Saturday, November 06, 2010

Is Pending Take Over of MSNBC By Bush Donor Behind Olbermann Suspension?

Personally, I am both disheartened and livid over MSNBC's suspension/firing of Keith Olbermann for what in the grand scheme of things are totally insignificant political donations - especially when compared to Rupert Murdoch's $1 million donation to the GOP. Yes, I will continue to watch Rachel Maddow's show, but the rest of the MSNBC lineup can kiss my ass goodbye. My displeasure is all the stronger inasmuch as it now seems that there may be some skulduggery going on. While it is true that final approval of Comcast's take over of MSNBC is still pending, it seems all too possible that the targeted MSNBC might be trying to please its future masters in advance by whacking one of the best journalists around in my opinion simply because he criticizes the political bedfellows of Comcast. If I were Rachel Maddow, I'd be sweating bullets waiting for the next shoe to drop.
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It is increasingly frightening to me that so much of the MSN seems to be more and more an extension of the conservative political machine. Rather than report facts or - heavens forbid - challenge GOP assertions, the anchors just parrot GOP talking points. Case in point: Diane Sawyer's interview with John Boenher. I thought I'd vomit. It might just as well have been a GOP paid commercial. If Steve Burke (oictured above), a former Bush donor, is going to be at the helm of MSNBC, I suspect we can soon write MSNBC off as a serious news source. Here are highlights from Think Progress:
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We have been notified that Comcast has not yet officially taken over MSNBC/NBC Universal. . . . . once Comcast gains final approval from federal regulators to move forward, Comcast COO Steve Burke, a Bush fundraiser, will be placed at the helm of MSNBC and other NBC companies.
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As many bloggers have noted, conservative MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has donated to Republican candidates for Congress while promoting the same candidate on air, but has never been disciplined. Moreover, Gawker notes that MSNBC has been exempt from the formal NBC ethics rules for years. It is still a mystery why MSNBC selectively applied NBC’s ethics rules to Olbermann.
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Comcast’s latest regulatory battle has been to oppose Net Neutrality — a rule allowing a free and open Internet — because the company would prefer to have customers pay for preferred online content.
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Olbermann has been a strong voice in favor of a free and open Internet. Republicans, on the other hand, have supported the telecommunication industry’s push to radically change the Internet so corporate content producers have the upper hand over start-ups like blogs, independent media, small businesses, etc. As Reuters has reported, the incoming Republican Congress has signaled that it will vigorously side with companies like Comcast against an open Internet.
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Frankly, I don't believe that this action against Olbermann is a coincidence. Also, if we lose a free and open Internet in this country, it will be one more step towards a very scary America where the supposed principles of the nation are increasingly trashed and ignored by the far right and big business.

1 comment:

Carole said...

Breaking: KO will be back on Tuesday nite. Hooray!