Rupert Murdoch: I’d Never Hire Keith Olbermann Back – He’s an Impossible Nut
Since the moment he announced he was doing his last “Countdown” on MSNBC, people have wondered where the controversial Keith Olbermann will land. On Wednesday, News Corp's Rupert Murdoch told Neal Cavuto it won't be on Fox News (video follows with transcript and commentary): NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: OK, could I switch gears a little bit, Rupert, and talk about Comcast closed its deal with NBC? What do you think of that? RUPERT MURDOCH: I think it's OK. I think it's OK. They put a few rules in. We would like to see bit more of this, bit more of that, but less of this — No, I think it is OK. CAVUTO: Do you expect any changes editorially in how NBC News operates under Comcast? MURDOCH: Don't think it matters, no, much does it? CAVUTO: Do you think it had anything to do with Keith Olbermann leaving? MURDOCH: I just don't know. CAVUTO: Would you — MURDOCH: I've heard different accounts and I don't know. CAVUTO: Would you ever hire Keith Olbermann back? MURDOCH: No. We fired him once, we don't believe in firing people twice. CAVUTO: You called him a “nut.” MURDOCH: Well, he was a nut on — on — we had him on late night FOX Sports for many months, I think. He's impossible. CAVUTO: If you looked at news today, does it matter whether it is right or left or — ? If this product does well and it doesn't have any political leanings one way or the other, are you saying this is an incubator for how you get news on the net in the future? MURDOCH: (INAUDIBLE) leanings. Americans are intelligent people. They make their own mind up about things. CAVUTO: Young people, we're told, are not as conservative. Do you buy that? MURDOCH: No, on the whole, I don't. I keep hearing stories of college campuses where the students totally disagree with their hippy — their ex- hippy teachers. (LAUGHTER) MURDOCH: People — as I say, people think for themselves. On January 22, when TV critic Tim Goodman floated the idea that Olbermann should consider going to Fox, I wrote: Although this wouldn't surprise me, I'd be very sad to see it happen. In my view as a media analyst, Keith Olbermann represents all that is wrong in journalism today. He makes a hobby out of distorting the truth, and when that's not good enough to further his agenda, he just flat out lies. Him battling with folks like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Greta Van Susteren would be fabulous theater as it drove Fox's ratings, but it would also drag down that network's credibility. MSNBC is a laughing stock because of this arrogant, egotistical blowhard, and has become more so as a result of similarly vitriolic additions to its prime time lineup. Let's hope Roger Ailes recognizes this and doesn't take Goodman's advice. I'm very glad to hear Murdoch agrees with me. (H/T Mediaite )
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Rupert Murdoch: I’d Never Hire Keith Olbermann Back – He’s an Impossible Nut
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on February 3, 2011. Filed under