Blogs | WSLS 10

Monday, January 24, 2011

Where else does Olbermann have left to go?

Where else does Keith Olbermann have left to go?

I, like many others, was shocked to hear Olbermann is leaving MSNBC effective last Friday night.

He was the only host that actually rated (that’s television speak for drawing ratings) on that network.

Olbermann’s ratings and difficult-to-get-along with personality are legendary in my line of work (FOX media mogul Rupert Murdoch once called him “crazy.”)

He had an awful divorce about a decade ago at ESPN. He’s also been run out of CNN and FOX (remember he worked for FOX Sports for awhile too).

The problem with reaching the level in which Olbermann ascended is—- once you fall there are few places left to go.

FOX News? Ha! When pigs fly.

CNN? That network has tried hard the past four or five years to shed any “loud mouth” image.

Syndicated radio? Liberal hosts like Olbermann have really never worked.

The most likely landings for Olbermann I think will either be HBO or Comedy Central.

Comedy Central could add Olbermann to the line-up following Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, figuring Olbermann could probably hold that audience.

HBO could have Olbermann anchor a similar type show to Bill Maher.

The reports I’ve read say Olbermann agreed to leave television for the next nine months as part of the negogiations to end his contract at MSNBC.

If true, that’s a big mistake on his part.

You don’t want to fall into the category of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

But love him, or hate him, Keith Olbermann rates, which is why I suspect he’ll be back on TV by the end of the year, especially with the 2012 election coming up.

Posted by Scott Leamon at 07:32 PM. Filed under: leamon •

(1) Comments • Permalink