MSNBC Demotes Matthews, Olbermann
MSNBC, after finishing dead last in convention coverage, has demoted Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann as news anchors for the upcoming Presidential debates.
The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann’s anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his “Countdown” program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. He drew flak Thursday when the Republicans played a video that included a tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that if the networks had done that, “we would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead, and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize.”
Matthews, who has criticized politicians in both parties, drew less criticism for his convention role but became a divisive figure during the primaries when he described how he was inspired by Obama’s speeches and made disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton, for which he later apologized.
David Gregory will take over the news anchor position for MSNBC during the debates.
Matthews and Olbermann will still serve ad political analysts during the debate season.
Count up another victory for O’Reilly over Olbermann. O’Reilly for weeks had been calling NBC on the carpet for their biased political coverage from Olbermann and Matthews.
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