Olbermann puts Briganti on “Worst Person in The World” list…
In yesterday’s Bill Carter New York Times profile on Keith Olbermann there was a response from FNC spokesperson Irena Briganti…though if Carter’s going to quote the lady the least he could do is get her first name right…it’s spelled Irena…
Lately Mr. O’Reilly has resisted giving Mr. Olbermann the satisfaction of more attention. Mr. O’Reilly was on vacation last week, so Fox responded through Irina Briganti, the spokeswoman for the channel. Her comments, matched with Mr. Olbermann’s biting remarks, reflected how corrosive the byplay has become.
“Because of his personal demons, Keith has imploded everywhere he’s worked,” Ms. Briganti said. “From lashing out at co-workers to personally attacking Bill O’Reilly and all things Fox, it’s obvious Keith is a train wreck waiting to happen. And like all train wrecks, people might tune in out of morbid curiosity, but they eventually tune out, as evidenced by Keith’s recent ratings decline. In the meantime, we hope he enjoys his paranoid view from the bottom of the ratings ladder and wish him well on his inevitable trip to oblivion.”
Sure enough, this response didn’t go un-noticed. Tonight on Countdown Keith returned fire by tagging Briganti 3rd Worst Person In The World (An aside: When did he start calling it “The Bronze”?). Keith read the above quote on the air in mocking fashion and then noted the following…
UPDATE: Exactly what does a bad Photoshop job of Bill O’Reilly have to do with Briganti anyways?
Now Ms. Briganti first used the “train wreck” line in an interview with the Washington Post in May of 2004 in which she was quoted as an anonymous spokesperson. Since about that time our ratings are up 26% and Bill O’Reilly’s are down 45%. And then Ms. Briganti used that “paranoid” line in a comment to an anonymous…or… an anonymous email to a blogger in June of 2005. And since then our ratings are up 33% and Bill O’s are down 16%. So I’d like to thank Irena Briganti for her latest remark because she’s obviously such a ratings good luck charm for Countdown. But moreover, I’d like to thank her for getting her shame done with at being the spokesperson for Fox News; she’s finally used her real name in public rather than hiding behind anonymity. It’s your first step to a full recovery!
UPDATE: I didn’t mention this last night but Keith seemed to be a tad excited as he was reading this to the point that he was rushing through it. It felt forced to me, like Keith was over-reacting…
All this didn’t go un-noticed by Olbermann Watch which says Keith lied about his numbers…
For the OlbyPologists who refuse to admit his many lies, we’ll make it perfectly clear:
O’Reilly (May 2004-June 2006):
Olbermann claimed: Down 45%
The truth: Up 13%
Olbermann (May 2004-June 2006):
Olbermann claimed: Up 26%
The truth: Down 10%
The infamous, deplorable Keith Olbermann, caught in another lie. Which is sort of like spotting a hole in a piece of swiss cheese.
I’m not sold on this. Olbermann Watch is using the Total Day numbers. We don’t know which numbers Olbermann was using but it’s probably a demographic sample of some sort (18-49, 25-54, etc…). But he should have given what that number represents. Furthermore Olbermann Watch missed the obvious; the second set of numbers Olbermann gave showed O’Reilly had lost less viewers from today than the first set. But then Keith’s point was more to show his numbers kept going up rather than show that Bill’s numbers kept going down…
This does illustrate a point though. You can make the numbers look either good or bad depending on how you parse them. Which sort of makes comparisons rather ridiculous if both sides can’t agree on a methodology. As several readers have noticed recently the numbers from TVNewser differ from those from ICN because one blog gets numbers with DVR data included and one does not. Which set is more accurate? Who knows…
OMG that looks like Gene Hackman in drag at the end of The Birdcage.
Comment by Steve — July 12, 2006 @ 1:31 am
Nice photo mouseover caption…
Comment by WestCoastBlogger — July 12, 2006 @ 1:49 am
LOL, how hideous.
Comment by Brent — July 12, 2006 @ 2:21 am
Like 99% of the American public, Spud doesn’t obsess about small details of a low-rated opinion show, Tanne.
Comment by Jack — July 12, 2006 @ 8:15 am
Are those the kind of people Ailes takes pride in employing at FNC? Sounds like she needs some prozac and soon before she takes the “inevitable trip to oblivion.” Really sad.
Comment by Cable News Watcher — July 12, 2006 @ 8:42 am
Here’s something none of you seems to have noticed yet…the picture of “Ms. Briganti” is actually BILL O’REILLY IN DRAG!!!!! LOL!!!!!
Actually yes we did notice it.
Comment by Spud — July 12, 2006 @ 9:00 am
I’m growing a little weary of Keith’s act, attacking O’Reilly and Fox News. The whole New York Times article was far more about O’Reilly and Fox than it was about Olbermann and I find that very sad. Can’t his show succeed on its own merits without having to employ the gimmack of “attacking” his competitors? The answer it would seem, is no. Olbermann’s ratings are still lousy any way you cut it. And I don’t care if he’s gaining and according to him O’Reilly is losing the numbers reveal that Fox is still dominant and no amount of spin from Olbermann can change that.
Comment by MGM — July 12, 2006 @ 9:00 am
Wouldn’t an actual picture of Irena Briganti be a little better?
(comment edited for appropriateness. That subject will not be discussed on ICN any more than any other talent’s private life)
Comment by Terance — July 12, 2006 @ 9:28 am
So this is what it comes down to, Keith Olbermann taking unfair below the belt shots at an executive for doing her job? First he bashes a co-worker, and now this. Olbermann is in need of some serious help.
(comment edited for appropriateness. Same reason)
Comment by Staycee — July 12, 2006 @ 9:40 am
re: “Jack”’s comment “Like 99% of the American public, Spud doesn’t obsess about small details of a low-rated opinion show, Tanne.”
If that’s the yardstick to be used, then it’s only fair to say about 90 percent of the American public doesn’t care about cable news, period.
Comment by DaTruth — July 12, 2006 @ 9:47 am
Wouldn’t an actual picture of Irena Briganti be a little better?
My guess is they don’t have a picture of Briganti. But the I agree that the O’Reilly photoshop job is silly and has little to do with the story. Usually they just put up a silhouette when they don’t have a stock photo. I thought about whether to put that up for quite a while. But since it was part of the story, I decided to include it. Maybe I shouldn’t have but that’s the way it went down…
Comment by Spud — July 12, 2006 @ 10:03 am
That was hysterical. I’m sorry but it was. BillO in drag…HAH!
Total ratings from MSNBC are higher now than they were. For instance comparing May of 05 to May of 06
O’Reilly’s total audience (+P2): + 1
O’Reilly’s demo (25-54): -10%
Olbermann total audience (+P2): +31%
Olbermann demo (25-54): +34%
I would dig up the 04-06 comparison but TVNewser doesn’t have the 04 ratings on his website anymore.
Comment by BlogThat — July 12, 2006 @ 10:15 am
I assumed it was Ms. Briganti. Seeing that i’m not familiar with men dressed as women. I wonder why the “drag angle” was brought into the equation?
Comment by Terance — July 12, 2006 @ 10:16 am
Keith Olbermann seems pretty obsessed at this point. Did he ever want to work for Fox, cause he’s infatuated and seems to not be able to get through a program without mentioning them. It shows his predictibaility, but also speaks to the power Fox has in TV news and over Keith Olbermann.
Comment by Jon — July 12, 2006 @ 10:33 am
At the risk of incurring a buttload of sneers and jeers, may I digress just long enough to point out that there is a difference in usage between “less” and “fewer.” If it’s ONE object getting smaller, it’s “less.” If it’s a group of objects getting smaller, it’s “fewer.” Example: The car weighs LESS now that the spare tire is gone. There are FEWER eggs in the basket now that breakfast is over.
“…the second set of numbers Olbermann gave showed O’Reilly had lost less viewers from today than the first set.” [LESS should, in this case, be FEWER.] Sorry, but this happens all the time nowadays and it’s awful. “More taste, less calories.” Yikes
Thanks for your time
Comment by Mary Ellen — July 12, 2006 @ 11:12 am
I think he went to Fox Sports for a while after he left ESPN. As for the ratings, Spud is right; numbers can be manipulated and “spun” all kinds of ways. Keith deserves credit for his ratings increases. However, whether one looks at demo or total viewers, he is still being dominated by Fox. Personally, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Comment by Scott — July 12, 2006 @ 11:14 am
This really is a new low for Countdown. When you get to the point of putting up your competitors in drag, you’ve really lost your mind. Not that many people take this show seriously as “news” anymore…it’s like The Daily Show with a much more vicious, below-the-belt tone.
Comment by Jack — July 12, 2006 @ 11:15 am
“…the second set of numbers Olbermann gave showed O’Reilly had lost less viewers from today than the first set.” [LESS should, in this case, be FEWER.] Sorry, but this happens all the time nowadays and it’s awful. “More taste, less calories.” Yikes
I sit here properly chastized…
Comment by Spud — July 12, 2006 @ 11:42 am
While Olbermann might have begun the feud out of pique, I think it’s pretty clear that he extends it for publicity. And there’s some indications that it’s working. O’Reilly has actually wised up and stopped referring to it on the air, since that probably drove the curious to tune in to Countdown just to see what all the ruckas was about and who knows? some of them may have stayed around to watch - not all O’Reilly-watchers are antediluvian knuckle-draggers (are they?)
When spokesmen speak, however, it makes the media news and that’s pretty much it. So no crossover. Smart to leave it to Briganti.
The technique may or may not ‘convey’; I notice Tucker tried, kind of pathetically, to get something started with Anderson, but I’ll be very surprised if he gets any response.
Comment by Arthur — July 12, 2006 @ 11:59 am
I think everyone noticed that it was BillO. Countdown featured Irena as “worst” once before — in shadow… so I doubt there’s a stock photo sitting around.
And how is this a “low” for Countdown? Fox News’ PR office spews vitriol in the NY Times, but if Keith says anything he’s wrong? Come on… if you’re going to make an argument, at least read it back to yourself to see if it makes sense.
Comment by WestCoastBlogger — July 12, 2006 @ 12:03 pm
Fox and CNN have never, ever put up a picture of a competitor in drag to mock him or her. A P.R. office spinning something or putting down competitors is normal for all three networks, while putting up pictures in drag is not. Get it?
Comment by Jack — July 12, 2006 @ 12:14 pm
Seems to me that Keith O. is behaving appropriately. He’s by far the underdog in the ratings, and he’s saying and doing things to cause interest and increased viewership of his show. And, his tactics seem to be working. I’d rather have a fun time watching him than the lying BillO any day.
Comment by TXNews — July 12, 2006 @ 12:15 pm
BlogThat: The parsing of numbers is for losers, such as Air America fanatics.
On Monday night O’Reilly had nearly SEVEN TIMES the audience of Olbermann!
Comment by Ira — July 12, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
I work in news and I have to say that Olbermann needs to stop with his compulsion with Fox. Also, why is NBC News putting up with this?
Comment by Chris — July 12, 2006 @ 12:33 pm
I wasn’t parsing numbers. I provided both the total audience and demo audience and Olbermann’s growth was substantially more than that of O’Reilly who saw a 10% in his demo audience over that time period. It was a simple year to year comparison in the last month before the summer knocks all of the viewership figures out of whack.
Comment by BlogThat — July 12, 2006 @ 2:38 pm
Okay, this is slightly off topic, but has anybody else noticed that Allison Stewart isn’t wearing that big rock on her left hand since returning from vacation? My lovely wife noticed Monday night during her appearance on Olbermann. Which, by the way, is another issue. What was up with Allison handling almost everything except the first and last stories?
Comment by Take That — July 12, 2006 @ 3:10 pm
If you’re going to brag about cable ratings…Sponge Bob and/or WWE routinely kick both of their arses combined…
Comment by Alan Smythee — July 12, 2006 @ 3:38 pm
It actually doesn’t matter if he was talking about the “demo” ratings. Those numbers don’t add up either.
Have a feeling the whole segment, if not the show, was rushed, and KO was just quickly reading the teleprompter. I personally loved when he said “du-ay, er, duet.”
Comment by Scott — July 12, 2006 @ 6:27 pm
Ah, i just love watching the Olbermann haters squirm…gosh, that was so terrible of him to have a picture of Billo in drag…how heinous…and the ratingsratingsratings blahblahblah again…well, if his ratings are so bad, then WHY DOES ANYONE AT FOX CARE ABOUT HIM??? LOL!!!!
TakeThat, I must say I didn’t notice the other night that Allison wasn’t wearing her ring. But Keith did explain last night why he cut out for so much of the broadcast…he had dinner reservations and was actually planning on taking the night off, but it was the only night John Dean could do the interview live with him, so he prerecorded the end of the show, interviewed Dean live, and handed the rest of the show off to Allison.
He also reported that the tuna ravioli was very good.
Comment by tanne — July 12, 2006 @ 9:14 pm
BlogThat, Olbermann has finished 4th or 5th place every night for the past week. And no higher than third in TVNewser’s coveted “demo.” And it’s been proven that Olbermann’s ratings peaked in March and have been dropping ever since. The problem is, he can’t afford to lose viewers, or he’ll fall further behind Zahn and Grace, and then MSNBC will have no reason to put up with his antics anymore.
He gets publicity for attacking people, gets positive articles by newspapers that agree with his politics, but then people watch the show, realize it stinks, and don’t watch again. That’s what the ratings prove, and you’re going to have to live with it.
Comment by Jack — July 13, 2006 @ 8:34 am