Oh, folks...this is NOTgood...we need to circle the wagons!!!

[Muffstser]

Just saw this in the New York Daily News:

Bad Blood at MSNBC

It might be a good idea for Keith Olbermann and Rick Kaplan to give each other a wide berth until things cool down.
I hear that MSNBC staffers in the Secaucus newsroom-studio watched in horror Monday night as the volatile Kaplan, the president of the cable outlet, publicly laced into the eccentric Olbermann, anchor of the 8 p.m. show "Countdown," after the latter eulogized lung-cancer victim Peter Jennings with a graphic rant about his own cancer scare.

Olbermann - a former pipe and cigar smoker - is said to have looked stunned as Kaplan raced onto the set and shouted at him after he signed off.

Olbermann had urged viewers to quit smoking and repeatedly mentioned "spitting blood" and "spitting globs of myself into a garbage can" while discussing his bout with a benign tumor in in his mouth.

I'm told that Kaplan erupted angrily and at length, calling Olbermann "out of control" and "not to be trusted," and accusing him of driving away viewers from the 9 p.m. debut of Kaplan hire Rita Cosby's show, "Live and Direct."

Kaplan - a friend and former ABC News colleague of Jennings, and a frequent cigar smoker - apparently got even angrier when Olbermann suggested that the reason he was upset was that "this is about you."

I'm told that the anchor quietly asked the news exec to move the discussion to a private location, but the enraged Kaplan wouldn't hear of it.

"I don't care if you don't come to work tomorrow," Kaplan told Olbermann, according to my spies.

Olbermann - who yesterday defended his much-criticized remarks on Jim Romenesko's media gossip Web site at www.poynter.org - did come to work, but he didn't return my phone call.

Kaplan told me: "I'm not going to discuss it. It's between me and Keith."

Methinks it's time to bombard our little friends at MSNBC (namely the execs and the comment line) with support for the big guy. If they take any kind of reprimand against him for this, I'll totally stop watching the rest of their programming. Period.

I guess no good deed goes unpunished, does it? Besides, after a day of Peter Jennings passing, who would really want to watch something as shallow as two Jackson jurors trying to make a quick buck? Not me.

[SharonRB]

1. Ya know, after Keith's little speech on Monday night,

my husband predicted this. He said "Oh, boy, he's going to get into big trouble for this." I figured he had cleared it. Silly me.

[crispini]

2. Dayum.

Is that online, or did you type it in?

Fine, I'll cough up a letter. Ha! ha! I said "cough up"! Haven't had a smoke since the Monday show, girls. (See, now I'm thinking about it and I want one. :( )

[Muffstser]

3. Yup, it's online at the NYdailynews.com website

It's in their Daily Dish section.

[_q_]

4. Crispini -

"Haven't had a smoke since the Monday show"
That in itself is a great reason to write the show!
Stay strong, and CONGRATS!
-q

[gkhouston]

5. q's right, Crispi

you should write, IMHO, because Kaplan's fear is that viewers who smoke were so turned off by KO's message that they wouldn't stick around for Cosby's show. Apparently the idea that there might be other reasons for not watching Rita hasn't entered his mind. Apparently the idea that people who aren't receptive to Keith's message probably don't give a flip about what KO said and wouldn't bother changing the channel in disgust because they wouldn't care enough to be disgusted, didn't occur to him, either.

On the other hand, let's not go into a total panic. It could be that Kaplan got a little crazy because it was Rita's debut night and he has subsequently calmed down since then. I have seen this behavior in others: basically, the closer you get to a debut, the crazier they get, and sometimes you just have to let it go in one ear and out the other. There's never been a shortage of places or people willing to repeat ill-considered words, making mountains out of molehills. Write letters, if you're so inclined, but let's not assume that KO is double-dog doomed; this could have been a transient fit of temper. I'm sure it will come as no news flash to most of you that not all bosses are well-equipped with social maturity and people skills?

[Muffstser]

7. Wise thoughts...

You’re right, GK. As long as I’ve been in the legal profession, I’ve seen massive egos with absolutely no justification for their having one.

What’s that saying…no good deed goes unpunished?

Still, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to email Countdown if you’re stopping smoking. They want to hear from those who are, and the more they get, the more it invalidates Kaplan’s position. He’s not exactly the most secure person on their totem pole, anyway.

[gkhouston]

8. no, he's not. And going off on in public

on one of their better ratings-drawers is more likely to harm Kaplan than KO if Kaplan's status with his bosses is already shaky.

[Catchawave]

6. A very supportive discussion on GD:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4303382#top

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[Clark2008]

9. I took a diplomatic approach

Dear Mr. Kaplan:

First and foremost, let me state that I am not even sure that the story spreading through the blogosphere (and the gossip rags) that you blew up at Keith Olbermann for his "Quit Smoking" editorial is even true. But, on the chance that it is, let me explain something to you: most people I know only tune into MSNBC to watch Keith Olbermann. His his the highest-rated show on your network (and, that's WITHOUT all the hype that was afforded Tucker Carlson and Rita Cosby).

If you think that people are going to tune out before they get to Rita Cosby because of Keith Olbermann, you're sadly mistaken. People tune out when Rita comes on because they're sick and tired of fluff being "reported" as news. At least when Keith does a silly story, he puts it in the proper context - like puppets - or makes snarky remarks about the nature of said non-news story. When he reports on the real news of the day, he is at his most efficient. He asks questions the other talking heads do not and reports on stories that the other networks shy away from.

In short, Olbermann's about the only real journalist there is on cable television today. The rest are just padding their pockets and primping for the sheeple.

Finally, on the chance that the story isn't true - because it is sourced from gossip rags, afterall - then I still want you to take my words to heart: Keith Olbermann is the best thing on your station and you need to be promoting him more. Surely, it's occurred to SOME executive SOMEwhere that there is a real hunger out here for honest, straight-forward news reporting that isn't pre-packaged by White House spin or sold as a battle between extremes who yell over the top of one another.

As a former reporter, myself, I am absolutely appalled at the failures of the news media, television, in particular, to inform the public about issues that effect them. While I feel sorry for Natalee whats-her-name's family, her disapperance does not effect my job, the economy, my son's need for a better education, the energy crisis or the thousands fighting and dying in Iraq for what, more and more, seems like a pack of lies.

If you truly want more viewers for Cosby, tell her to start reporting the news and to refrain from breathlessly gossiping about the pablum that coats most of today's television news media.

Sincerely,

Me

Yes, I know that there is no question the Iraqi War was based on lies and that Rita Cosby is worthless, but, as I said, I was being diplomatic.

[SharonRB]

12. Great letter, Clark!

[spooky3]

13. outstanding letter

[Gogi]

10. Link

www.nydailynews.com/front/story/335982p-286995c.html

[CBHagman]

11. Let me give this a bump...

...so people will have the context for the Kaplan thread.

[Berry Cool]

14. Hurray for you, Crispi!

And Clark, please rethink it...please.

I don't know whether I believe every detail of the "Keith gets chewed out" story, but if even a smidge of it is true (as Dan P. would say) it is a shame.