NBC Affiliates Stiff Keith Olbermann (updated below)
It doesn't pay to cover the Iraq war honestly. Just ask Keith.
What am I doing today? I'm supposed to be on break, but this just fried me so I wanted to share it. It's a long story, which follows below, but the up shot is this: Keith Olbermann is being pre-empted all across the country. Here's the background. Here's what happened today...
I'm marooned in Las Vegas, where I currently live (right now) and wanted to watch Keith and watch some football, of course, along with reading and general loafing. But I wanted to make sure "Countdown" would be on. See, KTNV, ABC local Las Vegas, always moves around "This Week," with George Stephanopoulos, that is unless they choose not show it at all, which happens often. Local ABC in Las Vegas didn't even air the Democratic debate last week until very late in the day. So, since I'm in town, I wanted to make sure "Countdown," which is having a special airing today before the football game, was going to be carried on local NBC. Honestly, you never know in Las Vegas. The way ABC jacks around "This Week," I knew I couldn't take it for granted that local NBC would pick up "Countdown" either.
So when I cued up my cable, looking at what they had programmed, "Countdown" wasn't shown. Uh-oh. Did KVBC, local NBC, decide not to carry "Countdown"? Again, you never know about local stations and what they consider "news."
So I called KVBC, the local NBC station's "general information" number, which I got on the web. A woman name Traci Arnold picked up the phone. I asked if she knew whether "Countdown" would be shown today before the football game. She curtly informed me that she was the assignment editor at the news desk. Okay. So Traci, I said, can you give me a phone number I could call to find out this information? Insert pregnant pause here. "No." No? "No."
That's when Ms. Arnold went into her job description, making sure I knew she was way too important to know something as basic as what KVBC had programmed. "I'm the assignment editor for the news division." Translation: I don't do programming. "I respect you don't do programming and understand what you do," I offered. "You obviously don't," she said tartly. Insert smile on my face here. Wasn't going to get into that one. So, Traci, you can't give me a number where I can find out this information? No one at NBC Las Vegas knows? The receptionist works Monday thru Friday, and so does programming, so there's no one to tell me that information, she said.
Never mind that I called the local NBC station's "general information" number, which they list as such on the web. It's also the assignment/news desk number, too. Never mind Ms. Arnold is answering the phone. Never mind "Countdown" is a news(!) show and a pretty big deal to be airing on NBC today, before the football game. Or that Ms. Arnold is the assignment editor for the news division of KVBC. Insert irony here.
Bottom line: the local Las Vegas NBC station could not give me any information whatsoever on what they had programmed today, didn't have a number I could call to find out, and the assignment editor for the news division didn't even know the highest rated show on MSNBC, which is also a news(!) show, was airing on NBC today. Lisa Howfield, KVBC's general manager, must be so proud.
Next call, Cox cable. After going through screen after screen trying to find the answer, they finally located it. Keith is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. But as it turns out, Cox Communications is as ignorant as the local NBC-KVBC.
"Countdown" was pre-empted for local TV drivel, "The Ed Bernstein Show" and (**cough**) "The Chris Matthews Show." By the way, Bernstein runs attorney ads on TV. Get it? Nothing like buy-time.
I guess being against the war is just too much for the affiliates to take. You know, since "Countdown" was to air before a football game. Like the majority of the American people can't handle the truth and true journalism. Like they aren't against the Iraq war and want our troops to come home. Could this be any more obvious? Olbermann delivers honest news. He goes after Republicans, but if Democrats serve up crap he takes after them, too. He's honest.
But as my husband said, they don't call it local for nothin'.
Oh, and by the way, there are plenty of other stations stiffing Keith Olbermann and "Countdown" and I've outlined some in updates to this post. I'm hearing it from readers and many others. It sucks.
Anything to keep we the people from hearing honest news. No wonder the big three networks are failing. You can't trust them anymore.
This is how we got into Iraq, with a lot of help from the corporate hack pack. I guess this is how Big Media will keep us in the war, too.
UPDATE: On the west coast it was reported "Countdown" would air "after the game." No one in Vegas at local NBC or Cox had a clue. But "Countdown" did finally air at 10:00 p.m. Long after the game ended. After local news. After "Dateline." As late as they could air it without going into the next day. But at least "Countdown" aired. But trying to find the actual time was a nightmare, because you can't get anything out of the local station and seldom can trust the programming guides, as I've experienced with moves of "This Week" when they moved the Dem. debate to the end of the day without notice. Keith finally aired, however. He's good, really, really good. Of course. Oh, and he was honest, too, even about Iraq. But at least it was late at night on a Sunday when only a few could see it. More news on what stations (so far) dissed "Countdown" on this post for those interested.
Follow Taylor Marsh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylormarsh
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
The scheduling has to do with the fact that network sports are televised live and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but isn't it fun to find imaginary reasons?
Countdown was pre-empted by a local news broadcast pre-game in Denver KUSA. It was broadcast after the game, but not in its entirety since the game lasted into the next time block so Denver viewers only got to see Moe Roca and the guy from talk soup mug for the camera in the final, celberty oriented segments. Now I see that Sunday's Countdown was the lowest rated show in this time slot - with no explanation as to probably why this was so.
Thanks so much for a great post. You're so right.
The day is coming when what you have discussed here will be quite common knowledge, and thanks to the web, the MSM will be forever trying to catch up. Until they buy up the internet, which we've got to do everything in our power from ever allowing to happen.
It's not just Vegas, it's everywhere. and behind it, you'll always find power hungry, power-playing greed.
Hey it was Vegas for gosh sakes, all they want you to do there is gamble with lots of YOUR money, whaddya expect, people to actually watch TV?
DirectTV had Dateline listed in the program guide, but Countdown was actually aired on the Minnepolis local station. I was pleased with the show, there didn't seem to me to be more than usual amount of celebrity crap. I couldn't believe that Chris Collingsworth asked if Rush was really the worst person in the WHOLE WORLD...wh
I agree.
There are only three people left in all of "broadcastdom" who are giving us real news: Keith Olbermann; Randi Rhodes; Jon Stewart.
All the rest are variations on a theme: We get Israeli State Television and Wall Street's corporate news.
Well, I live in the east, and I saw Keith's show, and I am a long-time Keith-lover and big fan, and I think that he "sold out" to get his "football gig." I was furious! There was only 20 minutes, or so, of "real news," with the rest of the show devoted to "silliness," including more than the usual celebrity small talk and "oddball" segments. It was apparently geared for football dummies. I sent him an e-mail expressing my disappointment, and telling him it would be the last time I would give up "60 Minutes" for a program like that, with such lack of substance. I also reminded him that he has not done a "Special Comment" in a long time, and that he owes his fans, since we have been extremely dedicated to him for many years. I realize that there must be great pressure from GE, the owners of NBC, to tone Keith down, but he has been our one lone voice on TV, and he needs to hear from all of us that larger principles are at stake at this crucial time in our country's history! I hope that he doesn't "sell out" for a job in football!
Excuse me? Keith "owes his fans" a Special Comment? What a load of crap! KO doesn't do Special Comments for his fans, he does them for himself when he is outraged.
And some "dedicated fan" you are. If you really were a loyal KO follower you would know that he doesn't censor himself because of the higher-ups, and also that management tried encouraging MORE Special Comments at first because they meant a huge boost in ratings. KO said no, he does them on his terms.
That's quite a fantasy you have of Keith!
I didn't see the show, either...b
He had a bunch of pro Dem Party commentators on the show, and they complained about Bush/ Gop
Keith Obermann is in my opinion the most refreshing intellectually honest News Broadcaster and Commentator on TV.
I can see why conservative local stations who have been promoting the war and defending the boy psycho are reluctant to carry Countdown.
Mr. Obermanns commentaries differ radically from the pro bush propaganda they have been spoon feeding their audience.
Keith Obermann a man of integrity and a true national hero in my eyes. Finally an antithesis to that big fat lying drug addict that millions of troglodytes listen to on the radio every day.
I had always assumed political censorship was state or party sponsored and top down. Then came the anti Dixie Chicks music lock out, Fox "News" overt political hacking and misrepresentation, and now Countdown is targeted for suppression? What's going on? Then it occurred to me. In Mussolini's Fascist model major corporations are a part of the state. I guess under the Rove model it works much the same way. To achieve a "Permanent Republican Majority", or a "Thousand Year Reich", the end justifies the means. When re-election and profits are synonymous, some corporations become capable of very unethical behavior.
Word.
Taylor,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! for highlighting this very serious, maddening and disturbing pattern!
I have long noted, with boiling blood and complete exhasperation, that the Charlotte, NC area (ABC) affiliate - as you well noted - has "jacked around" "This Week with George 'company man' Stephonopoulis. It's outrageous and utterly blatant. As you said, these blowhards in charge (whoever they are and wherever they hide) just don't think we the people can handle the truth. Any time something big's going on (like a RON PAUL appearance), they'll put 'This Week' on at 9 am, or some such ludicrous time (for a Sunday).
Please keep hammering at this issue!!! Our NBC affiliate in Charlotte, NC, pre-empted Keith Olbermann last night. It's outrageous! We should all boycott these bastards. They behave exactly like those Soviet communists we used to claim to loathe so much!
All hail Der Fuhrer Bush. The democrats don't have the Balls to impeach.
While I agree that they had no business preempting the show, you obviously have no idea how a local TV station works. An assignment editor on daytime weekend duty is probably 1 of 2 people working at the station. They do nothing but local news, and almost never come into contact with programming. Your best bet would have been to contact a programming director or someone in sales, who would be intimately knowledgeable about such matters.
Intimating that the assignment editor was making herself out to be important is laughable at best and if you had any familiarity with what an assignment editor was, you wouldn't have even thought that.
News folks typically don't have the necessary contact information to tell you about programming decisions. That would be like you being able to tell me the contact number of your CMS. You could probably find out, but in the course of your REAL job, you would A) take a long time to find out B) have to ask someone who wasn't working on a Sunday
Um, I work in the MSM and I can assure you, that assignment editor most defintely should've known who to contact. If they don't, they have no business being in that position.
What Taylor reported was standard BS. Pass that buck just as far as ya can.
Keep up the good work, Taylor! Its past time to expose the blatant censorship taking place at the local level all over this country!
This ain't communist Russia!
BOYCOTT local "news!"
Countdown was supposed to air at 9:00 pm (after the game) in Sacramento. I set it to record and when I played it, I got some Dateline investigative program!
The "desk" is where a station's call would roll on a weekend evening, when no one else is around. That the staffer there knew nothing, or had nothing to say, does not surprise me. Her job is dispatching crews to fires and homicides.
Programming's decision, bad as it was, was made independently of the desk and its uninformed staffers.
It just appeared on KNBC in Los Angeles at 10 p.m.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
