TVWeek's "10 Most Powerful People in TV News" -- Olbermann number 6

[sabra]

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/awards_accolades/10_most_powerful_people_in_tv_news_gibson_on_couric_off_ailes_still_1_57052.asp

"10 Most Powerful People in TV News:" Gibson On, Couric Off, Ailes Still #1

Week is out with its annual list of the 10 Most Powerful People in TV News.

http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=31791

6. Keith Olbermann
Host of MSNBC's 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann'
Last year's rank: N/A


Why he was chosen: The utter failure of Phil Donahue on MSNBC in 2003 was presumed to mean left-leaning hosts of prime-time TV shows were an endangered species. But, lo, a star rose in the west over Secaucus, N.J., and its name was Keith Olbermann.

First-quarter 2007 ratings for the cranky Mr. Olbermann's "Countdown" rose 76 percent year-to-year to an average 713,000 viewers and helped galvanize MSNBC's increasingly popular, politically obsessed lineup; even the first telecast of "Tucker Carlson" perked up 33 percent to 238,000 viewers in the first quarter.

Mr. Olbermann's take-no-prisoners approach frequently means he gives a demographic beat-down to his CNN competitor, Paula Zahn.

[cmd]

1. Timmy loses one place and KO zooms up from nowhere

This, as Martha would say, is a good thing.

[SaveAmerica]

2. Bam!! Thanks for posting that!!

:kick: :kick:

[WiseButAngrySara]

3. Not an endangered species! KO rocks! But TDS with #10? ....n/t

[EST]

4. Ah, silly me!

To realize I've never heard of #2, #4, #8 or #9.
Now let's see where Keith ranks if we use a scale that I find more familiar and of greater value-
More valuable-
More honest-
More capable-
and much more.

Edit to add-and to call Donahue and utter failure is ludicrous. The only thing he failed at was telling the lies the machine demanded.

Fuggin idiots, can't even report on tv accurately.

[flowomo]

6. #2 is #6's boss....

Steve Capus was named president, NBC News in November 2005. He is the No. 1 News Division executive and is responsible for all aspects of America’s highest-rated and most-watched network News division, as well as MSNBC and NBC News Channel. Capus is also the arbiter of issues involving ethics, style, standards, safety and other matters that affect the Division’s journalistic bearing. Capus reports to Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal.

http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Executive_Bios/capus_steve.shtml

[seemunkee]

8. You know one more than me

No idea who #2,4,7,8,9 are.

[Divernan]

5. Katie Couric nowhere to be seen on the list!

She made it last year for the first time, but now she's history!

[DrDan]

9. nor is O'Liely and Insanity

[Clark2008]

13. That's because they don't deal in news.

They deal in fantasy.

:hi:

[Mind_your_head]

7. Funny, I don't watch teevee, so I've never even heard of 7 of them on the list

I only know (and enjoy via the intertoobz) Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart. Russert I only know b/c of the Libby trial.

These "Powerful People" don't wield much power with people who don't watch them or pay attention to their venue - we don't even know who they are!

[EST]

10. I am a bit envious.

For years and years I didn't even own a TV. Then, about 1980, I got temporarily married and she came equipped with four kids and a tv. Still no problem-I did my "reality" stuff while they worshipped the tube.

Then, one day, the tv broke down. Still no problem; I invited them outside to help me pull weeds and do other garden work.
After a week or two, my erstwhile wife advised me that I was going to have a mutiny on my hands unless I fixed it. Reluctantly, I fixed it. That was many years ago.

Now, I'm disabled and have become a political activist, hater, and shit disturber. Don't know how I'd get by without the TV and computer.

[Mind_your_head]

11. Well the world needs TV watching political activists and shit disturbers too

People like me need people like you to keep an eye on what all of those many TV watchers out there are getting fed, and how that impacts their world-view. So thanks for your TV watching service! :patriot:

I happily watched a lifetime's worth of TV when I was a kid (and still had plenty of time to play and go on bike hike's, and all that other good kid stuff). When I got married we lived overseas for several years and there wasn't very much english TV available. When we moved back to the states, I was so used to NOT watching TV, that it just didn't hold any interest for me anymore - it still doesn't. (I always think of that one Star Trek episode where Ryker was mesmerized by the stupid eyeglasses that just had a spiral going round-and-round and didn't serve any purpose. I think that was supposed to be analogous to TV watching - at least that's how I interpreted it).

Sorry to hear that you're disabled. I don't know the nature of your disability, but if it's very bad I hope that you can still get out and throw a few wildflower seeds out in your garden once in awhile. People like me at DU are certainly glad that you like to pitch out your thoughts & ideas and share with all of us here! :hi:

[EST]

12. Well, thank you for such wonderful sentiment!

IT's called psoriatic arthritis- kind of a mix between lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. If I'm careful and calculating, I can do a tapering flush of steroids, morphine and some other herb, and then schedule necessary activities starting about the second day and usually allowing a couple of days to feel almost human, except for being an emotional wreck, apt to go on a sobbing jag over Democracy Now! and often staying awake for a week to to ten days at a time. (Lots of not so comfortable mini-hallucinations as the fatigue builds up at the sixth or seventh day-ugh!)

You are very kind-I will manage to get a bit of gardening in during the manic two or three days in the middle, getting everything done so that a week or two of couch to pottie to couch can be managed. I am, indeed, fortunate, in that I live in a nice house on a small farm, in the woods. Quiet, private, fairly secluded and I don't have to put up with anybody if I don't want to.

We all have our own snakes to kill and I refuse to abandon this world in the f**ked up mess that the organized criminals have put it in. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, or up, or down-whatever is needed!

[MadBadger]

15. A lot of times, the power doesnt lie with those who are seen

Look at Ailes and Capus. Im sure to many Roger Ailes is not a household name, but for those who do know him, it is hard to argue against him being number one, however much it may suck.

[jgraz]

14. "The utter failure of Phil Donahue"

Donahue was the highest-rated show on MSNBC when he was cancelled. The fact is that he was the only anti-war talkshow host on the air at that point, and GE just couldn't countenance the fact that his message was gaining traction.