"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET)
Host: Keith Olbermann
Topics/Guests:
SEN. LARRY CRAIG SCANDAL LATEST: Chris Cillizza, Washingtonpost.com national political reporter
TONY SNOW RESIGNS AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Dana Milbank, Washington Post national political reporter and MSNBC political analyst; John Dean, fmr. Nixon White House counsel and author of "Broken Government"
IRAQ: Richard Wolffe, Newsweek senior White House correspondent and MSNBC political analyst
Keith Oralmann bellowed the last opening spiel of the week: Craig will resign, Snow in two weeks, plug for the felon, Diana remembered, and a rerun (!) of the Craig dramatization. Yes, that is as boring as it sounds. So to spice things up, more dogs that did not bark, and our weekly assessment of the discredited baseball collector's masculinity. It's Casual Friday at Olbermann Watch.
#5: Craig will resign, so let's bring up a charge from 25 years ago against the "belligerantly far right" Craig, one dismissed as groundless by a committee headed by Joe Califano (D), and recanted by the accuser. This is The Hour of Spin, after all. The accuser's lawyer thinks the accuser might have been truthful. Would that be truthful when he accused, or truthful when he recanted? No matter, any smear in an OlbyPlanet storm. Cillizza didn't take that bait. Great thanks. Next: Milbank, absent audacious accoutrements. Monkeymann relied on rule #1 (whatever happens, it's bad for Republicans) by claiming getting Craig to quit is "self-defeating". It's the fault of "the right" for "injecting shame and criminality" into sexual orientation. Protesting a little too much there, Bathtub Boy? Re Tony "Snow Job" (tm K Olbermoronn) Krazy Keith was all fake sympathy, claiming this was a "great loss"--after having attacked him for months. Olbypocrisy exemplified. Oh, and the new press gal will probably be "overmatched" according to Fat Ass. Great thanks.
#4: Craig will resign, so Olbermann's Criminal Rehabilitation Program meets again, with its star patient, John Dean. How ironic: a felon commenting on a Senator who only committed a misdemeanor. KO brings up Vitter (R), Stevens (R), Craig (R)... yeah, we are on OlbyPlanet. The criminal parroted Olby's description of Republican senators as "lame ducks" who are preventing "checks and balances", then incongruously adds that back in the Bill Jefferson Clinton years they were "abusive" for "beating up" on B.J. Only (R) Presidents deserve to be checked and balanced, according to the disbarred lawyer. He was both Great Thanksed and Great Pleasured.
After a reference to Nixon [Ding!] Olbermoronn bragged about ratings, using unpublished numbers that can't be verified, inflating them with DVR use, and using an all-new coveted, critical, all-important "key demo" that suddenly replaced the previous coveted, critical, all-important "key demo" that Krazy Keith has trumpeted in the past. Plus two references to "Fox Noise" [Ding!][Ding!]. Update: No, I'm informed that the "key demo" KO referred to was the same one he has been using all along (25-54). So The Hour of Spin did edge out The O'Kasich Factor in that demo, inflated with DVR users. We said that was his purpose for working on what is normally an off-week. Olby also got a bump in total viewers but, alas, lagged far behind The O'Kasich Factor there. So props to Bathtub Boy for beating (that wasn't exactly beating) Mr Bill (who wasn't Mr Bill).
#3: Did you know, Craig is going to resign? He repeated yet again the "breaking news" of tomorrow's announcement in Butte, Idaho. Yes, he said Butte. Damn those producers, why couldn't they put "Boise" on the teleprompter? On to Iraq with The Wolffe Man, who simpered about how Petraeus was interviewed by a Murdoch [Ding!]owned Australian newspaper. Mr Merkle wondered "who is supposed to believe this?" (a better question for the previous segment). Great thanks.
#2: Craig will resign--jeez, how many times is the guy going to resign anyhow? Plus Princess Diana, #1: Craig will resign. (AAAIIIEEEEE! Make It Stop!!!!) Then that marvelous dramatization of the Craig arrest is regurgitated. Um, so does this make Olby's Craig (R) coverage quadruple what he did about rest-stop roamer Jim McGreevey (D), or just triple? To end The Hour of Spin: Breaking News! Craig will resign.
In the Media Matters Minute, Bathtub Boy decided to pick on the US military (Blue Blog Source: Think Progress). But the "worst" honor was reserved for Tom DeLay (R) (Blue Blog Source: Daily Kos, the guys Olbermahn raises money for). Cackled Keith to Tom: "At least I'm still in politics". Whoaaaa. How did that slip out? Here we thought he said he had no rooting interest in the outcome of elections, and now he admits what we've said all along: he's a slovenly political hack.
Quiescent canines: It's day three of a scandal touching a top Democrat Presidential candidate, a scandal so major that it has received day after day of front page coverage in both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. So why, for the third day in a row, has this story been totally spiked by Edward R Olbermann? Why the news blackout on OlbyPlanet? Because it's a (D) scandal, and more specifically a (D) scandal that involves Hillary Clinton. Herr Olbermann will go to any lengths to protect his candidate, including censoring any news not favorable to her. Yes, Keith Olbermann is a left-wing water carrier.
If it's Friday, it's our weekly assessment of Krazy Keith's masculinity. Over this week Monkeymann attacked Fox and other broadcasters 12 times. But of course he completely avoided the controversy that erupted over Tucker Carlson and Dan Abrams. Bathtub Boy's primary source (Media Matters) mounted a crusade of criticism at Carlson, but Edward R Olbermahn has remained silent. In total this week, Olby's source criticized MSNBC 12 times, and again, Keithy protected his corporate masters with zero criticisms. That makes this week's Olbermann Manhood Quotient: -24 [really, really limp].
Olbermann's book The book that bears Olbermann's name is#26,919, while "Culture Warrior" is #5,103. (It's that 2-for-$25 sale!) Barnes & Noble still can't find a ranking for the dud OlbyTome; O'Reilly's book is #1,803 there, and is one of the top five books of 2006 per Publishers Weekly. Tonight's MisterMeter reading: 2 [LOW]
Countdown with Keith Olbermann - August 30th, 2007
"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET)
Host: Keith Olbermann
Topics/Guests:
IRAQ: Craig Crawford, Congressional Quarterly columnist and MSNBC political analyst; Gen. Wesley Clark, U.S. Army (ret)., fmr. NATO supreme allied commander for Europe, and MSNBC military analyst
SEN. LARRY CRAIG SCANDAL: Rachel Maddow, Air America radio host
2008 ELECTION: Ana Marie Cox, Time.com Washington editor
CELEBRITY ROUND-UP: Paul F. Tompkins, comedian and VH-1's "Best Week Ever"
What will Keith bark at me tonight? The Bathroom Tapes are released! "Tales from the toilet." Will he quit? Will he sink the Republicans? If they force him to, will that sink the Republicans? "Cooking the Books" - GAO report leaked! How dare anyone leak anything! Except things critical of evil Republicans. Senator John Edwards and co. criticize Hillary Clinton - sacrament! Fred Thompson and Britney Spears - she forgot her pants! Whoopee!
#5: Larry Craig (R) and "Republican BUTT covering" (Get it? hehe BUTT! Like something a homosexual might engage in! OH YOU CLEVER LACKEYS). Audiotape of said Senator Larry Craig in the toilet. The chorus grows calling him to resign. Krazy Keith can't wait to play the tape - he's excited. He can hardly contain himself at the playing of this tape of dirty stuff in a bathroom. Minutes pass by of this stuff that is not really necessary to make the story. But on OlbyPlanet anything that is bad for Republicans is worth playing in full. Great Thanks, Dana Milbank in boring attire. "Grand Old Potty" caption. Get it? hehe - GOP! HILARIOUS! Milbank agrees with the Sgt. that we're all "headed down the tubes" because of Craig's lying. Whenever there's an opportunity, take it. Analysis of Craig's various defenses. David Vitter (R) mention because no one called for his resignation (nevermind the fact it happened before he was a Senator and was never convicted of anything). Milbank calls it the Foley (R) "hangover." Milbank speculates that the ONLY people turning on Craig are "vulnerable" Republicans; like Mitch McConnell? Clip of Tom DeLay talking to unbiased Matt Lauer. Fat Ass cackles at Milbank's statement that we should be "thankful" that we have Tom DeLay to come back at times like this in our nation's history. Clever. Wit is plentiful on Countdown. Bob Ney (R) and Duke Cunnigham (R) mentions. Great Thanks again.
#4: OlbyPlanet "Reality on the Ground" aka what the Laughing Stagehand writes for the teleprompter. "Strikingly negative" report on what's going on on the ground. Unbiased Keith says the White House is watering down the report. GAO leak = good. Supposed leak of Valerie Plame's nonexistant covert status = bad. Fired Gen. Wesley Clark, great thanks for some of your time, says Olbermahn. Keith's first question is "exactly right" according to Gen. Clark. Stunning. Benchmarks confirm what's really happening - nevermind all the evil WPITW who say otherwise, NIE, Democratic Senators like Carl Levin, etc. Gen. Clark lays a smack on Joe Lieberman (Independent - D) alone for basically stopping the Senate from doing anything. Since he's no longer a total (D), better criticise him as much as possible. God forbid he doesn't tow the DailyKos line. The administration is "hiding behind Gen. Petraeus." Brit Hume is in a "position to know" about a funding request. Apparently, that means that either Brit Hume is a vastly more respected and talented journalist than the discredited baseball card collector, or he is a Republican hack. I imagine the Laughing Stagehand would say the latter, but I believe the former. Great thanks.
Oddball: Someone takes off his clothes to steal beer. Really strong teeth pull train. Karl Rove spent seven years "punking the nation" while someone punked him. No one cares about Fred Thompson, supposedly.
Newsmakers: Some Scottish teen speeds. Tag is banned. Leona's housekeeper.
#3: Countdown to 2008. Fred Thompson entering the race. Sheriff Olbermann comes in to regulate Sen. John Edwards and his cancer stricken wife who criticised Senator Clinton. Mrs. Edwards agrees that Senator Clinton as a candidate will drum up "right wing fringe hatred." Bring back Reverend Ana Marie Cox and ultimate arbiter of who is Christian. Karl Rove is evil. Keith thinks Ms. Cox's analogy - whatever it is - is on the money. Un huh. Ana Marie Cox essentially states, in this writer's opinion, that Mr. and Mrs. Edwards are "going for broke" (Ana's words) because she is implicitly dying. So, from what I gather on Hauptmann's program, Mrs. Edwards "inoperable cancer" (aka, she's going to die) coupled with "going for broke" means break out the big guns and evil slanderous lies because they want to have a "life they're proud of" and "thinking long term." Horrifying. "They don't care" if they win or not. I wonder why in her view. John Edwards "colors in the lines" according to Fat Ass and he tried to "reign him in" during the non-debate debate (! according to Olby) but was told off by Edwards when he said "I'm finishing this." Bashing of Edwards for taking money from evil Rupert Murdoch's company. Olby doesn't understand a poll as usual. It does not meet with OlbySpin because Edwards leads in Iowa; not Clinton! Great Thanks.
#2: Princess Diana regurgitated video.
Keeping Tabs: Letterman going on Oprah. Owen Wilson's attempted suicide. Keith plugs himself on Sunday Night Football. Faith Hill sings songs. Another plug for himself.
#1: Paul F. Thompkins on Britney Spears pseudo nudity.
In the Media Matters minute, someone in Bud Selig's office regarding uniform tops. Something baseball related. Silver to "Fixed Noise" [Ding!] for horrible attacks on Katie Couric vis a vis ThinkProgress. Apparently, it's horrible to question whether or not a woman whose children have already lost their father should go to a dangerous place like Iraq. Katie Couric herself said she wasn't going there - a year ago - because of the danger. Hm. Jon Porter over something about Iraq thanks to TalkingPointsMemo.
Olbermann's book The book that bears Olberman's name reached into the heaves and managed #31,873 at amazon.com, while "Culture Warrior" is #5,039. (It's that 2-for-$25 sale!) The OlbyTome is below the radar at Barnes and Noble; O'Reilly's book is #1,803 there. Tonight's MisterMeter reading: 4 [GUARDED]
Countdown with Keith Olbermann Says Mitt Romney Is Not a Christian!
On Wednesday night's Countdown, the infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann took his jihad against Republicans one step further. He now uses his show to impugn their religious faith! It was Herr Olbermann, of course, who famously smeared John Gibson with a false charge of "religious intolerance" and bellowed that Gibson should be taken off the air. But on OlbyPlanet, Krazy Keith is above all the rules he imposes on mere mortals. Wednesday night, leftist Ana Marie Cox was his guest, and she proceeded to pass judgment on the Christianity of Mitt Romney. Keithy permitted her to do his dirty work for him, and then Great Thanksed her for a job well done. Here is the video of Olbermann's Inquisition:
"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET)
Host: Keith Olbermann
Topics/Guests:
KATRINA: TWO YEARS LATER: Jonathan Alter, Newsweek senior editor; Harry Shearer, actor, huffingtonpost.com contributor and New Orleans resident
2008 ELECTION: Ana Marie Cox, Time.com Washington editor
LARRY CRAIG: An exciting, dramatic presentation of the original police report!
Krazy Keith roared the opening spiel...but due to a DVR glitch we were spared hearing tonight's carnival barker patter. We'll count ourselves lucky and soldier on with the rest of The Hour of Spin. Along with our recap, we'll have another sterling example of Olbypocrisy and another installment of those non-barking dogs. Plus see how Countdown now fancies itself the arbiter of which religions are true Christian religions! Only on OlbyPlanet. It's hump day at Olbermann Watch.
#5: Katrina and "Mister" Bush. The White House "claims" money was spent, but a liberal Democrat study disagrees. Must be because it's a "Democratic" state. Of course no responsibility on the Democrat governor or the Democrat mayor of New Orleans! Krazy Keith asks lefty Alter, ungrammatically: "Who does he think he's fooling?" Lefty says Bush's administration is over, it's just photo-ops. Oh, and Gov Barbour (R) of MS used to be a lobbyist. Ooooooh! Lefty and Olby agree, it's "Mister" Bush "punishing" Democrats. Great thanks.
Time to swerve further left--bring on the Huffington Post! Shearer wants "independent peer review" for the Army Corps of Engineers. KO wanted to know if any Dems are to blame for "Katrina apathy", and shockingly, Harry said they haven't stepped up to the plate either. Then, to get back in Oralmann's good graces, he did a brief, absurdly bad W impression. "An honor", gushed the discredited sports guy.
#4: The "escalation" [Ding!] in Iraq. Bush wants to keep the escalation [Ding!] going despite a "lack of progress". What leftist can Krazy Keith dig up to spin this story? How about E.J. Dionne? "Huge amounts of money", bellows Olbermoronn (an argument that just by coincidence happens to parrot talking points send out this very morning by moveon.org). Don't blame the Dems, sez E.J., since "they don't really control Congress". He was not Great Thanksed, but he was Great Pleasured.
#3: More on McGreevey, used as an excuse to...attack Mitt Romney! That's why AMC was there. She wrote an anti-Romney column so--presto!--she gets invited onto The Hour of Spin. Olby made the incomprehensible allegation that Romney was trying to "fake conservatism" (don't try to make sense of it, it's OlbyLogic). Then he added it was "blatant dishonesty" for Mitt to take Larry Craig references off his website. For her part, AMC rattled off her words like an auctioneer on speed, all the better to sneak in stink-bombs like "Mitt Romney is not himself Christian". So now Countdown is in the business of deciding which religions are true Christian religions? This sort of intolerance sounds an awful lot like "worst person" material. Oh wait, if it's said on OlbyPlanet, then it's above criticism. Sorry.
#2: Leona Helmsley and her 12 million dollar dog. Plus Dancing with the Stars. #1 was the Larry Craig "dramatization". Herr Olbermann is certainly enjoying this Craig story. The Olbypologists will insist that he's not politically biased, and would cover a Democrat in a similar situation in just the same way. Would he? Yesterday, Edward R Olbermann analyzed Craig's situation by bringing in a Craig opponent: Rachel Maddow. Now set the wayback machine for back when rest-stop roamer Jim McGreevey (D) was embroiled in his own closeted scandal. When that story broke, Olbermann analyzed McGreevey's situation by bringing in a McGreevey opponent? No, he brought in a McGreevey supporter: Arianna Huffington. Yesterday Oralmann dismissed Craig's announcement (a "strange" choice of words) and his honesty ("implausible"). Back then, McGreevey's statement was "extraordinary", "singular", and "believable". Today Bathtub Boy's follow-up coverage was a snarky dramatization of the police report. But when it was a Democrat, his follow-up coverage was to bring on a guest who gushed sympathy for McGreevey. Olbypocrisy? In spades.
In the Media Matters Minute, the Federal Mine Safety Admin (Blue Blog Source: Huffington Post), Fidel (for endorsing Hillary--how dare he reveal her ideology in that way?), and the "winner", Glenn Beck (Blue Blog Source: Think Progress). Aw, nothing from Media Matters? Brock will be so disappointed.
Dogs that did not bark: You know how it works on OlbyPlanet. Let a Republican be charged with something--anything--and the propaganda machine swings into action. Someone on the Giuliani campaign is charged with cocaine? It makes the Hour of Spin News. Twice! A GOP indictment for a "phone-jamming scheme"? Stop the presses! Bring in Slippery Shuster! Scandal among Republicans is a "cottage industry"! Someone on the McCain campaign gets arrested? Olby doesn't miss a beat, and it even came up again last night.
But what happens when it's someone on the other side of the aisle? Someone who happens to work for Bathtub Boy's Giupetto: Hillary Clinton? Someone who was not merely arrested, not merely indicted, but actually found guilty of grand larceny? And then fled the jurisdiction? A felon at large, working as a fundraiser for a Presidential candidate? There was no mention of this story tonight on OlbyPlanet. It was just too dark for Fat Ass to see the story with his head fully inserted into Hillary's usual orafice. Besides, the discredited baseball card collector will do whatever it takes to protect his candidate. If that means spiking a story he would have trumpeted for days against a Republican, then so be it. That's why it's called The Hour of Spin.
Olbermann's book The book that bears Olbermann's name has soared on amazon.com, all the way up to: #14,827, while "Culture Warrior" is #3,255. (It's that 2-for-$25 sale!) The OlbyTome remains so low at Barnes & Noble that their ranking meter can't even find it; O'Reilly's book is #1,831 there, and is one of the top five books of 2006 per Publishers Weekly. All we know about Monday's ratings is that Herr Olbermahn lost badly to The O'Malkin Factor not only in total viewers but also in the coveted, pivotal, much-beloved, critical, all-important "key demo". Tonight's MisterMeter reading: 3 [GUARDED]
Wow, it's a first for TVNewser! TVN actually decided to print some honesty about Keith Olbermann's ratings-but not before running a glowing press release straight from the MSNBC PR department first:
MSNBC Delivers Strongest Growth of Any Cable News Net in Total Day and Primetime. Countdown with Keith Olbermann Maintains Momentum, Beating CNN at 8 PM in Total Viewers and A25-54; NBC's ratings growth continued this summer, as the network delivered the strongest growth of any cable news net in August in total day (M-Sun), weekday primetime (8-11 pm) and in sales primetime (M-Sun 7pm-2am) in both total viewers and the Adult 25-54 demographic, compared to August 06. "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" continued its success for the network, finishing #2 ahead of CNN at 8pm in both A25-54 and total viewers and up an astonishing 55 percent in the A25-54 demo and 67 percent in total viewers compared to last year. Countdown with Keith Olbermann (M-F 8pm) continues to gain traction, up an amazing 67 percent in total viewers versus last year (721,000 vs. 431,000) and up 55 percent in the A25-54 demo (259,000 vs. 167,000). "Countdown" beat CNN by a comfortable 17 percent in A25-54, and also enjoyed a three percent advantage in total viewers. Both CNN and FNC saw declines in the A25-54 demo at 8 p.m.
Something, God knows what, got into TVNewser however and they later decided to take a closer look at MSNBC's ratings claims. Here is the REAL story about the "success" of Keith Olbermann:
August Ratings: The 8pm Picture Keith Olbermann's year-to-year growth may be the story at MSNBC, but Countdown was still #3 at 8pmET. Even with CNN's hodge-podge of a schedule at 8 (Paula Zahn's last days, Out in the Open, CNN Special Reports, and an airing of Larry King) Olbermann trailed CNN in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.
But but but. . . didn't TVN run that first piece claiming what a "ratings success" Keith Olbermann was? That would be because MSNBC is using the numbers that are most flattering to their ego-inflated "star" which would be the Live Plus ratings, which are the same ratings that TVN posts on a near-daily basis, not the Live numbers which clearly do NOT favor Olbermann. How do we know this? Read on as TVN scrambles to explain:
These are Nielsen LIVE numbers only, so they do not include DVR data, which Countdown generally benefits from.
Here for the record are the REAL ratings for the 8pm hour in August.
And in oh-so-coveted "demo"?
FNC (O'Reilly): 420,000
CNN (Various): 242,000
MSNBC (Countdown): 218,000
But the question remains, why did TVN post the initial press release from MSNBC without bothering to clarify what ratings data set that MSNBC was using in calculating their misleading ratings claims? All networks use data that is most flattering to them of course but as a website that purports to cover TV News isn't it an obligation of TVN to do a little more than just run press releases? But we have to give them credit, this may well be the first time ever that TVN has decided to look beyond the press releases and more closely examine the true ratings story regarding the 8pm hour.
By the way, interesting discussion over at Inside Cable News, who has a fine breakdown chart of the Top 25 programs in the "key demo" in the month of August which illustrates just how greatly breaking news stories (mine disaster, bridge disaster) boosted and skewered the ratings for August. Only 2 programs out of the Top 25 were regularly scheduled programs (and both were O'Reilly), the rest of the top 25 programs were all breaking news events. Did MSNBC calculate their ratings using these breaking news events? Who knows--it's not like anyone is going to actually question them, it's just easier to post their press releases. But one thing is for sure, MSNBC is clearly not the "go-to" network when breaking news happens. That honor belongs to Fox and CNN.
Keith Olbermann may well be MSNBC's choice as their "news" anchor but one thing is very certain, he's not the viewer's choice!
Countdown with Keith Olbermann - August 28th, 2007
"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET)
Host: Keith Olbermann
Topics/Guests:
BUSH ADMINISTRATION: Richard Wolffe, Newsweek senior White House correspondent and MSNBC political analyst; Jonathan Turley, George Washington University law professor and constitutional law expert
SEN. LARRY CRAIG SCANDAL Rachel Maddow, Air America radio host
HUNT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN CONTINUES: Gerald Posner, investigative journalist and author of "Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11"
LUKE SKYWALKER'S LIGHTSABER IS GOING TO SPACE: Derrick Pitts, Franklin Institute Science Museum chief astronomer
That bastion of left-wing radical thinking, the NY Times is ready, willing, and able to declare Olbermann the reason why NBC won the prime-time Nielsen ratings fight on Sunday night
CBS Outscores Football: Despite preseason football on NBC, CBS finished first in the ratings on Sunday, getting a boost from 60 Minutes and Big Brother. Nielsen estimated that the CBS news magazine attracted 8.8 million viewers at 7 p.m., while Big Brother, its 8 p.m. reality show, drew 7.6 million. Among adults 18 to 49, however, NBC finished on top, as the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles delivered 8.7 million viewers after a special broadcast at 7 of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann (4 million). CBS ranked second in that demographic, ahead of ABC's all-repeat lineup. Fox was fourth overall, as its Teen Choice Awards earned 4 million viewers from 8 to 10.
So Keith Olbermann was the reason that NBC won the night? That's certainly the impression that the NY Times wants the reader to have although a close look at the numbers provided in this article quickly reveal that in the 7 p.m. time slot, CBS's 60 Minutes got 8.8 million viewers; Olbermann? Just 4 million.
But let's go to a less-biased source shall we? How about Broadcasting & Cable, a "Bible" of the broadcasting industry.
NBC Wins Sunday Prime Despite Weak Olbermann Pre-Game. NBC won the 18-49 demo Sunday night with its coverage of the preseason intrastate rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. However, its tryout of Keith Olbermann in a pre-game edition of his MSNBC Countdown show was last among the Big Four in the 8-9 time period with a 1.3. NBC averaged a 2.7 rating/8 share in the demo for the night.
Much different take on Olbermann's ratings from B&C for sure. We especially liked this quote from B&C:
Obermann said last week he expected it to be a one-shot deal unless it was a success with viewers and affiliates.
Olbermann may lie but the numbers never do and the numbers here reveal that Olbermann does as well on Broadcast television as he does on Cable, i.e., a solid fourth placed finish! He must be so proud. But with Olbermann, everything is a ratings success. We're just surprised he's not trying to spin this to talk about how many times he was viewed on You Tube to try and boost his pitiful ratings numbers.
But lest the Olbyloons declare that B&C, the Bible of the Television industry is biased, let's go to the Hollywood Reporter. Hey, it's Hollywood, they love liberals right? Surely that has to have better news for Olbermann and his faithful band of lunatics? Nope. Numbers still don't lie.
NBC's preseason NFL battle of Pennsylvania seems to be the winner in Sunday night's primetime, though the one-shot "Countdown" on the broadcast network came in a distant fourth place in its hour.
Distant fourth place? Ouch.
Meanwhile, NBC gave MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" (4.1 million, 1.3/4) a tryout at 7 p.m. "Countdown" was easily beaten in viewers by "60 Minutes" (8.8 million, 1.5/5) and in adults 18-49 by ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.5 million, 2.0/7). Fox came in third place at 7 p.m. with a repeat "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" (3.6 million, 1.4/5) followed by the two-hour "Teen Choice Awards" (4 million, 1.7/5).
Easily beaten? Ouch again! But wait, in rushes TVNewser, a long-time Keith Olbermann supporter. Brian Setzer may be gone but the pro-Keith Olbermann movement continues on at TVN.
We've received the Nielsen fast-national ratings (not the actual national ratings) and have a sense of how last night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann did in its premiere on NBC. The upshot: in total viewers it beat "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" on Fox. But finished behind "60 Minutes" and "America's Funniest Videos." 4,146,000 total viewers watched. Countdown finished fourth in the 18-49 and 25-54 demos.
Note the disclaimer that these weren't the "real" ratings, just the "fast overnights", which is exactly what the industry uses to gauge how well a program did, but hey, TVN never lets facts get in the way of it's "reporting" just like their buddy, Keith Olbermann. And just in case anyone was left with the impression that Olbermann's ratings sucked, well, TVN just had to add this little additional note:
More: An emailer writes, "4M viewers...is one hell of a sampling...I wouldn't kiss that number off." For context: Olbermann averaged 721,000 viewers each night in July. Almost 6 times as many watched last night.
Hmm. My guess is that said emailer is either one of the following: a) the MSNBC/NBC publicity department; 2) Olbermann's personal PR agent; or 3) Olbermann himself. How else were they so ready and able to cough up the average number of viewers for Olbermann in the past month? TVN should identified whether or not this was someone from the network's PR department or an "insider". Our bet is on insider, as in very insider, say Keith Olbermann's brain.
And if the numbers were bad, the reviews were less than stellar too. Here are two from the sports world, first AOL Sports:
Keith Olbermann's NBC Commentary on Michael Vick a Big Disappointment I was thrilled when I learned that Keith Olbermann had been added to the NBC Sunday night NFL broadcast team because I think Olbermann is smart, funny and insightful. But Olbermann had the first of his regular Sunday night commentaries yesterday, and it was none of those things.
Maybe it's just me, but I'd like my Football with a little less anger. It is just a "game" after all. I don't care if we are talking about Mike Vick....no one ever needs to be THIS serious....
If you're an Olbyloon, or Olbermann, or Olbermann's agent, or a NBC Sports Executive, you can't be happy with these kinds of ratings and review. But don't worry, the Olbyloons are here to spin it for him: Anti-Olbermann nutjobs freaking out on NBC Sports message board. Yeah, those "anti-Olbermann nutjobs?" Those would be NBC Sports fans with long posting histories at that NBC sports message board, not politically-motivated whackjobs like the average Olbermann fan.
UPDATE: See if you notice a similarity in the following Olbyloon talking points posted across the internets today: Daily Kos; Countdown On NBC Does DOUBLE O'Reilly's Ratings; MediaBistro Message Boards (aka TVNewser); Olberman Doubles O'Reilly - Huge Victory; and the TVSpy Message Boards; Olbermann's numbers----a big hit. According to whom? Olbermann? His PR Agent? The average Olbyloon? As noted below in the discussion Cee and I had, Olbermann couldn't even garner anywhere NEAR what repeats of Dateline has previously done in the same timeslot, and against reruns on the other four networks, still only managed to come in fourth in a five-way race. But hey, if that's their definition of success, we'd sure hate to see what they deem a failure.
And hey, when all else fails, just lie about his ratings. That's the approach taken at the Countdown forum on Television Without Pity or talk about what an insult it was to the average, sterotypical football viewer (those liberals love to sterotype don't they?) and therefore a liberal victory just to have Olbermann on the airwaves Sunday night like they did at Huffington Post.
On his radio program tonight, broadcaster and constitutional attorney Mark Levin once again addressed Olbermann and Football Night on NBC. And whom has Dr Levin heard from? Edward R Murrow's former assistant! We have the audio for your listening pleasure:
"COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET)
Host: Keith Olbermann
Topics/Guests:
ALBERTO GONZALES RESIGNS AS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Dana Milbank, Washington Post national political reporter; John Dean, fmr. Nixon White House official
PRES. BUSH: James Moore, co-author of "Bush's Brain"
You know Olby is back in his niche at A-Mess-NBC when all of a sudden you not only get the Bush's Brain [Ding!] guy, but also another session with felon Dean! But why, oh why, couldn't he take this week off? This is the least-viewed television week of the year; that's why so many big names are off. But not Edward R Olbermann. Maybe he thinks, with all of his time-slot com
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