MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors

MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign.

David Gregory, the NBC newsman and White House correspondent who also hosts a program on MSNBC, will take over during such events as this fall’s presidential and vice presidential debates and election night.

The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann’s anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his “Countdown” program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. He drew flak Thursday when the Republicans played a video that included a tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that if the networks had done that, “we would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead, and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize.”

Matthews, who has criticized politicians in both parties, drew less criticism for his convention role but became a divisive figure during the primaries when he described how he was inspired by Obama’s speeches and made disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton, for which he later apologized.

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MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors

A huge tip of the Stetson to Bloviating Zeppelin, that’s where I found this one.

Folks, this is really an awesome development, MSNBC, the most liberal and left leaning media source today, has been shamed into removing Keith Olbermann, one of the biggest IDIOTS to ever have a talking head position. And Chris Matthews, one of the most annoying voices this side of Mark Levin, has been cut down as well.

How do you explain this?? Did MSNBC suddenly start reading the blogs?? Did they discover that their journalistic integrity was gone?? Was it the numbers?? Or lack of?? NBC is having some serious issues with rankings.

Conservative bloggers, and apparently a few MSM journalists have held MSNBC’s feet to the fire, Tom Brokaw took the high road, as have several others with the network, and to them I say, KUDOS, even if it was due to low network numbers.

Whatever it takes, return to real reporting, report the facts, report them accurately and take the opinions OUT of it on network broadcasts such as the conventions.

I have NO problem with a news person stating an opinion, on any subject, but when they do, it must be delivered as an *editorial*, and done with the clear caveat that the opinions stated are those of the speaker, so forth and so on.

If IDIOTS like Olbermann want to be *news and opinion* personalities, I suggest they get a blog, a radio program, whatever method of annoyance they care to use, and have at it. When it comes to NEWS, I want mine straight up, fair, balanced and untarnished by the liberal mindset of the person making that report, no matter what network I am listening to.