Voices From Above Silence a Cable TV Feud (Olbermann - O'Reilly)

[Faygo Kid]

Fascinating article. Corporate bigwigs step in:

"It was a media cage fight, televised every weeknight at 8 p.m. But the match was halted when the blood started to spray executives in the high-priced seats.

For years Keith Olbermann of MSNBC had savaged his prime-time nemesis Bill O’Reilly of the Fox News Channel and accused Fox of journalistic malpractice almost nightly. Mr. O’Reilly in turn criticized Mr. Olbermann’s bosses and led an exceptional campaign against General Electric, the parent company of MSNBC.

It was perhaps the fiercest media feud of the decade and by this year, their bosses had had enough. But it took a fellow television personality with a neutral perspective to help bring it to at least a temporary end.

At an off-the-record summit meeting for chief executives sponsored by Microsoft in mid-May, the PBS interviewer Charlie Rose asked Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of G.E., and his counterpart at the News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, about the feud. . ."

BUT, later on, there's this:

"Mr. Olbermann, who is on vacation, said by e-mail message, “I am party to no deal,” adding that he would not have been included in any conversations between G.E. and the News Corporation. . . "

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/business/media/01feud.html?_r=1&hp

Screw Immelt's ego. Do what's right, Keith (although I like him lately going after Limbaugh more than O'Lielly - Limbaugh is likelier to implode).

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. why does OhReally remind me of lord voldemort?

[Berry Cool]

2. It is bull. The execs didn't stop it, KO did.

The way they're publicly patting themselves on the backs for this is disgusting.

[asjr]

3. Well, it certainly gained viewership for both

networks. I thought that was the reason for being.

[Daveparts still]

4. That is the Secret of TV Journalism

It is like hot air ballooning, a thin skin and lots of hot air