[22][23][24], Olbermann began his professional career at UPI and the RKO Radio Network before joining then-nascent CNN in 1981. [38] Olbermann characterized the demotion as "blackmail. His starting salary is probably just more than $150,000.
[90][91] MSNBC issued a statement that it had ended its contract with Olbermann, with no further explanation. [4], During the 2008 Democratic Party primaries, Olbermann frequently chastised presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton for her campaign tactics against her principal opponent, Senator Barack Obama, and made her the subject of two of his "special comments". [99], Olbermann was fired from Current TV on March 30, 2012. [25] Among the early stories he covered was the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, including the "Miracle on Ice. As a child, Keith was an avid fan of baseball and basketball. "[121], He has accused the Tea Party movement of being racist due to what he views as a lack of racial diversity at the events, using photos that show overwhelmingly Caucasian crowds attending the rallies. On March 12, 2013, it was announced that Olbermann settled his $50 million legal claim. The September issue of Beckett Sports Collectibles Vintage included a T206 card that depicted Olbermann in a 1905-era New York Giants uniform. "[125], In Olbermann's "Special Comment" segment on July 3, 2007, he called President George W. Bush's commutation of Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence the "last straw" and called for the resignation of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. [127] During the same commentary, Olbermann called Bush a fascist. ")[66], On February 16, 2007, MSNBC reported that Olbermann had signed a four-year extension on his contract with MSNBC for Countdown which also provided for his hosting of two Countdown specials a year to be aired on NBC as well as for his occasional contribution of essays on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams. Fox likewise gave Olbermann the opportunity to cover the World Series. From September 2016 until November 2017, Olbermann hosted a web series for GQ, titled The Closer with Keith Olbermann, covering the 2016 U.S. presidential election, later renamed The Resistance with Keith Olbermann after the victory of Donald Trump.[12]. Keith Olbermann, the ESPN sports commentator dated Laura Ingraham in 1997. [68] He presented a tribute, along with several fellow journalists, in honor of Russert. [123][124] Additionally Olbermann labeled Trump a "terrorist" and called his supporters "a blight that will be with us for generations," further stating that Trump's "only barely-human delight comes from the morons in the crowd. [32] The news-driven program, with substantial discussion, relied on Olbermann to carry the 8:00–9:00 PM hour. In a statement from Current TV, they stated that "Current was [...] founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. [49][50][51][52] Olbermann apologized on his program upon his return March 2, but noted, "I'm much more sorry about batting practice [i.e. They are still good friends despite of break up. [127], In a special comment on May 14, 2008, Olbermann criticized Bush for announcing that he had stopped playing golf in honor of American soldiers who died in the Iraq War. "[21], After Olbermann left Fox Sports in 2001 he provided twice-daily sports commentary on the ABC Radio Network, reviving the "Speaking of Sports" and "Speaking of Everything" segments begun by Howard Cosell.[42]. [71] Despite this, Countdown was broadcast both before and after each of the presidential and vice-presidential debates, and Olbermann and Matthews joined Gregory on MSNBC's Election Day coverage. [37], According to Olbermann, he was demoted by Fox when he asked for a slight reduction in duties for health reasons, and then was fired from Fox in 2001 after reporting on rumors that Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corporation owns Fox, was planning on selling the Los Angeles Dodgers. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Professionally she is an American radio talk show host. In response, on November 5, MSNBC President Phil Griffin suspended him indefinitely without pay for violating a network policy which required employees to obtain approval from management before making political contributions. Keith Olbermann... American sports and political commentator. $2 million per annum. Patrick often introduced Olbermann with the tagline "saving the democracy", a nod to his work on Countdown.
Former Los Angeles Times television critic Howard Rosenberg stated that "Countdown is more or less an echo chamber in which Olbermann and like-minded bobbleheads nod at each other."[63]. He stayed with SportsCenterf or five years, gaining national recognition. In 1984 he spent a short time as sports anchor for WCNB-TV of Boston. [6], Olbermann suffers from a mild case of coeliac disease,[128] as well as restless legs syndrome. sports announcer, broadcast journalist, political commentator, Cornell University, Farragut Middle School, Hackley School.
[118] This was criticized by his colleague Joe Scarborough, who called the comments "reckless" and "sad". [55], In January 2018, Olbermann returned to ESPN once again, presenting occasional commentaries on SportsCenter throughout the first half of 2018. ET time slot previously held by programs hosted by Phil Donahue and, briefly, Lester Holt. Tom Verducci also joined the studio crew, as he was replaced by Rachel Nichols as a field reporter. Fox News is worse than Al Qaeda — worse for our society. Olbermann released his own statement, apologizing for "the failure of Current TV" and "that the claims against me implied in Current's statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently. From 1992 to 1997, Olbermann co-hosted ESPN's SportsCenter. He is a son to Marie Katherine, a preschool teacher and Theodore Olbermann, a commercial architect. Olbermann was born January 27, 1959, in New York City, the son of Marie Katherine (née Charbonier),[15] a preschool teacher, and Theodore Olbermann, a commercial architect. [43] Olbermann and Patrick referred to this segment as "The Big Show", just as their book was known. At the age of 17 he worked as a stringer for United Press International, a major news agency that provided journalistic material to magazines, newspapers and radio and television broadcasting companies. He stated that Bush never should have started the war in the first place, and he accused Bush of dishonesty and war crimes. [129] This head injury permanently upset his equilibrium, resulting in his avoidance of driving. [34], In 2004, Olbermann was not included in ESPN's guest lineup for its 25th anniversary SportsCenter "Reunion Week", which saw Craig Kilborn and Charley Steiner return to the SportsCenter set. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Opinions on each were offered by Olbermann and guests interviewed during the segment. "[40][41] In 2004 Olbermann remarked, "Fox Sports was an infant trying to stand [in comparison to ESPN], but on the broadcast side there was no comparison—ESPN was the bush leagues. Olbermann was caught for crumpling his notes and throwing them at the camera at the end of his program. At one point in the show he referred to Bristol, Connecticut (ESPN's headquarters), as a "Godforsaken place".
From 2001 to 2003, Olbermann was a CNN correspondent on News Night. "[113], In November 2007, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph placed Olbermann at #67 on their Top 100 list of most influential US liberals. Keith doesn't drive because of a loss of depth perception caused by a head injury. In 1981 Olbermann made his television sportscasting debut on CNN. "Keith Olbermann, NBC agree on 'second term, "Tim Russert's son to join NBC convention team", "MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors", "How the Networks Covered Election Night | Newsweek Politics | Newsweek.com", "Despite bias charges, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will lead inauguration coverage", "Olbermann's Deal Will Pay $30M Over Four Years", "On-Air Women Snub Mackris, Olbermann Offers Cash", "Mackris' complaint v. O'Reilly, official document", "O'Reilly, Olbermann: Polar Opposites of Campaign", "Anchor Olbermann counts on commentary to boost MSNBC's ratings", "Olbermann Dons O'Reilly Mask at TV Meeting", "News show feud boils over into open warfare", "A Gadfly With Buzz; MSNBC's Olbermann, Exercising the Right", "Voices From Above Silence a Cable TV Feud", "MSNBC's Keith Olbermann suspended for contributing to 3 Democratic candidates", "Keith Olbermann SUSPENDED From MSNBC Indefinitely Without Pay", "Keith Olbermann of MSNBC Suspended Over Donations", "NBC: Olbermann suspension ending Tuesday", "Keith Olbermann And MSNBC Announce They Are Parting Ways", "Keith Olbermann leaving MSNBC, ends 'Countdown, "Olbermann Said to Be Going to Current TV", "Keith Olbermann Current TV Show Time: 8 PM ET", "Current TV Unveils Name, Debut Date For New Keith Olbermann Show", "Keith Olbermann Is Coming To Current TV", Countdown with Keith Olbermann // Current TV, "FOK News Channel, Keith Olbermann Website, Launches", "Keith Olbermann to file against Current TV", "Keith Olbermann Settles $50 Million Current TV Lawsuit", "Watch 'The Resistance' with Keith Olbermann", "Keith Olbermann's The Closer and The Resistance have been viewed almost 170 million times on GQ's YouTube and Facebook", "Trump is F*cking Crazy by Keith Olbermann | PenguinRandomHouse.com", "Interviewing the Cornellians Behind BoJack Horseman", "Craig Kilborn voiced a cartoon character in a scene with Keith Olbermann", "Bill O'Reilly And NBC, Shouting to Make Themselves Seen? They were in relationship with each other for three years. [130], Olbermann's father, Theodore, died on March 13, 2010, of complications from colon surgery the previous September. [21] Olbermann graduated from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1979 with a BS in communication. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and radio stations in the 1980s, winning the Best Sportscaster award from the California Associated Press three times. [119] Yael T. Abouhalkah of the Kansas City Star said that Olbermann "crossed the line in a major way with his comments".
From 1998 to 2001 he was a producer and anchor for Fox Sports Net and a host for Fox Sports' coverage of Major League Baseball. [76][77] In 2008 O'Reilly decided to avoid mentioning Olbermann's name on the air, and once cut off a caller who mentioned Olbermann.
"[114] Avoiding ideological self-labeling, Olbermann described his reporting in 2006 to Salon.com, "I don't think in these issues that I'm a liberal; I think that I'm an American.
In a Countdown interview with Al Franken on October 25, 2005, Olbermann noted that in 2003, after having Janeane Garofalo and Franken on his show, a vice president of MSNBC had questioned him on inviting "liberals" on consecutive nights, contrasting that occurrence to the apparent ideological latitude he enjoyed at the time of the second Franken interview. Theodore Olbermann (Father) Marie Katherine Charbonier Olbermann (Mother) He is such a multi-talented personality and makes a name and fame as an author, sportswriter, Radio commentator and as well as television pundit, Keith Olbermann and his first book, 'The Major League Coaches' had published when he was just fourteen.