Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Olbermann Returns, Calls NBC's Policy "Probably Not Legal"
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 10, 2010
Modified Nov 10, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 10, 2010
Modified Nov 10, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After his two-day unpaid suspension for making political donations without alerting his superiors, Keith Olbermann was back on MSNBC hosting Countdown. It was, as ever, a Keith-fest. He seemed awed (or smug) about the reaction, saying, "You know, when there is a petition supporting and it winds up being signed by 300,000 people, you get 21,000 Tweets in a 72 hour period, and you are invited to be on television because you aren't on television because they want you on 'Good Morning, America,' and 'Larry King' and 'Letterman' and you break records on the Huffington Post and you're on the front page of the New York Times without being dead or in jail or Charlie Sheen or something. For me, it was a surprise. All I can say is I'm stunned and greatful and it still feels like a universal hug."
Olbermann apologized to viewers, complained about the NBC News policy once again (and suggested it wasn't legal), and pointed out, "I gave and you found out and you judged me. If I had given money through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce you would have never, ever known." Mediatie sums it up, "All in all, the segment was heavy on gratitude (and, counter-intuitively, ego) and light on fury, which may have disappointed both Olbermann’s fans and his detractors."
We would have preferred Olbermann to reference Miss Precious Perfect in his diatribe:
Tagged
countdown
keith olbermann
media
msnbc
nbc news
political contribution
political donations
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Upper East Side braces for affordable housing fast track, and backlash from residents
A new land-use approval process could make it easier for developers to build larger apartment complexes in one of the city’s wealthiest, most densely populated neighborhoods.
By
David Brand
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
Plan to modernize NYC's diesel-spewing produce market falls apart under Mamdani
Bronx officials are scrambling to try to salvage a transformative project worth $650 million.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
Plan to modernize NYC's diesel-spewing produce market falls apart under Mamdani
Bronx officials are scrambling to try to salvage a transformative project worth $650 million.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
By
Charles Lane
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .