Olbermann Slams "Corporate Truce"

Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly at 8:35 AM on August 4, 2009.

OLBERMANN SEEMS UNCONCERNED ABOUT CORPORATE 'TRUCE'.... So, I guess the feud is back on?

Over the weekend, the New York Times had a front-page piece on an "off-the-record summit meeting" between Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of G.E., and News Corp's Rupert Murdoch about the tensions between Fox News and MSNBC, most notably with regards to Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly. According to the article, the parties agreed to some kind of "cease-fire," and around that time, O'Reilly stopped talking about G.E. contracts with Iran, and Olbermann said he would ignore O'Reilly.

Olbermann, who was on vacation last week, told the Times, "I am party to no deal." Last night, he elaborated on the air, devoting his "Worst Person in the World" segment to the matter. The "bronze" went to the NYT's Brian Stelter, who wrote the article about the reported truce. The "silver" went to O'Reilly, apparently to prove that Olbermann isn't reluctant to go after the Fox News blowhard, irrespective of what the CEOs may or may not have discussed.

And the "gold" went to Murdoch, apparently because he's "muzzled" O'Reilly to protect News Corp's interests. "This is the essence of corporate interference in the marketplace of ideas," Olbermann said last night, adding, with fist in the air, "Solidarity, Brother Bill! Free yourself from your corporate shackles!"

If there was a truce in place, I guess it's over?

As for last night's "Factor" broadcast, the LA Times' Joe Flint reported, "Fox's O'Reilly did not get into the feud on his show tonight. But there's always tomorrow."

Tagged as: fox, o'reilly, olbermann, msnbc, corporate truce

Steve Benen is "blogger in chief" of the popular Washington Monthly online blog, Political Animal. His background includes publishing The Carpetbagger Report, and writing for a variety of publications, including Talking Points Memo, The American Prospect, the Huffington Post, and The Guardian. He has also appeared on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Air America Radio's "Sam Seder Show," and XM Radio's "POTUS '08."