2001.....

Clinton Spoke Up for Friends In a Billing Dispute With CBS

[toddlintown]

The New Yorker article is a good read (can’t post on FR). It’s another of a recent series of “Olbermann is a rising star” sort of articles but also points out that a number of people he has worked with think he’s really crazy. If anything, as demonstrated in the New Yorker, he’s overbearing and needs a public ass-kicking.

NBC opinion is that no cable personality will ever rise to an NBC evening anchor position, and yet, the “Keith can bring in the viewers” articles continue.

[stainlessbanner]

When he [Olberman] was twenty-three, he told Bill MacPhail, the former CBS Sports executive who had overseen the introduction of instant replay, that MacPhail didn’t know anything about television sports...

He's abysmal on the NFL sports desk. I turn the channel when Olberman is on...yes it's that bad.

[toddlintown]

Your link comes up as an error message.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Good news for Fox News Channel.

More viewers.