Murdoch Intervenes In Olbermann-O’Reilly Row
Elana Schor - (GuardianUK)
The longstanding row between conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly of Fox News and a liberal rival on MSNBC network has climbed up the corporate ladder, with Fox owner Rupert Murdoch personally interceding in the US television stars’ war of words.
O’Reilly and Keith Olbermann, the antiwar host of MSNBC’s Countdown programme, have clashed openly for years. But Murdoch’s involvement in the spat, reported today in the Washington Post, signals that the boardroom battling has reached unprecedented levels.
O’Reilly and Olbermann have traded personal jabs, but their harshest putdowns centre on Iraq. O’Reilly accuses Olbermann of undercutting the US war effort and savages General Electric, the parent company of MSNBC, for doing business in Iran.
Olbermann often fires back at the Fox host during his programme: “After all the shilling and ass-kissing you did for the administration before this phony war, you are more personally responsible for the 4,000 dead Americans in Iraq than all of America’s corporations put together,” Olbermann told O’Reilly on the air last month.
Murdoch interceded to ask that Olbermann cancel his plans to air footage from a liberal activist protesting in front of O’Reilly’s home, according to the Post. The film was never aired.
Another complaint to MSNBC’s owners came from Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. Olbermann frequently has targeted Ailes, naming him “worst person in the world” in a popular segment with that title and criticising his close relationship with former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.
“Clearly [Olbermann] has no viewers except those he gets when he attacks Fox News, and particularly has made himself committed to continuing to attack Bill [O’Reilly],” Ailes said at a 2006 television industry conference.
Ailes threatened last year to employ the Murdoch-owned New York Post newspaper against Olbermann, the Post reported. A Fox News spokesman denied that charge.
Just as Olbermann takes aim at Murdoch, Ailes and other O’Reilly bosses as well as the pundit himself, other Fox News hosts appear to have entered the clash to defend O’Reilly.
During a segment last month on takeaway food, the host of the Fox News programme Red Eye said food delivery men have “one of the most dangerous jobs in the world - aside from Olbermann’s back waxer, of course”.
Fox and Friends, the morning show on Murdoch’s Fox News network, also has criticised MSNBC for allowing Olbermann to anchor political coverage during presidential debates and primary election nights.
However, Olbermann and O’Reilly share the same 8pm time slot on US cable, which amplifies the volume of their feud.
If ratings could determine the winner of the wild TV spot, O’Reilly would prevail. His O’Reilly Factor programme averages about twice as many viewers of Olbermann’s Countdown, although the latter programme is on the rise with younger demographics in the US.
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“On the rise” my ass….
May 19th, 2008 at 6:02 pmNo,
TBinSTL … His ass … I mean … HE’S the ass … 
May 19th, 2008 at 6:05 pmO’Reilly >>> LOLbermann in terms of facts and sanity. Then again, all conservatives are.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:19 pmThey had to throw their bias in there at the end. “on the rise”
more like, “heading for the toilet” where it belongs.
Olbee-won isnt even intelligent. ever listen to that guy? sheesh!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:22 pmLook man, you got to be the bottom of the dregs to get booted from the East Coast SPorts Network.
Olbmermann is the new Morton Downey of the TV talking heads, just far more effeminate - guarantee you he’s smoked some poles.
They’ll catch Thief Olbermann trading kiddie porn with Bernie before too long and we will all get a good laugh at his expense before they work his descending colon over in prison with a ball bat.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:31 pmputting olbermann’s face on the ass of that horse is demeaning to horses. horses have more sense than that pillow biter. i bet he wanks off to his own monologues, what sick bastard.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:01 pmOlbermann - Televisions shining example of sophmoric emotion overuling reason and intellect. The pic should have his mouth over the horses rectum, for all that proceeds from this guys mouth has the same content, chemical composition, and olfacory impact as horeshit.
May 20th, 2008 at 6:16 amTBinSTL (just typical)
“On the rise” my ass….
I second that
May 29th, 2008 at 6:56 pm