If General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) really wants to boost the faltering ratings at NBC's "Nightly News with Brian Williams," it should bring in Keith Olbermann.
The host of MSNBC's popular "Countdown" show is far from traditional anchor material. He's loud, occasionally obnoxious and extremely In other words, he's interesting and people will watch him even if they don't agree with his political views.
Brian Williams doesn't have to be replaced; Olbermann would serve as a good counter-point to the affable anchor who was anointed by Tom Brokow as his successor. Maybe Olbermann can have a Lou Dobbs commentator role on the show. Something has to be done.
The worst kept secret in TV news is that NBC News plans to fire John Reiss as executive producer of the "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" because of declining ratings. That's not surprising. NBC needs to think outside the box -- the TV box that is -- to make the show more relevant. I know that's easier said than done but too much money is at stake for NBC not to take a chance.
NBC, Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) and CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBS) all count on the news shows to boost their bottom lines. The audience, though old and declining, is too big for advertisers to ignore at least for now.
Morning programs are a much bigger cash cow. That's why ABC was reluctant to send the popular Charles Gibson away from "Good Morning America." The network had little choice but to turn to the 63-year-old Gibson after "World News Tonight" anchor Bob Woodruff got seriously hurt in Iraq and Elizabeth Vargas got pregnant and decided to go on leave. Gibson turned out to be the right move because the program's ratings are surging.
Katie Couric was brought in with great fanfare by CBS and hasn't done much to boost the program's popularity. People seemed to like Bob Schieffer better. CBS brass says they are sticking by Couric, but I question how long that will go on. No one likes to be third in a three-way contest.
Why is gold making a new high, trading at $1,118.00 per ounce?
Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 1 
Closing Bell: A six-day rally (AIG, REGN, M, MOT, PALM, RIMM)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-02-2007 @ 10:01AM
robert lipton said...
keith olderman like o'reilly is not a reporter he is an editorialist and would complete n b c's decline in credibility
3-02-2007 @ 10:02AM
Rob said...
Likeability matters. Olbermann isn't occasionally obnoxious, he is consistently obnoxious; and he isn't mildly obnoxious as, say, is Andy Rooney; he is overwhelmingly obnoxious. That's fine if you are looking for a niche audience of people who live in the lefty blogs and believe Bush flew the 9/11 airplanes via remote control into the WTC towers so that Halliburton could profit from a war in the Middle East, but it will drive away the rest of us.
3-02-2007 @ 10:36AM
rich hudnett said...
OBERMAN WOULD BE GREAT AND I COULDN'T WAIT. BECAUSE MSNBC MAKES ME VOMIT AND HE WOULD BE THE FINAL NAIL IN THERE COFFIN.
3-02-2007 @ 10:45AM
Steve said...
I agree Rob. You cannot turn on Olbermann's show without hearing him blasting some Republican or Bush for something constantly.He doesn't ever have one objective guest on. They all sing the same tune as him. Boring. He's seems to be obsessed with Fox news and O'Reilly. He can't do one show without mentioning them or him. He is way to Left for Primetime Network News. He would make me change the channel as he already does.
3-02-2007 @ 10:46AM
Steve said...
I used to watch MSNBC's Countdown but since Olbermann's swung so far to the Left I change the channel. He is obsessed with O'Reilly and FOX and can't seem to do one show without mentioning him or them and has become so obnoxius and unobjective I can't watch him anymore.His guests all sing the same tune bashing Bush or some Republican and are quite tiring.To bad because he used to be pretty funny.If NBC moved him to Primetime Network News it would be the biggest mistake they ever made.
3-02-2007 @ 11:08AM
Dorrie said...
As it happens, NBC is way ahead of you. Keith's already signed up to do occasional short essays on the Nightly News as past of his spiffy new FOUR YEAR CONTRACT. I'm surprised you didn't know. It was in all the papers. ~Dorrie
3-02-2007 @ 11:00AM
Wes Sharp said...
rather than Olbermann why not hugo chavez or Rosie O'Donnell? same clear thinking with IQs approaching near normal. Why not????
3-02-2007 @ 11:10AM
jonathan berr said...
Dorrie:
If that's true, that's a start. My point is that Olbermann would be a welcome breath of fresh air in the plain Vanilla world of network news. The broadcast will need more than an occasional essay.
Jonathan Berr
3-02-2007 @ 11:27AM
Dorrie said...
I meant as part of his new contract. Please excuse the typo. (And the duplication if this posts twice.) ~Dorrie
3-02-2007 @ 1:23PM
Hoabie said...
Olbermann's progressive belligerence has already changed my viewing habits. Instead of Williams, I now watch Gibson; instead of Olbermann, I now watch O'Reilly.
3-03-2007 @ 12:43PM
jk said...
Keith is a sarcastic and negative man with how many viewers - 200,000 - on a good night? Most likely those flipping through the channels to find "Deal or No Deal'
Personally, I'd prefer my stock to go up - would be better to sell MSNBC to Microsoft and invest the twenty dollars received.
3-05-2007 @ 6:12PM
D.B.Abrams said...
Olbermann would be the nail in the coffin for NBC Nightly. He is the most obnoxious man on TV--no wait, that would be Bill Maher--Olbermann is second most obnoxious.
3-06-2007 @ 7:29AM
LAT said...
Most of you people wouldn't know news reporting if it bit you on the butt.
The reason you think Olbermann is editorializing is because all the other conservative anchors DO editorialize. Keith tells his audience before he begins to give a editorial, making it clear that's what it is. The rest merely mimick the White House's talking points. That's not reporting - that's reading.
Keith's not obnoxious - he's truthful. Learn the difference.
And his numbers are up in the money demo - 25 to 54. O'Reilly's average viewer's age? 74.
Guess that's why he's so popular.
3-06-2007 @ 4:09PM
Grant said...
Yes, put that idiot one dimensional person on the news, he isn't news he is an attack dog with the CNN.
People like to hear diverse views not only one, if you want one view, go to Rosie, cnn, or HBO and you can get someone who crys for the enemy and attacks us constantly without any answers.
3-06-2007 @ 4:16PM
Grant said...
The grinning buffon makes my skin crawl, ask him for answers not questions. Any child can ask questions only grown ups can make a decision.
My stock is going to hell and with this idiot in the news, maybe NBC can find the paperwork that bush wasn't really in the military.
Get rid of your stock or do you forget the diverse katie Korek has done to her station and stock.
4-12-2007 @ 7:48AM
Jim said...
Mr. Berr,
It would seem you would like to make NBC NPR, would you have all of the advertising revenue come from the government and tofu manufacturers? I would love to see the Army ad on an Keith Overbite Show, "Don't grow up to be a Putz like the guy you're watching, be a man. Join the Army".