EW’s Feud Of The Week…
As noted late last night, Entertainment Weekly has labeled the O’Reilly/Olbermann fracass as its “Feud Of The Week” in its March 31st print edition. Notes EW’s Gilbert Cruz…
Ratings-wise, Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly is delivering a trouncing to his MSNBC rival Keith Olbermann. But when it comes to childish on-air behavior, the pugnacious Irishman just might have a worthy rival.
The piece breaks down the two show hosts’ antics into the categories of Opening Volleys, Other Beefs (with other people), Height of Absurdity, and Lowest Blow (Olbermann telling Colbert he’d rather have people invest their money in Enron stock than waste it on calling up O’Reilly’s radio show/O’Reilly’s web petition to have NBC fire Olbermann by bringing back Phil Donahue).
EW’s verdict on the winner?
Olbermann. In a TV smackdown, it’s better to be the instigator - one with the quicker wit and better writers. Plus, he’s on the same side as Clooney.
Wow, what a surprise! A Hollywood-worshiping magazine picks a liberal over a conservative. By the way, does everyone realize that The O’Reilly Factor is an opinion program, while Olbermann’s (I can’t remember the show’s name) purports to be a straight news program? Pretty amazing that NBC even allows Olbermann to spout off about his political views and personal feuds on the air. About 50 people in the entire United States watch Olbermann regularly so I guess this entire thing doesn’t even matter. I’d rather watch Paula Zahn anyway.
Comment by GoBackToESPN — March 27, 2006 @ 5:34 pm
The best thing about this feud is that Olbermann uses facts when dealing with O’Reilly. This is why O’Reilly loses in this. O’Reilly, much like President Chimpy McCokespoon, is never one to let reality interfere with his opinions.
Comment by The Truth — March 27, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
Olbermann is doing about 50% of O’Reilly in the 25-54 demo on many days. The big difference in their ratings numbers are people over 60 years of age. O’Reilly wins that hands down.
Comment by GoBackToSchool — March 27, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
The “no spin zone” is an “opinion program?”
Why does he call it the “no spin zone?”
Must be a liar.
Comment by Jessie — March 27, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
By calling O’Reilly a “loofa-man” (I have no clue what a loofa is, BTW) every night and telling Colbert that O’Reilly is “an idiot,” it sure doesn’t seem like Olbermann is using facts, as you claim. In O’Reilly’s replies, he has simply stated the Nielsen ratings numbers, which truly are facts. Like I said, I’m not a fan of either man, but I resent the way Olbermann injects opinion into his show while claiming it is a “newscast.”
Either way, no points are awarded for your ideologically-driven response. Anyone with a child’s IQ knows that Olbermann endlessly attacks O’Reilly in an attempt to raise his anemic ratings. The most recent ratings post on the pro-MSNBC TVNewser site had Olbermann finishing 4th in his time slot.
Comment by 'The Truth' Just Lied — March 27, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
O’Really is so desperate he is now declaring that there is a War on Easter! Whaa! Someone wants to take his easter bunny away! Whaa Whaa Whaa.
Comment by Lisa — March 27, 2006 @ 5:56 pm
Sure, O’Reilly may be doing better ratings-wise, but his numbers have dropped whereas Olbermann’s have risen.
Comment by Charlie — March 27, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
Finishing 4th in the coveted 25-54 demographic is a sign of rising ratings?
Comment by Huh? — March 27, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
Olbermann kicks O’Reilly a** every night with intelligence and class. O’Reilly is a perverted (Andrea Mackris anyone?) blow hard who thinks he has his own secret police force. How’s that for nutty?
Comment by Shannon — March 27, 2006 @ 7:00 pm
Olbermann is also a real journalist. O’Really is just a bloviating blowhard who perpetuates the lies of the Bush administration.
Comment by Noah — March 27, 2006 @ 7:28 pm
Chimpy McCokespoon? It’s been said here before by several posters: This affair has turned into a freak show. Both of these guys need to grow up and let it go.
Comment by Goldfish — March 27, 2006 @ 7:38 pm
“Olbermann is also a real journalist” hahaha I’m not saying O’Reilly is but, KO a real journalist?? hahaha
Comment by Terance — March 27, 2006 @ 7:57 pm
Who in the hell is Obermann anyway?? I would never of heard of him if it wasn’t for Bill talking about him.
Comment by Noelle — March 27, 2006 @ 8:00 pm
“A Real Journalist” He’s hardly a journalist. But I do like his little hand puppets and the skits he puts on with his little hand puppets on his show.
Did he steal that from Ted Koppel?
Didn’t think so.
Comment by TR — March 27, 2006 @ 8:10 pm
“Huh?” the most recent ratings information shows Olbermann finishing second in the demo in his time slot, so try not to come here with false information and try to spread it like its true.
Friday, March 25
Zahn: 134 K
Grace: 145 K
Olbermann: 158 K
O’Reilly: 445 K
Olbermann is making gains, O’Reilly’s numbers have decreased. That’s what the facts show, that’s what the ratings show.
Comment by AnonymousHere — March 27, 2006 @ 10:57 pm
Nice piece of disinformation. When I posted those numbers, they were the most recent available (look up the times). Your numbers are also from a Friday night, which any cable news exec (including MSNBC, although you probably work for that pathetic network) will tell you is by far the worst and least accurate ratings sample night of the week.
Thursday, March 23: 25-54
O’Reilly 363k
Grace 279k
Zahn 153k
Olbermann 146k
Also, genius, don’t forget the total viewership numbers. Olbermann finishes 3rd or dead last in them every single night of any week.
Comment by Huh? — March 27, 2006 @ 11:10 pm
If you read the daily ratings MSNBC is regularly 2nd in the ratings at both 7P & 8P in 25-54 “money demo”.
Comment by Any one day — March 27, 2006 @ 11:29 pm
Hmmm…I’m confused, why would Variety print this?
“”Countdown With Keith Olbermann” is beating CNN’s Paula Zahn 163,000 to 159,000 viewers in the demo.”
Here’s the link:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940252?categoryid=14&cs=1
Oh, but that’s just from some dumb ol’ rag called “Variety” or something. Who cares what it says. If you say Olbermann is running 4th, it must be true, your royal majesty.
Comment by Anon — March 27, 2006 @ 11:31 pm
Why bother arguing with these types? These people are not satisfied with having all but one cable news show which doesn’t lean right in its presentation. For some reason, they are obsessed with Olbermann even though he 1) is a real journalist (you might want to check his credentials, starting right out of Cornell at I believe age 21), 2) gives no more of an opinion or “snark” on his NEWScast than do Shepard or Brit (no complaints about them here EVER), and most importantly, 3) is no threat to take the audience who need to be told what to think (war on Easter now?), since Bill has those loyal viewers all to himself, until he totally implodes.
Comment by museglet — March 27, 2006 @ 11:44 pm
How can you say Keith Olbermann is a real journalist?
What real reporting does he ever do? What stories has he broken? When has he ever left the air conditioned anchor chair to cover a story?
He’s a glorified newsreader adding uninformed opinions to stories reported by other people, while somehow finding a way to make every single one of them about himself.
It’s a good show, let’s just not get carried away. Just because you have the unmitigated gall to end your show with “Good Night and Good Luck” every night, doesn’t mean that you’re Edward R Murrow.
Comment by oh puhleez — March 28, 2006 @ 2:05 am
The best thing that O’Reilly can do is to ignore this gnat. Acknowledging any supposed “feud” only gives more attention to this irrelevant #4 (in the cable news wars) also-ran.
Comment by MSNBwhat? — March 28, 2006 @ 2:28 am
Didn’t I say in another post this Olbermann loser is a cockroach? BOR isn’t going to go all out on this loser to give him publicity so he should leave this cockroach alone. Don’t leave crumbs overnight and this dirty cockraoch will eventually die off or crawl back into the hole.
Comment by Lurker — March 28, 2006 @ 7:49 am
“Huh” you’re the one trying to pick one night that satisfies your cause. If you look for weeks and weeks before, you will see that it has become a trend for Olbermann to finish above Zahn.
Comment by AnonymousHere — March 28, 2006 @ 8:38 am
Obviously some people are not familiar with Keith Olbermann’s journalism credentials. He has done more “real” reporting than the average TV anchor probably ever has, beginning with his years as a sportscaster, when he routinely followed leads and chased down his own stories. He reported from Ground Zero after 9/11 for radio. He got an interview with Michael Schiavo MONTHS before Matt Lauer did, yet he was forced to squelch most of it because Lauer had an interview set up FOR him for months after Olbermann’s. He also writes a good deal of Countdown himself. “Glorified newsreader”? His enemies only wish!
Comment by tanne — March 28, 2006 @ 9:29 pm