1 00:00:04,835 --> 00:00:22,875 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Is 2 00:00:23,155 --> 00:00:28,395 Speaker 1: Elon Musk going to buy MSNBC and turn it into 3 00:00:28,435 --> 00:00:33,875 Speaker 1: a pro Trump propaganda channel? And if not Musk, somebody 4 00:00:33,875 --> 00:00:37,315 Speaker 1: else I may be asking this question backwards. Is there 5 00:00:37,355 --> 00:00:42,955 Speaker 1: anybody to stop someone Musk or otherwise from buying MSNBC 6 00:00:43,155 --> 00:00:47,195 Speaker 1: and turning it into pro Trump propaganda? Well, sir, who 7 00:00:47,315 --> 00:00:51,515 Speaker 1: stopped Musk from doing that? To Twitter? Who stopped Warner Bros. 8 00:00:51,715 --> 00:00:56,035 Speaker 1: Discovery from buying CNN and doing that incompletely but sufficiently 9 00:00:56,155 --> 00:01:01,355 Speaker 1: enough to render CNN irrelevant in television news? As preface, 10 00:01:01,435 --> 00:01:04,475 Speaker 1: we don't know for certain that MSNBC is actually force. 11 00:01:05,475 --> 00:01:10,235 Speaker 1: Companies like Comcast take assets like MSNBC, which by itself 12 00:01:10,275 --> 00:01:14,075 Speaker 1: has made a profit of something around five or six 13 00:01:14,315 --> 00:01:17,995 Speaker 1: billion dollars since I made it into the Liberal News 14 00:01:18,115 --> 00:01:20,475 Speaker 1: Channel in two thousand and six and hired Mattow in 15 00:01:20,515 --> 00:01:23,635 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight. They take assets like that and 16 00:01:23,675 --> 00:01:26,835 Speaker 1: spin them off into another separate company they also own, 17 00:01:27,275 --> 00:01:30,435 Speaker 1: and they throw in CNBC and Oxygen and the Golf 18 00:01:30,515 --> 00:01:33,515 Speaker 1: Channel and USA Network and half a dozen other assets. 19 00:01:33,555 --> 00:01:35,715 Speaker 1: And they do it so hastily they don't even have 20 00:01:35,755 --> 00:01:38,555 Speaker 1: a name for their new company, and they're just calling 21 00:01:38,635 --> 00:01:43,315 Speaker 1: it spin Co. Companies like Crompcast do that all the 22 00:01:43,355 --> 00:01:46,995 Speaker 1: time and never sell the new separate company, especially after 23 00:01:47,035 --> 00:01:49,315 Speaker 1: gifting it with a great, long lasting heritage of a 24 00:01:49,395 --> 00:01:53,515 Speaker 1: name like spin Co. Oh, I'm being told no corporations 25 00:01:53,555 --> 00:01:56,955 Speaker 1: ever do that. Comcast wants to get out of the 26 00:01:56,955 --> 00:02:00,115 Speaker 1: cable based business, or at minimum give it self the 27 00:02:00,195 --> 00:02:06,355 Speaker 1: option to get out of the cable based business Spinco. 28 00:02:09,275 --> 00:02:13,475 Speaker 1: This is where Musk comes in, and if Musk comes in, 29 00:02:13,515 --> 00:02:17,675 Speaker 1: maybe Trump comes in. As Musk's Twitter x dies, it 30 00:02:17,755 --> 00:02:22,635 Speaker 1: seems like half the content now is Musk tweets. Sometimes 31 00:02:22,675 --> 00:02:26,915 Speaker 1: it's Musk interacting with bots or other foreign disinfo. Sometimes 32 00:02:26,955 --> 00:02:30,235 Speaker 1: it's Musk and a fellow brain dead tech pro. Sometimes 33 00:02:30,235 --> 00:02:33,595 Speaker 1: it's a sequence like this. A tech pro posts that 34 00:02:33,915 --> 00:02:38,715 Speaker 1: Comcast is putting MSNBC up for sale, not technically true, 35 00:02:38,995 --> 00:02:43,995 Speaker 1: but Trump Junior screenshots that somehow steadies his hands long 36 00:02:44,075 --> 00:02:47,275 Speaker 1: enough to post that screenshot and type above it. Hey 37 00:02:47,435 --> 00:02:50,595 Speaker 1: at elon Musk, I have the funniest idea ever. And 38 00:02:50,755 --> 00:02:56,595 Speaker 1: Musk replies and replies how much does it cost? Just 39 00:02:56,635 --> 00:03:01,235 Speaker 1: for spits and giggles? Right after this, Megan Kelly, professional 40 00:03:01,275 --> 00:03:05,315 Speaker 1: moron retweets a poll reading MSNBC is going up for sale? 41 00:03:05,315 --> 00:03:07,555 Speaker 1: Should I buy it? I would like to fire Rachel 42 00:03:07,595 --> 00:03:12,155 Speaker 1: Maddow and Kelly who self destructed at MSNBC and NBC 43 00:03:12,275 --> 00:03:16,235 Speaker 1: News ads. Oh mg, do it? Never even noticing that 44 00:03:16,315 --> 00:03:18,595 Speaker 1: the name on the account that put out the poll 45 00:03:18,755 --> 00:03:23,635 Speaker 1: is quote not Elon Musk, and its address is I 46 00:03:23,835 --> 00:03:27,755 Speaker 1: Am not Elon Musk. And one wonders which of those 47 00:03:27,795 --> 00:03:31,355 Speaker 1: words caused Megan Kelly's tiny little mind to switch into 48 00:03:31,395 --> 00:03:36,515 Speaker 1: the off position. But I digress, though the laugh is 49 00:03:36,595 --> 00:03:40,715 Speaker 1: much needed. There are many nightmare nuggets in the news 50 00:03:40,715 --> 00:03:43,795 Speaker 1: of the last round of Trump cabinet nominations that concluded 51 00:03:43,795 --> 00:03:48,315 Speaker 1: this weekend. Past Pam Bondi was with Juliani at the 52 00:03:48,435 --> 00:03:54,315 Speaker 1: Four Seasons Total Landscaping fiasco. Sebastian Gorka counter terrorism advisor. 53 00:03:54,395 --> 00:03:57,595 Speaker 1: No no, no, no. The counter terrorism advisor is supposed 54 00:03:57,595 --> 00:04:01,115 Speaker 1: to be opposed to terrorism. They found audio of RFK 55 00:04:01,315 --> 00:04:04,395 Speaker 1: Junior comparing Trump to Hitler and his supporters to Nazis. 56 00:04:04,475 --> 00:04:07,675 Speaker 1: So now, of course rf K Junior is apologizing for 57 00:04:07,795 --> 00:04:11,275 Speaker 1: being right the last time he was ever right. The 58 00:04:11,355 --> 00:04:15,075 Speaker 1: new Surgeon General nominee sold vitamin supplements on Fox and 59 00:04:15,155 --> 00:04:19,715 Speaker 1: friends weekend along with still Secretary of Defense designate Pete 60 00:04:19,755 --> 00:04:23,515 Speaker 1: shoot into the crowd. Hegseeth the new would be head 61 00:04:23,555 --> 00:04:26,195 Speaker 1: of the CDC was the congressman who introduced the legislation 62 00:04:26,475 --> 00:04:31,475 Speaker 1: to force Congress to intervene to force poor Terry Schaivo, 63 00:04:31,595 --> 00:04:33,915 Speaker 1: the Florida woman who was brain dead and dependent on 64 00:04:33,955 --> 00:04:36,715 Speaker 1: life support, but whose head kept moving from side to 65 00:04:36,875 --> 00:04:41,035 Speaker 1: side as if she were following a moving object with 66 00:04:41,115 --> 00:04:44,795 Speaker 1: her eyes that were opened but saw nothing. He introduced 67 00:04:44,795 --> 00:04:48,475 Speaker 1: the legislation to force her husband to keep this poor 68 00:04:48,475 --> 00:04:52,995 Speaker 1: woman alive. But hard as this may be to believe, 69 00:04:53,075 --> 00:04:57,155 Speaker 1: with all of that, Musk may be a bigger danger 70 00:04:57,195 --> 00:05:02,115 Speaker 1: than all of them combined, including Trump. The Wall Street 71 00:05:02,195 --> 00:05:05,395 Speaker 1: Journal reports that while companies like Apple are stretchgizing their 72 00:05:05,395 --> 00:05:08,075 Speaker 1: business pitches to the White House by essentially saying they're 73 00:05:08,075 --> 00:05:10,995 Speaker 1: going to go in and hold up just one shiny object, 74 00:05:11,235 --> 00:05:14,955 Speaker 1: one shiny object alone. To Trump, that's Tim Cook's idea, 75 00:05:15,435 --> 00:05:18,635 Speaker 1: or as Trump thinks, he's named Tim Apple. While that's 76 00:05:18,635 --> 00:05:21,795 Speaker 1: one strategy quote, a number of companies are also considering 77 00:05:22,075 --> 00:05:26,035 Speaker 1: whether to propose ideas directly to the Department of Government Efficiency, 78 00:05:26,475 --> 00:05:31,755 Speaker 1: led by Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswami. It 79 00:05:31,795 --> 00:05:34,515 Speaker 1: could be a way to develop new relationships within Trump's 80 00:05:34,515 --> 00:05:39,075 Speaker 1: inner circle unquote, new relationships or as you civilians might 81 00:05:39,115 --> 00:05:44,395 Speaker 1: call them, bribes. It's not just companies who now see 82 00:05:44,475 --> 00:05:47,195 Speaker 1: Musk as a portal to Trump. A separate Wall Street 83 00:05:47,275 --> 00:05:52,075 Speaker 1: journal piece reads quote. Chinese leaders enjoy some leverage over Musk, 84 00:05:52,875 --> 00:05:56,155 Speaker 1: who has poured billions of dollars into investments in Shanghai. 85 00:05:56,875 --> 00:06:00,355 Speaker 1: In China, Musk is a symbol of the American dream 86 00:06:00,915 --> 00:06:05,795 Speaker 1: and of US technological prowess. Even musk seventy six year 87 00:06:05,835 --> 00:06:14,155 Speaker 1: old mother May Musk boasts celebrity status. Sure sure, great 88 00:06:14,195 --> 00:06:18,715 Speaker 1: idea Musk as the real president while Trump looks at 89 00:06:18,755 --> 00:06:23,315 Speaker 1: shiny objects, while Musk owns what's left of Twitter X 90 00:06:23,635 --> 00:06:29,715 Speaker 1: and owns say MSNBC, MSNBC which just got spun off. 91 00:06:29,715 --> 00:06:32,035 Speaker 1: And we don't have the Thursday or Friday numbers yet, 92 00:06:32,155 --> 00:06:35,915 Speaker 1: But on Wednesday morning, the new version of Morning Joe 93 00:06:36,595 --> 00:06:39,675 Speaker 1: in which Joe and Mika like Trump again, it was 94 00:06:39,755 --> 00:06:45,155 Speaker 1: down to fifty one thousand viewers in the so called 95 00:06:45,315 --> 00:06:50,195 Speaker 1: ad demo. That's down sixty percent in that group since 96 00:06:50,235 --> 00:06:54,275 Speaker 1: the third quarter of this year. Fifty one thousand viewers 97 00:06:54,315 --> 00:06:58,075 Speaker 1: in the advertising demo is what we used to do 98 00:06:58,155 --> 00:07:03,435 Speaker 1: on Countdown in two thousand and three. Meanwhile, Mika Brzhinsky 99 00:07:03,515 --> 00:07:06,795 Speaker 1: continues to do damage could control, as in, she keeps 100 00:07:06,835 --> 00:07:10,395 Speaker 1: doing more damage. She went on another podcast and still 101 00:07:10,395 --> 00:07:12,875 Speaker 1: does not understand what the big deal is, quote taking 102 00:07:12,915 --> 00:07:15,315 Speaker 1: stock of everything that's happened. I don't regret anything I've 103 00:07:15,355 --> 00:07:17,795 Speaker 1: said during the campaign, and I stand by it, she 104 00:07:17,875 --> 00:07:20,555 Speaker 1: told a Daily Beast podcast. But I'm also looking at 105 00:07:20,555 --> 00:07:22,955 Speaker 1: how to do things differently, and I would never turn 106 00:07:22,995 --> 00:07:28,515 Speaker 1: down an opportunity to gain insider information. Good idea, Mika, 107 00:07:28,555 --> 00:07:30,835 Speaker 1: because at the present rate, it'll be far more efficient 108 00:07:30,875 --> 00:07:33,995 Speaker 1: for you to dump this expensive to produce TV show 109 00:07:34,035 --> 00:07:37,155 Speaker 1: with no audience anymore, and just gain your insider information 110 00:07:37,355 --> 00:07:41,235 Speaker 1: by going door to door or stopping passers by in 111 00:07:41,315 --> 00:07:46,595 Speaker 1: the street and asking them. So here it is perfect 112 00:07:46,635 --> 00:07:51,275 Speaker 1: storm MSNBC hurriedly spun off by another terrified corporation that 113 00:07:51,475 --> 00:07:54,915 Speaker 1: already leaned to the right as it was the network 114 00:07:54,995 --> 00:07:58,235 Speaker 1: hitting an inevitable troth based on even the most violent 115 00:07:58,315 --> 00:08:01,115 Speaker 1: swing of the political pendulum, as it has many times 116 00:08:01,155 --> 00:08:04,555 Speaker 1: in the last twenty years, and now it's only identify 117 00:08:04,995 --> 00:08:10,275 Speaker 1: Daily show imploding, and Trump Junior joking to a guy 118 00:08:10,275 --> 00:08:13,515 Speaker 1: who already took one place for liberals, if not of liberals, 119 00:08:13,755 --> 00:08:16,915 Speaker 1: and destroyed it and spent forty four billion dollars to 120 00:08:16,955 --> 00:08:21,155 Speaker 1: do so. Because so what, Trump Junior joking, The Musky 121 00:08:21,195 --> 00:08:25,595 Speaker 1: should buy it or not joking? I want to go 122 00:08:25,675 --> 00:08:31,075 Speaker 1: into depth about how long MSNBC and NBC and its 123 00:08:31,115 --> 00:08:36,555 Speaker 1: corporate masters have existed in painful tension. But first, speaking 124 00:08:36,635 --> 00:08:40,595 Speaker 1: of tension, did you hear what his self professed former friend, 125 00:08:40,995 --> 00:08:45,355 Speaker 1: neuroscientist Sam Harris now says about Musk on The Bulwark 126 00:08:45,555 --> 00:08:49,275 Speaker 1: Podcast with Tim Miller. If you think the Musk Trump 127 00:08:49,435 --> 00:08:53,635 Speaker 1: MSNBC story is some kind of tinderbox, well here is 128 00:08:53,715 --> 00:08:57,835 Speaker 1: mister Harris describing Musk's collection of matches. 129 00:08:58,195 --> 00:09:02,515 Speaker 2: In his case, perhaps more conspicuously than any other. We're 130 00:09:02,555 --> 00:09:07,075 Speaker 2: seeing the total derangement of a personality based on social 131 00:09:07,115 --> 00:09:09,595 Speaker 2: media addiction. I mean that is in fact what you 132 00:09:09,635 --> 00:09:12,915 Speaker 2: see with Elon. He is a Twitter addict, so much 133 00:09:12,915 --> 00:09:15,195 Speaker 2: so that he felt he needed to buy the platform. 134 00:09:15,715 --> 00:09:19,915 Speaker 2: And now he has this this you know, free speech 135 00:09:19,955 --> 00:09:22,675 Speaker 2: evangelist gloss on what he's up to. But really, what 136 00:09:22,755 --> 00:09:28,915 Speaker 2: he's up to is you know, snorting ketamine and tweeting 137 00:09:28,955 --> 00:09:31,275 Speaker 2: at all hours of the day and night. Right, And 138 00:09:31,555 --> 00:09:34,355 Speaker 2: this is his influence on our politics. I mean, his 139 00:09:34,515 --> 00:09:39,555 Speaker 2: behavior on Twitter is obviously palpably visibly deranged, right, I 140 00:09:39,595 --> 00:09:43,795 Speaker 2: mean he signal boosts Pizzagate lunatics knowing who they are. 141 00:09:44,715 --> 00:09:46,915 Speaker 2: He knows who they are because I and others have 142 00:09:46,995 --> 00:09:49,675 Speaker 2: told him who they are, and he feels he has 143 00:09:49,675 --> 00:09:53,715 Speaker 2: absolutely no compunction about. You know, he thinks he's doing 144 00:09:53,755 --> 00:09:57,835 Speaker 2: a service to humanity by boosting to two hundred million 145 00:09:57,915 --> 00:10:01,995 Speaker 2: followers obvious lies and conspiracy theories and making some of 146 00:10:01,995 --> 00:10:08,235 Speaker 2: the most odious online trolls even more famous. And meanwhile 147 00:10:08,555 --> 00:10:15,035 Speaker 2: just you know, declaring war on actually normal people who, 148 00:10:15,075 --> 00:10:18,195 Speaker 2: for whatever reason, he's gotten on the wrong side of c. 149 00:10:19,875 --> 00:10:26,275 Speaker 1: Boom. So to understand fully the MSNBC thing, spinning it off, 150 00:10:26,475 --> 00:10:30,195 Speaker 1: maybe selling it, maybe c and ending it, maybe twittering it, 151 00:10:30,515 --> 00:10:34,155 Speaker 1: maybe musking it, you have to understand the background. You 152 00:10:34,195 --> 00:10:37,355 Speaker 1: have to understand that while the network went live on 153 00:10:37,435 --> 00:10:43,275 Speaker 1: July fifteenth, nineteen ninety six, the friction between MSNBC and 154 00:10:43,475 --> 00:10:47,315 Speaker 1: NBC News, and the calls within NBC to get rid 155 00:10:47,315 --> 00:10:50,235 Speaker 1: of MSNBC or kill it or do something about it 156 00:10:50,675 --> 00:10:54,795 Speaker 1: began on December eighth, nineteen ninety five, the day the 157 00:10:54,875 --> 00:10:58,235 Speaker 1: news leaked that NBC was going to transform its failed 158 00:10:58,475 --> 00:11:03,155 Speaker 1: chat show cable channel America is Talking, run by Roger 159 00:11:03,195 --> 00:11:07,075 Speaker 1: Ayles of All People, Kill It, take on Microsoft as 160 00:11:07,075 --> 00:11:14,315 Speaker 1: a partner, and rebrand that outlet as MSNBC News. For 161 00:11:14,395 --> 00:11:17,595 Speaker 1: nearly three decades, NBC and its news bosses and its 162 00:11:17,595 --> 00:11:21,235 Speaker 1: corporate owners have never been able to decide what MSNBC 163 00:11:21,435 --> 00:11:24,835 Speaker 1: was supposed to be compliment to NBC News to which 164 00:11:24,915 --> 00:11:27,475 Speaker 1: viewers of the broadcast network could be directed for the 165 00:11:27,555 --> 00:11:33,035 Speaker 1: proverbial more coverage or a spillover channel or a separate entity, 166 00:11:33,835 --> 00:11:36,315 Speaker 1: or what most of the newsies thought well into its 167 00:11:36,355 --> 00:11:40,395 Speaker 1: second decade, a great place to train reporters and anchors 168 00:11:40,395 --> 00:11:43,515 Speaker 1: and producers, and the moment they showed any aptitude or 169 00:11:43,555 --> 00:11:48,875 Speaker 1: success in cable to promote them from MSNBC to real NBC. 170 00:11:50,435 --> 00:11:53,595 Speaker 1: The last concept of what the network was usually prevailed, 171 00:11:53,795 --> 00:11:57,075 Speaker 1: and obviously it was suicidal. It meant MSNBC was like 172 00:11:57,115 --> 00:12:01,075 Speaker 1: a farm team in baseball. I mean, these were the 173 00:12:01,155 --> 00:12:06,355 Speaker 1: Trenton Yankees. Your show is a success at MSNBC. The 174 00:12:06,395 --> 00:12:10,555 Speaker 1: producer was good reward them by moving them up and 175 00:12:10,635 --> 00:12:15,835 Speaker 1: replacing them at MSNBC with somebody not as good. This 176 00:12:15,955 --> 00:12:21,795 Speaker 1: meant anybody who was good at MSNBC immediately left MSNBC 177 00:12:22,595 --> 00:12:26,995 Speaker 1: and was replaced by somebody not as good. But it 178 00:12:27,155 --> 00:12:31,195 Speaker 1: also meant that anybody who wasn't good at MSNBC and 179 00:12:31,315 --> 00:12:35,355 Speaker 1: didn't improve, and wasn't attractive and didn't get promoted to NBC. 180 00:12:36,435 --> 00:12:39,595 Speaker 1: Any of those people stayed at MSNBC forever and usually 181 00:12:39,675 --> 00:12:48,315 Speaker 1: got worse. Three quarters of management fit that description. My 182 00:12:48,555 --> 00:12:52,835 Speaker 1: original nineteen ninety seven MSNBC News Hours, The Big Show, 183 00:12:52,915 --> 00:12:56,195 Speaker 1: and The White House in Crisis were the first programs 184 00:12:56,195 --> 00:13:00,475 Speaker 1: that made MSNBC any money. I mean seriously. The network 185 00:13:00,515 --> 00:13:04,675 Speaker 1: otherwise hemorrhaged cash from its launch in nineteen ninety ten 186 00:13:05,395 --> 00:13:09,835 Speaker 1: until about two thousand and five. Throughout my first stint there, 187 00:13:09,875 --> 00:13:12,755 Speaker 1: I kept telling the bosses that the problems they had 188 00:13:13,275 --> 00:13:17,195 Speaker 1: what was MSNBC supposed to be would be simplified if 189 00:13:17,195 --> 00:13:21,155 Speaker 1: not solved by one very easy solution, changed the damn 190 00:13:21,235 --> 00:13:23,955 Speaker 1: name of the network. You could use the same people, 191 00:13:23,995 --> 00:13:27,435 Speaker 1: the same set, the same cameras, but if MSNBC did 192 00:13:27,435 --> 00:13:30,755 Speaker 1: not have the letters NBC in it, there would be 193 00:13:30,835 --> 00:13:35,555 Speaker 1: a philosophical degree of separation that would benefit everybody, and 194 00:13:36,075 --> 00:13:42,035 Speaker 1: being my bosses, they never listened. I literally put this 195 00:13:42,315 --> 00:13:46,715 Speaker 1: in a thirty page proposal for a revamped MSNBC network 196 00:13:46,955 --> 00:13:50,195 Speaker 1: master plan. I still have a copy of it. The 197 00:13:50,315 --> 00:13:55,595 Speaker 1: date on it is July nineteen ninety eight. I finally 198 00:13:55,715 --> 00:13:58,715 Speaker 1: left MSNBC late in nineteen ninety eight and returned almost 199 00:13:58,715 --> 00:14:01,595 Speaker 1: by accident to NBC to work the Olympics in two 200 00:14:01,635 --> 00:14:05,195 Speaker 1: thousand and two. My sports bosses one day asked me 201 00:14:05,235 --> 00:14:09,035 Speaker 1: to help out MSNBC its lineup, depleted by anchor illness 202 00:14:09,315 --> 00:14:13,355 Speaker 1: and the upcoming invasion in Iraq. By March of two 203 00:14:13,395 --> 00:14:16,875 Speaker 1: thousand and three, the same people I had stormed away 204 00:14:16,915 --> 00:14:20,115 Speaker 1: from five years earlier offered me the same eight pm 205 00:14:20,195 --> 00:14:23,995 Speaker 1: time slot and a new contract. In the fifteen months 206 00:14:24,035 --> 00:14:27,715 Speaker 1: between my departure and my return in that eight pm slot, 207 00:14:27,955 --> 00:14:33,595 Speaker 1: MSNBC had had seventeen different shows. They had averaged thirteen 208 00:14:33,635 --> 00:14:37,355 Speaker 1: weeks each. But that's deceiving because one of the eight 209 00:14:37,395 --> 00:14:46,035 Speaker 1: PM shows on MSNBC in my absence lasted exactly one episode. Anyway, 210 00:14:46,115 --> 00:14:48,435 Speaker 1: it was not until two thousand and five that my 211 00:14:48,875 --> 00:14:52,435 Speaker 1: new show, my second show there countdown, a low rated 212 00:14:52,555 --> 00:14:58,715 Speaker 1: nightly news Digest MAGAZINEI kind of thing started getting really 213 00:14:58,755 --> 00:15:02,435 Speaker 1: political and really suspicious of Bush and Iraq and especially 214 00:15:02,595 --> 00:15:07,555 Speaker 1: the Republican's political manipulation the threat of terrorism, and suddenly 215 00:15:07,595 --> 00:15:11,635 Speaker 1: we had something new in the equation viewers. By the 216 00:15:11,675 --> 00:15:15,195 Speaker 1: next year, the ad salesman, and contrary to all logic, 217 00:15:15,275 --> 00:15:17,275 Speaker 1: they are the ones from whom you get the truth 218 00:15:17,395 --> 00:15:20,155 Speaker 1: in a news company or any kind of television company. 219 00:15:20,315 --> 00:15:24,195 Speaker 1: They were sending me bottles of champagne and revealing that 220 00:15:24,355 --> 00:15:28,235 Speaker 1: Countdown by itself was now earning a fifty million dollar 221 00:15:28,355 --> 00:15:31,395 Speaker 1: annual profit, then seventy five million a year, then one 222 00:15:31,475 --> 00:15:36,835 Speaker 1: hundred million a year. The ad guys love me, but 223 00:15:37,275 --> 00:15:41,355 Speaker 1: other management at NBC not so much, because this was 224 00:15:41,395 --> 00:15:46,355 Speaker 1: a new problem. Rather than MSNBC being an annoying, self 225 00:15:46,395 --> 00:15:52,195 Speaker 1: fulfilling prophecy of doom, suddenly it was an annoying, problematic success. 226 00:15:53,355 --> 00:15:57,395 Speaker 1: Right after MSNBC started making money, it started making enemies. 227 00:15:57,835 --> 00:16:01,555 Speaker 1: The Republicans came right to our door. The psychos at 228 00:16:01,595 --> 00:16:05,475 Speaker 1: Fox News like O'Reilly and Hannity and Ale's. This is 229 00:16:05,515 --> 00:16:08,595 Speaker 1: when we called them fixed News or Fox Noise. They 230 00:16:08,675 --> 00:16:12,635 Speaker 1: started calling executives at NBC and its parent company GE 231 00:16:13,035 --> 00:16:19,195 Speaker 1: demanding that I stopped criticizing them. The fascists are softer 232 00:16:19,355 --> 00:16:23,235 Speaker 1: than church music. The reason I got personal was the 233 00:16:23,235 --> 00:16:28,155 Speaker 1: more personal you got, the angrier they got. When Tim 234 00:16:28,235 --> 00:16:31,715 Speaker 1: Russert was still alive and defending me internally and externally, 235 00:16:32,235 --> 00:16:34,315 Speaker 1: he would watch every night and send me tips and 236 00:16:34,355 --> 00:16:36,915 Speaker 1: warnings and ideas, and he was capable of playing the 237 00:16:36,955 --> 00:16:41,475 Speaker 1: Republicans inside NBC and outside NBC like fiddles. It was 238 00:16:41,515 --> 00:16:45,235 Speaker 1: pretty much fine. And then came that horrible day June thirteenth, 239 00:16:45,275 --> 00:16:49,235 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, Tim died, and suddenly NBC News 240 00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:51,355 Speaker 1: was in the hands of a lot of cowards and 241 00:16:51,515 --> 00:16:55,675 Speaker 1: bullies like Tom Brokaw and Joe Scarborough and Jeff Zucker 242 00:16:55,675 --> 00:16:58,395 Speaker 1: and Chris Lickt and names you wouldn't know like Jeff 243 00:16:58,435 --> 00:17:01,635 Speaker 1: Immelt and Steve Kappus and Phil Griffin and Rick Kaplan. 244 00:17:03,595 --> 00:17:06,555 Speaker 1: In Russert's place, we were now run by men like Griffin, 245 00:17:06,835 --> 00:17:10,555 Speaker 1: who spent a year fighting my entreaties to hire this 246 00:17:10,715 --> 00:17:13,955 Speaker 1: Rachel Meadow, telling me I couldn't even put her on 247 00:17:14,075 --> 00:17:17,395 Speaker 1: as my guest host because nobody would watch a woman, 248 00:17:17,795 --> 00:17:23,995 Speaker 1: especially a lesbian or another liberal, do the news. Then, 249 00:17:24,635 --> 00:17:26,875 Speaker 1: when it was obvious she was popular and they were wrong. 250 00:17:26,915 --> 00:17:28,755 Speaker 1: They lied to me, and they told me they had 251 00:17:28,835 --> 00:17:33,195 Speaker 1: hired her so that one night Larry King at CNN 252 00:17:33,315 --> 00:17:36,915 Speaker 1: talked her into going on his show for two hundred 253 00:17:36,955 --> 00:17:40,635 Speaker 1: and fifty dollars. I'll just say that again, two hundred 254 00:17:40,635 --> 00:17:45,395 Speaker 1: and fifty dollars. I wound up hiring Rachel that night 255 00:17:45,555 --> 00:17:49,235 Speaker 1: out of my own pocket to keep MSNBC from losing her. 256 00:17:49,995 --> 00:17:52,955 Speaker 1: Literally the cash in my wallet. I gave her all 257 00:17:52,995 --> 00:17:55,675 Speaker 1: but five dollars. I gave her four hundred and thirty 258 00:17:55,675 --> 00:17:59,195 Speaker 1: seven dollars. Otherwise she goes to CNN and we never 259 00:17:59,235 --> 00:18:05,155 Speaker 1: see her again, at least at NBC anyway. Of two 260 00:18:05,195 --> 00:18:08,155 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, the Republicans were threatening Brokaw that if 261 00:18:08,155 --> 00:18:10,515 Speaker 1: he didn't get me fired or at least removed from 262 00:18:10,635 --> 00:18:14,755 Speaker 1: MSNBC's coverage of the presidential election, John McCain would not 263 00:18:14,955 --> 00:18:18,755 Speaker 1: show up for the debate that Brokaw had inherited from Russard. 264 00:18:19,635 --> 00:18:22,555 Speaker 1: So Tom went in and threatened, and that is a 265 00:18:22,635 --> 00:18:26,675 Speaker 1: nice euphemism for blackmailed NBC management on behalf of the 266 00:18:26,715 --> 00:18:31,795 Speaker 1: GOP just so he could host one more debate. Then 267 00:18:31,835 --> 00:18:34,595 Speaker 1: within a year it was Fox blackmailing the executives at 268 00:18:34,595 --> 00:18:37,835 Speaker 1: GE actually getting the chairman of ge Jeff Immelt, to 269 00:18:37,915 --> 00:18:42,515 Speaker 1: threaten to take MSNBC off the air if Fox continued 270 00:18:42,555 --> 00:18:47,235 Speaker 1: to criticize him and hound him because Emmelt's mom was 271 00:18:47,275 --> 00:18:51,755 Speaker 1: a Bill O'Reilly fan, and O'Reilly kept claiming her little boy, 272 00:18:51,835 --> 00:18:54,715 Speaker 1: Jeff was producing weapons used to kill Americans in Iraq. 273 00:18:57,155 --> 00:18:59,875 Speaker 1: There was a big meeting at which we were told 274 00:19:00,115 --> 00:19:05,035 Speaker 1: the network might be going off the air in six hours. 275 00:19:06,075 --> 00:19:10,195 Speaker 1: That meeting kind of summarized the MSNBC NBC corporate tension 276 00:19:10,315 --> 00:19:13,475 Speaker 1: that exists to this day that opens the door for 277 00:19:13,515 --> 00:19:17,595 Speaker 1: Elon Musk buying it. It could and would get meaner, 278 00:19:17,595 --> 00:19:19,635 Speaker 1: and it could and would get easier from time to time, 279 00:19:19,635 --> 00:19:22,355 Speaker 1: from year to year, but it's always there, and it 280 00:19:22,395 --> 00:19:25,195 Speaker 1: is there to this day. As the spinning off of 281 00:19:25,275 --> 00:19:29,115 Speaker 1: the network into part of a new company called Spinco 282 00:19:29,915 --> 00:19:34,075 Speaker 1: suggests that meeting, by the way, from two thousand and nine, 283 00:19:34,395 --> 00:19:37,795 Speaker 1: the We're All going to Die meeting, that is worthy 284 00:19:37,835 --> 00:19:40,315 Speaker 1: of its own lengthy recap, which I will give you shortly. 285 00:19:41,035 --> 00:19:43,355 Speaker 1: But anyway, back to the main part of this story, 286 00:19:43,395 --> 00:19:46,435 Speaker 1: the current part of this story. Back then, it was 287 00:19:46,435 --> 00:19:49,475 Speaker 1: still getting worse and worse. Zucker and Roger Ayles wound 288 00:19:49,555 --> 00:19:53,195 Speaker 1: up meeting inside thirty Rock No Less to decide what 289 00:19:53,355 --> 00:19:56,555 Speaker 1: I could and could not say on MSNBC about Fox, 290 00:19:57,315 --> 00:19:59,995 Speaker 1: and what Fox would and would not say about Ge 291 00:20:00,995 --> 00:20:05,035 Speaker 1: negotiating what could be in the news on two of 292 00:20:05,075 --> 00:20:11,435 Speaker 1: America's three cable news channels. By twenty ten, NBC started 293 00:20:11,435 --> 00:20:15,355 Speaker 1: suggesting we put Republicans on Countdown. They wanted me to 294 00:20:15,395 --> 00:20:20,915 Speaker 1: have Scarborough on every night. Nobody ever asked me a 295 00:20:20,995 --> 00:20:24,595 Speaker 1: direct question as to how. In January twenty eleven, I 296 00:20:24,635 --> 00:20:28,955 Speaker 1: wound up leaving this mess of MSNBC and leaving the 297 00:20:29,035 --> 00:20:31,475 Speaker 1: highest rated cable news show that was not on Fox. 298 00:20:31,915 --> 00:20:33,915 Speaker 1: And I left because they were beginning to throw up 299 00:20:33,995 --> 00:20:36,515 Speaker 1: roadblocks to my commentaries and mess with my producers, and 300 00:20:36,555 --> 00:20:40,475 Speaker 1: most importantly because twice they breached my contract. And again, 301 00:20:40,515 --> 00:20:44,675 Speaker 1: this is all about the conflict that exists to this 302 00:20:44,955 --> 00:20:50,675 Speaker 1: moment between the idea of NBC News and the false 303 00:20:50,795 --> 00:20:58,235 Speaker 1: god of neutrality and both sidesmanship and Chuck Todd's and MSNBC. 304 00:21:01,195 --> 00:21:05,395 Speaker 1: They suspended me once from making campaign donations. Donations I 305 00:21:05,475 --> 00:21:09,915 Speaker 1: made after our election coverage had concluded to acquaintances like 306 00:21:10,075 --> 00:21:15,035 Speaker 1: Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who had gotten death threats who had 307 00:21:15,075 --> 00:21:18,395 Speaker 1: run out of money to pay for more security. NBC 308 00:21:18,435 --> 00:21:21,395 Speaker 1: said I had violated the NBC News employee rules and 309 00:21:21,475 --> 00:21:25,555 Speaker 1: really publicly slammed me, which was kind of unfortunate for 310 00:21:25,595 --> 00:21:27,315 Speaker 1: them in so much as two years earlier, they had 311 00:21:27,315 --> 00:21:29,715 Speaker 1: written up and demanded that I sign a new contract 312 00:21:29,795 --> 00:21:35,235 Speaker 1: that specifically said I was not an NBC News employee. 313 00:21:35,275 --> 00:21:38,195 Speaker 1: This had saved them thousands of dollars because if I 314 00:21:38,275 --> 00:21:40,995 Speaker 1: wasn't an NBC News employee, they didn't have to pay 315 00:21:41,035 --> 00:21:43,435 Speaker 1: for my dental care. I swear that was part of it. 316 00:21:43,515 --> 00:21:45,395 Speaker 1: The other part of it was if I was not 317 00:21:45,475 --> 00:21:48,715 Speaker 1: an NBC News employee, when the spit hit the fan, 318 00:21:48,795 --> 00:21:50,475 Speaker 1: they could say, well, he doesn't work for NBC News, 319 00:21:50,515 --> 00:21:55,595 Speaker 1: he worked for MSNBC. The sad thing was the original 320 00:21:55,635 --> 00:21:58,795 Speaker 1: solution to the news of my campaign contributions had been 321 00:21:58,995 --> 00:22:01,835 Speaker 1: president of MSNBC calling me and saying, well, this looks bad. 322 00:22:02,075 --> 00:22:04,115 Speaker 1: I mean, I know it's your right to do it. 323 00:22:04,115 --> 00:22:06,795 Speaker 1: It's not like going to suspend you or anything stupid 324 00:22:06,915 --> 00:22:10,155 Speaker 1: like that, and this is sort of our fault, but 325 00:22:10,235 --> 00:22:13,075 Speaker 1: this just looks bad. Can you can you think of 326 00:22:13,195 --> 00:22:15,195 Speaker 1: is there anything you can do to make this look better? 327 00:22:15,515 --> 00:22:18,755 Speaker 1: And I said, no, you're right, it does look bad. 328 00:22:19,395 --> 00:22:22,275 Speaker 1: I'll apologize on the show tomorrow. And I don't have 329 00:22:22,355 --> 00:22:24,595 Speaker 1: to do this. I want that it made clear, but 330 00:22:25,075 --> 00:22:30,235 Speaker 1: I will voluntarily stop any campaign contributions as long as 331 00:22:30,275 --> 00:22:33,515 Speaker 1: I am doing this show. And the president of MSNBC 332 00:22:33,595 --> 00:22:36,035 Speaker 1: said great, and I said great. And I wrote the 333 00:22:36,075 --> 00:22:38,115 Speaker 1: apology that night and I sent it to him that 334 00:22:38,235 --> 00:22:40,435 Speaker 1: night and he said great. And I said great, and 335 00:22:40,475 --> 00:22:42,435 Speaker 1: I said great, I already have part of tomorrow's show 336 00:22:42,475 --> 00:22:45,115 Speaker 1: written and that was it. And the next morning, without 337 00:22:45,155 --> 00:22:47,195 Speaker 1: a hearing, without a phone call, without an email, without 338 00:22:47,195 --> 00:22:54,355 Speaker 1: any warning, this hysterical teenager named Steve Kappus, President NBC News, 339 00:22:54,475 --> 00:22:57,475 Speaker 1: puts out a press release in which he angrily suspends 340 00:22:57,515 --> 00:23:01,075 Speaker 1: me indefinitely without pay for violations of the NBC News 341 00:23:01,075 --> 00:23:04,275 Speaker 1: employee rule book that says NBC News employees can't make 342 00:23:04,315 --> 00:23:07,955 Speaker 1: donations to political campaign except oops, I'm not an NBC 343 00:23:07,995 --> 00:23:10,875 Speaker 1: News employee. Because they wanted to give themselves distance between 344 00:23:10,955 --> 00:23:15,355 Speaker 1: NBC News and MSNBC and not pay my dental And 345 00:23:15,435 --> 00:23:18,115 Speaker 1: within hours there was a petition on social media demanding 346 00:23:18,115 --> 00:23:21,595 Speaker 1: my reinstatement, with two hundred and fifty thousand signatures on it, 347 00:23:22,635 --> 00:23:24,875 Speaker 1: plus at NBC there was a lot of shushing and 348 00:23:24,955 --> 00:23:30,555 Speaker 1: worrying because everybody at NBC News made donations to political campaigns, 349 00:23:31,235 --> 00:23:35,155 Speaker 1: they just hid them. They donated in their wife's name, 350 00:23:35,275 --> 00:23:37,875 Speaker 1: or their kid's name, or whoever. I was the only 351 00:23:37,915 --> 00:23:42,715 Speaker 1: one who admitted it. Joe Scarborough went on the air 352 00:23:43,275 --> 00:23:46,635 Speaker 1: and complained about my donating to campaigns, and two days 353 00:23:46,715 --> 00:23:52,195 Speaker 1: later they suspended him for donating to campaigns because he 354 00:23:52,275 --> 00:23:57,915 Speaker 1: still was an NBC News employee. And this guy campus 355 00:23:57,995 --> 00:24:02,755 Speaker 1: dug in again NBC News versus MSNBC, and demanded that 356 00:24:02,795 --> 00:24:06,035 Speaker 1: I be suspended for a month without at least and 357 00:24:06,155 --> 00:24:10,555 Speaker 1: all of this was public. In the short term. What 358 00:24:10,635 --> 00:24:12,995 Speaker 1: happened was they told me on a Friday, I was suspended. 359 00:24:13,635 --> 00:24:16,555 Speaker 1: On Tuesday, I was back on the air. They couldn't 360 00:24:16,555 --> 00:24:19,515 Speaker 1: even dock my pay. They couldn't even charge me for 361 00:24:19,635 --> 00:24:24,475 Speaker 1: any days off. In the long term, right after I 362 00:24:24,555 --> 00:24:29,075 Speaker 1: was suspended, were actually not suspended. Al Gore phoned me 363 00:24:29,915 --> 00:24:32,075 Speaker 1: and he offered me a fortune to take countdown to 364 00:24:32,115 --> 00:24:35,515 Speaker 1: his struggling network called Current TV. Brain Countdown to Current 365 00:24:35,555 --> 00:24:38,155 Speaker 1: TV will give you fifty million dollars, he said, plus bonuses, 366 00:24:38,195 --> 00:24:42,675 Speaker 1: plus a piece of the network you'll be an owner. Anyway, 367 00:24:42,995 --> 00:24:45,315 Speaker 1: the current thing turned out to be a scam. It 368 00:24:45,395 --> 00:24:48,195 Speaker 1: blew up rather quickly. On the other hand, I got 369 00:24:48,315 --> 00:24:52,515 Speaker 1: enough money to literally never have to work again for 370 00:24:52,635 --> 00:24:56,875 Speaker 1: the next decade. Again touching on this subject of NBC 371 00:24:56,955 --> 00:25:00,115 Speaker 1: News and its interests versus the interests of the corporate 372 00:25:00,675 --> 00:25:04,595 Speaker 1: entities that owned it and MSNBC. NBC News and ms 373 00:25:04,835 --> 00:25:09,595 Speaker 1: NBC and I flirted with a reunion for the next 374 00:25:09,715 --> 00:25:15,755 Speaker 1: ten years. Comcast asked as far back as September twenty 375 00:25:15,795 --> 00:25:19,315 Speaker 1: eleven if I would consider going back. Then came the message, 376 00:25:19,555 --> 00:25:22,595 Speaker 1: we can't do it. We found out that too many 377 00:25:22,595 --> 00:25:25,115 Speaker 1: people at NBC News wouldn't like it, although everybody at 378 00:25:25,195 --> 00:25:27,555 Speaker 1: MSNBC would like it and we would like it. So 379 00:25:27,635 --> 00:25:31,035 Speaker 1: now it was the corporation at MSNBC versus NBC News. 380 00:25:32,075 --> 00:25:34,555 Speaker 1: In twenty fourteen, I actually met with the new NBC 381 00:25:34,675 --> 00:25:37,675 Speaker 1: News executives for two hours and they wanted me to 382 00:25:37,675 --> 00:25:40,635 Speaker 1: bring countdown back and we started the process. And then 383 00:25:40,875 --> 00:25:44,715 Speaker 1: the Brian Williams scandal broke and those news executives got 384 00:25:44,715 --> 00:25:48,795 Speaker 1: fired because they ignored the Brian Williams scandal. In October 385 00:25:48,795 --> 00:25:51,795 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, I met with the new new executives who 386 00:25:51,795 --> 00:25:53,915 Speaker 1: replaced the ones who got fired. They wanted me to 387 00:25:53,915 --> 00:25:57,555 Speaker 1: come back. They made an actual offer, and it was stupid, 388 00:25:57,555 --> 00:26:00,795 Speaker 1: and it was predicated on having me not do any commentaries, 389 00:26:00,875 --> 00:26:04,195 Speaker 1: like what was the point of countdown without the commentaries? 390 00:26:04,875 --> 00:26:07,715 Speaker 1: What did you want me to do? Draw pictures? Teach 391 00:26:07,755 --> 00:26:12,715 Speaker 1: people to paint? And then that guy got fired in 392 00:26:12,755 --> 00:26:16,595 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, and the new chairman of the entire NBC operation, 393 00:26:16,755 --> 00:26:19,755 Speaker 1: Jeff Shell, was an old friend of mine from Fox Sports, 394 00:26:19,875 --> 00:26:22,355 Speaker 1: and he wanted to bring me back, and then Matdow 395 00:26:22,395 --> 00:26:25,795 Speaker 1: said no, and then Shell got fired and that was 396 00:26:25,835 --> 00:26:28,515 Speaker 1: the final stake in what would have been my third stint. 397 00:26:30,075 --> 00:26:33,835 Speaker 1: So now, after twenty eight plus years on the air, 398 00:26:34,635 --> 00:26:38,195 Speaker 1: they have done something to separate MSNBC from NBC News, 399 00:26:38,195 --> 00:26:43,475 Speaker 1: but not really. They still haven't changed the name, and 400 00:26:43,515 --> 00:26:46,675 Speaker 1: it may wind up being nothing more than an official 401 00:26:46,915 --> 00:26:51,955 Speaker 1: new route of who's in charge and having distinct on 402 00:26:52,075 --> 00:26:58,115 Speaker 1: air staffs. Even that could allow Comcasts to continue to 403 00:26:58,155 --> 00:27:02,115 Speaker 1: own MSNBC and for it to remain vigorous and liberal 404 00:27:02,635 --> 00:27:06,115 Speaker 1: and useful in a time of crisis that we are entering, 405 00:27:09,075 --> 00:27:15,835 Speaker 1: or it will allow them to sell it to Elon Musk, 406 00:27:17,315 --> 00:27:28,995 Speaker 1: who will change it to musk x TV. Also of interest, here, 407 00:27:29,355 --> 00:27:36,635 Speaker 1: MSNBC is experiencing the proverbial existential crisis again, that little 408 00:27:36,635 --> 00:27:40,555 Speaker 1: one I mentioned just fifteen and a half years ago. 409 00:27:41,035 --> 00:27:45,755 Speaker 1: That one escalated even faster than this one has. And 410 00:27:45,915 --> 00:27:48,795 Speaker 1: corporate was so mad back then. They were not talking 411 00:27:48,835 --> 00:27:51,635 Speaker 1: about selling it. They were just going to push the 412 00:27:51,835 --> 00:27:57,915 Speaker 1: off switch, and I helped. There is instruction for the 413 00:27:57,915 --> 00:28:01,355 Speaker 1: future in that part of the past. Let me go 414 00:28:01,395 --> 00:28:06,835 Speaker 1: into great detail about the meeting on the mount of 415 00:28:07,035 --> 00:28:11,235 Speaker 1: Jeff Zucker's office in two thousand and nine. That's next. 416 00:28:11,915 --> 00:28:21,915 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olboman hell 417 00:28:21,955 --> 00:28:24,395 Speaker 1: ahead of us here on countdown. Quote, I don't want 418 00:28:24,435 --> 00:28:28,155 Speaker 1: to see your botched chief hooker inspired boob job on 419 00:28:28,275 --> 00:28:33,075 Speaker 1: my television. Can we introduce a bill to bar that? Unquote? 420 00:28:33,115 --> 00:28:36,275 Speaker 1: Which former woman staffer of which current member of Congress 421 00:28:36,715 --> 00:28:40,755 Speaker 1: said that about which current member of Congress? Next in 422 00:28:40,835 --> 00:28:45,275 Speaker 1: the other worst persons in the world. First, to complete 423 00:28:45,275 --> 00:28:48,395 Speaker 1: my theatrical promise from before the break insigne the last 424 00:28:48,395 --> 00:28:52,035 Speaker 1: time MSNBC was on the verge of extinction June two 425 00:28:52,115 --> 00:28:55,835 Speaker 1: thousand and nine, My executive producer is Epovich and I 426 00:28:55,955 --> 00:28:58,955 Speaker 1: are summoned to the fifty second floor office of NBC 427 00:28:59,075 --> 00:29:02,955 Speaker 1: president Jeff Zooker. This is at thirty Rock in New York. 428 00:29:03,195 --> 00:29:05,835 Speaker 1: It is, in fact a top three rock in New York. 429 00:29:06,115 --> 00:29:08,275 Speaker 1: The only other thing on the floor is the private 430 00:29:08,355 --> 00:29:11,235 Speaker 1: dining room for Zooker and the other executives of his 431 00:29:11,355 --> 00:29:15,515 Speaker 1: corporation and ge which owned us. It's kind of like 432 00:29:15,795 --> 00:29:19,595 Speaker 1: Zucker's office, kind of like the Los Angeles Coliseum, only 433 00:29:19,675 --> 00:29:25,075 Speaker 1: with floor lamps. Anyway, already in the room MSNBC president 434 00:29:25,075 --> 00:29:29,635 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin, a producer from Hardball with Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, 435 00:29:30,275 --> 00:29:34,555 Speaker 1: his producer, some goon from Morning Joe, but not Scarborough 436 00:29:34,635 --> 00:29:38,235 Speaker 1: or Brzhinski themselves, and from the new show that had 437 00:29:38,235 --> 00:29:41,475 Speaker 1: been spun off from mine, Rachel Maddow and her producer 438 00:29:41,515 --> 00:29:46,555 Speaker 1: Bill Wolf. Basically everybody with any chops at MSNBC. And 439 00:29:46,635 --> 00:29:50,995 Speaker 1: the message from Zucker, who was bright red and sweating 440 00:29:51,075 --> 00:29:54,995 Speaker 1: for the only time in his life, was so existential 441 00:29:55,795 --> 00:29:57,595 Speaker 1: that he thought he had to repeat it to me. 442 00:29:58,835 --> 00:30:01,675 Speaker 1: I said, Jeff, imilt is going to take MSNBC off 443 00:30:01,715 --> 00:30:04,955 Speaker 1: the air. I didn't need any of my over wrought 444 00:30:05,035 --> 00:30:07,715 Speaker 1: visions from two years earlier of the future of liberal 445 00:30:07,795 --> 00:30:11,555 Speaker 1: news commentary falling out the NBC window to its death 446 00:30:11,595 --> 00:30:14,795 Speaker 1: on the rink. This was the real thing. The chairman 447 00:30:14,875 --> 00:30:18,955 Speaker 1: of General Electric was threatening to open the window himself, 448 00:30:19,315 --> 00:30:22,355 Speaker 1: throw us out the window himself, and then race down 449 00:30:22,395 --> 00:30:26,195 Speaker 1: to the pavement to stomp on our dying remains himself. 450 00:30:27,475 --> 00:30:31,155 Speaker 1: Poor Ed Schultz heard Jeff Zucker say those words, and 451 00:30:31,275 --> 00:30:33,915 Speaker 1: he had screwed up his face and tilted his head 452 00:30:33,995 --> 00:30:36,955 Speaker 1: like a puppy hearing a car crash. He had not 453 00:30:37,115 --> 00:30:39,475 Speaker 1: believed it the first time. He had not believed it 454 00:30:39,555 --> 00:30:42,715 Speaker 1: the second time. Zucker said it a third time. Immelt 455 00:30:42,835 --> 00:30:46,515 Speaker 1: is going to take MSNBC off the effing air at, 456 00:30:46,555 --> 00:30:50,755 Speaker 1: Schultz groaned. After weeks of Griffin's coaxing, he had finally 457 00:30:50,995 --> 00:30:55,235 Speaker 1: just moved from Nebraska to New York the preceding weekend, 458 00:30:55,915 --> 00:30:58,595 Speaker 1: Yet he was still, somehow only the second most strung 459 00:30:58,635 --> 00:31:02,035 Speaker 1: out person in the room. You, Zucker shouted at me, 460 00:31:02,195 --> 00:31:05,435 Speaker 1: You're the smartest one in the room. What do we 461 00:31:05,515 --> 00:31:09,195 Speaker 1: do now? I'll confess I was shaken by this because 462 00:31:09,195 --> 00:31:12,155 Speaker 1: it appeared for once that Zucker was not being sarcastic. 463 00:31:12,755 --> 00:31:16,235 Speaker 1: I had never before seen him flush nor flustered. This 464 00:31:16,395 --> 00:31:19,715 Speaker 1: was a guy who wore fleece in July. Now he 465 00:31:19,835 --> 00:31:23,395 Speaker 1: was beat red and sweating. Sometimes he knew what he 466 00:31:23,435 --> 00:31:26,515 Speaker 1: was doing, and, as his opposition to hiring Matdow had proved, 467 00:31:26,595 --> 00:31:29,155 Speaker 1: sometimes he didn't know what he was doing, but he 468 00:31:29,235 --> 00:31:32,595 Speaker 1: always acted as the most confident man in the galaxy. 469 00:31:32,875 --> 00:31:35,795 Speaker 1: But now he literally had no clue what to do next. 470 00:31:35,835 --> 00:31:38,315 Speaker 1: And he not only could not ignore my advice, he 471 00:31:38,435 --> 00:31:42,675 Speaker 1: desperately needed it. This situation and that color on his 472 00:31:42,755 --> 00:31:47,435 Speaker 1: face were almost worth watching the corporate fascists nuke my network. 473 00:31:48,435 --> 00:31:51,515 Speaker 1: I asked Zucker to explain what happened? You got Dan, Well, 474 00:31:51,635 --> 00:31:54,795 Speaker 1: know what happened. Zucker moved towards me, and I stood 475 00:31:54,875 --> 00:31:56,635 Speaker 1: up and I told him I would see myself out. 476 00:31:56,995 --> 00:32:00,475 Speaker 1: He stopped, remembering that he did indeed actually need my help. 477 00:32:01,115 --> 00:32:05,155 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. I apologize. This isn't Rachal, this is Melt. 478 00:32:05,795 --> 00:32:09,235 Speaker 1: Last week sometime Bill O'Reilly snapped. He told Murdoch he 479 00:32:09,275 --> 00:32:10,995 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna take any more of what you were saying 480 00:32:10,995 --> 00:32:12,835 Speaker 1: about him on the air. So he did a piece 481 00:32:12,915 --> 00:32:16,995 Speaker 1: last night accusing Ge of manufacturing the components that have 482 00:32:17,035 --> 00:32:20,275 Speaker 1: been used in roadside bombs that were built in Iran 483 00:32:20,355 --> 00:32:23,955 Speaker 1: to kill Americans in Iraq, which is true. Legally, that's 484 00:32:24,035 --> 00:32:27,435 Speaker 1: legally true. They found roadside bombs that had like thirty 485 00:32:27,475 --> 00:32:31,395 Speaker 1: year old GE transistors or TV tubes from nineteen fifty 486 00:32:31,395 --> 00:32:36,035 Speaker 1: four or something in them. Legally, GE did manufacture components 487 00:32:36,035 --> 00:32:38,155 Speaker 1: that were used in roadside bombs that were built in 488 00:32:38,155 --> 00:32:41,035 Speaker 1: Iran to kill Americans in Iraq. So O'Reilly puts this 489 00:32:41,195 --> 00:32:44,595 Speaker 1: on his effing show as a lead story, and then 490 00:32:45,035 --> 00:32:47,955 Speaker 1: Fox sent two camera crews in this little crap producer 491 00:32:47,995 --> 00:32:52,435 Speaker 1: from o'reiley show, Jesse Waters something to stake emmelt out 492 00:32:52,475 --> 00:32:56,835 Speaker 1: and chase him around the GE shareholders meeting in Charlotte. 493 00:32:57,235 --> 00:32:59,555 Speaker 1: Zucker finally came up for air, and I jumped in, 494 00:33:00,315 --> 00:33:03,315 Speaker 1: Why didn't emmelt have six camera crews to stake out 495 00:33:03,355 --> 00:33:05,995 Speaker 1: the two Fox crews and chase them around in Charlotte? 496 00:33:06,035 --> 00:33:08,715 Speaker 1: I mean, isn't that one of our news hubs Charlotte. 497 00:33:08,995 --> 00:33:12,315 Speaker 1: Doesn't emmelt own like twenty camera crews? There? He bring 498 00:33:12,395 --> 00:33:16,595 Speaker 1: a camera crew, you'll bring two camera crews. Zucker started 499 00:33:16,635 --> 00:33:19,315 Speaker 1: to not like me again. Now you suggest that where 500 00:33:19,315 --> 00:33:21,595 Speaker 1: were you when? All right, never mind, it doesn't matter, 501 00:33:22,275 --> 00:33:24,995 Speaker 1: Emmel says, if there's one more story on Bill O'Reilly 502 00:33:24,995 --> 00:33:28,995 Speaker 1: about GE manufacturing components for roadside bombs in Iraq. He's 503 00:33:29,075 --> 00:33:33,715 Speaker 1: taking MSNBC off the air immediately. It'll just be twenty 504 00:33:33,715 --> 00:33:37,315 Speaker 1: four hours of lock up. And I'm fired, and you're fired. 505 00:33:37,755 --> 00:33:40,235 Speaker 1: And then he pointed at Chris Matthews, producer, and Matthews 506 00:33:40,275 --> 00:33:42,715 Speaker 1: is fired. And he pointed at poor Ed Schultz and 507 00:33:42,715 --> 00:33:46,235 Speaker 1: you're fired, and Ed whimpered, So smart ass, what the 508 00:33:46,355 --> 00:33:50,155 Speaker 1: F do we do? I feigned all the nonchalants I 509 00:33:50,195 --> 00:33:53,235 Speaker 1: could feign. If I could have lit a shroot by 510 00:33:53,275 --> 00:33:56,035 Speaker 1: striking a match on the sole of my boot, I 511 00:33:56,075 --> 00:34:01,755 Speaker 1: would have. It's manageable. But Jeff, why is Emmelt so 512 00:34:02,195 --> 00:34:05,235 Speaker 1: worked up about what O'Reilly said about him? Only O'Reilly's 513 00:34:05,275 --> 00:34:08,555 Speaker 1: nutjob viewers actually believe any of that crap. Nobody at GE, 514 00:34:09,115 --> 00:34:13,195 Speaker 1: nobody investing in GE, could possibly believe we're building components 515 00:34:13,195 --> 00:34:20,995 Speaker 1: for roadside bombs. Zucker inhaled deeply. Emmelt's mother believes it. 516 00:34:22,115 --> 00:34:24,715 Speaker 1: All the heads in the room turned toward the president 517 00:34:24,755 --> 00:34:29,515 Speaker 1: of NBC. Missus. Emmelt back in Cincinnati is a devoted 518 00:34:29,555 --> 00:34:34,795 Speaker 1: Bill O'Reilly viewer watches him every night, sees this, calls him, 519 00:34:34,795 --> 00:34:37,795 Speaker 1: says Sonny, why are you manufacturing components that were used 520 00:34:37,795 --> 00:34:40,795 Speaker 1: in roadside bombs built in Iran to kill Americans in Iraq? 521 00:34:42,835 --> 00:34:46,675 Speaker 1: I had not expected that, I said to Zucker. So 522 00:34:47,355 --> 00:34:50,835 Speaker 1: he'll really burn what two hundred million a year in 523 00:34:50,915 --> 00:34:55,675 Speaker 1: profits just between Rachel and me? Because his mom watches 524 00:34:55,795 --> 00:34:59,675 Speaker 1: Bill O'Reilly. Zucker got angry again. You bet your effing 525 00:34:59,755 --> 00:35:02,675 Speaker 1: assi will. Now you said it was manageable. How how 526 00:35:02,715 --> 00:35:06,195 Speaker 1: the hef do we manage it? Ulberman? Just a minute? 527 00:35:06,235 --> 00:35:10,835 Speaker 1: How old is she? Zucker summoned all his annoyance. How 528 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:16,355 Speaker 1: old is who ML's mother? How old is she? Jeff 529 00:35:17,035 --> 00:35:19,875 Speaker 1: Zucker was really annoyed. How they should? I know you're 530 00:35:19,875 --> 00:35:23,475 Speaker 1: missing the point. I had him really worked up, nearly 531 00:35:23,475 --> 00:35:28,475 Speaker 1: to the boiling point. It was great, guess, Zucker spluttered. 532 00:35:28,515 --> 00:35:30,915 Speaker 1: I don't know. He's in his mid fifties. She's got 533 00:35:30,955 --> 00:35:36,155 Speaker 1: to be eighty ninety something. I stifled a fake yawn. Yeah, 534 00:35:36,195 --> 00:35:38,515 Speaker 1: you're right, probably closer to ninety now that I think 535 00:35:38,555 --> 00:35:43,435 Speaker 1: of it. So the problem is she watches O'Reilly. She 536 00:35:43,595 --> 00:35:48,595 Speaker 1: tells him what's on Fox, what O'Reilly's saying about Ge. Well, 537 00:35:48,635 --> 00:35:50,235 Speaker 1: I think you have a simple solution. I'd say the 538 00:35:50,275 --> 00:35:51,915 Speaker 1: first thing you do is you send over a couple 539 00:35:51,955 --> 00:35:54,235 Speaker 1: of big guys to her house and you pull the 540 00:35:54,275 --> 00:35:59,675 Speaker 1: freaking cable out of the wall. Zucker actually gasped, my producer, 541 00:35:59,715 --> 00:36:02,595 Speaker 1: is he Povich unsuccessfully stifled a laugh, and I saw 542 00:36:02,755 --> 00:36:07,235 Speaker 1: Rachel crack a smile. Zuke regained himself. This isn't funny, Olderman, 543 00:36:07,955 --> 00:36:11,795 Speaker 1: I crossed my legs. Oh, it's a little funny. And anyway, 544 00:36:11,835 --> 00:36:14,835 Speaker 1: it's not essential if the problem is emailed is threatening 545 00:36:14,875 --> 00:36:16,795 Speaker 1: to take the network off the air because O'Reilly is 546 00:36:16,835 --> 00:36:21,635 Speaker 1: avenging himself against me by attacking him and attacking ge. 547 00:36:21,795 --> 00:36:24,435 Speaker 1: The short term solution is easy, and in fact it 548 00:36:24,555 --> 00:36:28,235 Speaker 1: is manageable. The long term solution that's not easy, and 549 00:36:28,275 --> 00:36:30,635 Speaker 1: that's not manageable. But the short term one that's simple. 550 00:36:30,875 --> 00:36:33,395 Speaker 1: Rest of this week, next week, maybe the week after that, 551 00:36:33,515 --> 00:36:39,275 Speaker 1: even we just don't mention Fox News on MSNBC. Something 552 00:36:39,795 --> 00:36:44,395 Speaker 1: resembling a smile crossed Zucker's face. It made him look 553 00:36:44,435 --> 00:36:46,955 Speaker 1: a little less like a lizard person and more like 554 00:36:46,955 --> 00:36:53,635 Speaker 1: a monkey with glasses. You do that forever? No, not forever. 555 00:36:53,675 --> 00:36:57,275 Speaker 1: I would not do that, I said to Bias time. Yes, 556 00:36:57,915 --> 00:36:59,995 Speaker 1: but remember who was it who was in my office? 557 00:37:00,075 --> 00:37:02,115 Speaker 1: Last winter telling me that I should go on the 558 00:37:02,115 --> 00:37:05,475 Speaker 1: air and just to f with Fox. I should ask 559 00:37:05,515 --> 00:37:08,475 Speaker 1: why Rupert Murdoch was still running a huge international media 560 00:37:08,515 --> 00:37:12,035 Speaker 1: company like News Corp, despite all the reports that he's 561 00:37:12,035 --> 00:37:15,235 Speaker 1: suffering from dementia, even though there haven't been any reports 562 00:37:15,235 --> 00:37:18,995 Speaker 1: that he's suffering from dementia. For everybody's sake, here, who 563 00:37:19,075 --> 00:37:22,355 Speaker 1: was that again who told me to do that? Zucker's 564 00:37:22,355 --> 00:37:25,755 Speaker 1: goodwill was gone again? Obviously that was me. What's your point? 565 00:37:26,635 --> 00:37:30,435 Speaker 1: My point is, we built this new brand of ours 566 00:37:30,555 --> 00:37:33,315 Speaker 1: organically on a couple of themes, a couple of statements 567 00:37:33,315 --> 00:37:35,955 Speaker 1: of principle, and one of them is to use your 568 00:37:35,995 --> 00:37:40,155 Speaker 1: words just to f with Fox. If we don't f 569 00:37:40,275 --> 00:37:42,235 Speaker 1: with Fox for a couple of weeks at the start 570 00:37:42,275 --> 00:37:45,555 Speaker 1: of the summer, who's gonna care. Who's gonna notice? But 571 00:37:45,755 --> 00:37:49,595 Speaker 1: like after two weeks, three weeks, our viewers are gonna notice, 572 00:37:49,915 --> 00:37:52,395 Speaker 1: and the TV writers are gonna notice, and then the 573 00:37:52,435 --> 00:37:54,595 Speaker 1: crap will hit from every direction. You can think of. 574 00:37:55,315 --> 00:37:59,915 Speaker 1: Temporary freeze on mentioning Fox and mentioning O'Reilly and mentioning Murdoch. Fine, 575 00:38:00,195 --> 00:38:03,515 Speaker 1: permanent freeze. Might as well let iml turn us off 576 00:38:03,555 --> 00:38:07,595 Speaker 1: in the morning. After all, I don't think Zooker actually 577 00:38:07,595 --> 00:38:10,675 Speaker 1: heard the last part about Emil turning us off. After all, 578 00:38:11,355 --> 00:38:15,435 Speaker 1: the lack of color was returning to his face. Okay, breathe, 579 00:38:15,595 --> 00:38:20,155 Speaker 1: he kept saying to himself. Breathe, breathe, Okay, breathe. He 580 00:38:20,195 --> 00:38:22,875 Speaker 1: looked at me and nodded. He pointed at Izzy and 581 00:38:22,955 --> 00:38:25,155 Speaker 1: at Phil Griffin and me, You and you and you 582 00:38:25,635 --> 00:38:28,955 Speaker 1: and I. We will talk tomorrow, maybe tonight, and we'll 583 00:38:28,955 --> 00:38:32,315 Speaker 1: all meet again next week. Until then, nothing about Fox, anybody, 584 00:38:32,395 --> 00:38:36,635 Speaker 1: are we clear? Nothing on the air about Fox. Silence 585 00:38:36,675 --> 00:38:39,795 Speaker 1: in the room. Then the assorted noises of people rising, 586 00:38:39,875 --> 00:38:44,715 Speaker 1: mixed with attempts to resuscitate poor Ed Schultz. Somebody Matthew's guy, 587 00:38:44,755 --> 00:38:47,555 Speaker 1: Harson I think, was almost at the door out of 588 00:38:47,635 --> 00:38:49,835 Speaker 1: Zucker's office, an office so big that it was to 589 00:38:49,835 --> 00:38:53,355 Speaker 1: steal the Ring Lardner line, the size of the Yale Bowl, 590 00:38:53,475 --> 00:38:57,475 Speaker 1: but with lamps. And then a voice spoke up, quietly 591 00:38:57,595 --> 00:39:03,155 Speaker 1: but firmly. Excuse me. It was Rachel Maddow. Excuse me. 592 00:39:03,995 --> 00:39:06,675 Speaker 1: I will not have the content of my show dictated 593 00:39:06,715 --> 00:39:11,195 Speaker 1: by any corporations, including the one I work for. Remember 594 00:39:11,235 --> 00:39:13,155 Speaker 1: this is June two thousand and nine. She still felt 595 00:39:13,155 --> 00:39:16,155 Speaker 1: that way then, and especially one I don't work for, 596 00:39:16,275 --> 00:39:18,555 Speaker 1: I will walk out first. I cannot have the audience 597 00:39:18,595 --> 00:39:21,595 Speaker 1: wondering what else I have not told them. I don't 598 00:39:21,595 --> 00:39:23,355 Speaker 1: do a lot about Fox on my show. But if 599 00:39:23,395 --> 00:39:25,635 Speaker 1: there is a story about Fox, I will not honor 600 00:39:25,675 --> 00:39:27,995 Speaker 1: this freeze. I will report that story. And if I'm 601 00:39:28,035 --> 00:39:32,195 Speaker 1: prevented from reporting that story, I will leave. Whereupon she left, 602 00:39:33,235 --> 00:39:38,275 Speaker 1: Zucker barked Phil Alderman, is he stay? When the rest 603 00:39:38,355 --> 00:39:41,315 Speaker 1: of the room had cleared, Zucker blew air out of 604 00:39:41,315 --> 00:39:44,555 Speaker 1: his mouth as if it were smoke. He gestured violently 605 00:39:44,595 --> 00:39:46,355 Speaker 1: at me with his right arm. I told you she 606 00:39:46,435 --> 00:39:48,515 Speaker 1: was a mistake. You didn't listen to me. I told you. 607 00:39:48,755 --> 00:39:51,395 Speaker 1: Now she's your problem. All this is your problem. Get 608 00:39:51,395 --> 00:39:54,995 Speaker 1: her back on the reservation or else. Now I had 609 00:39:55,075 --> 00:39:58,675 Speaker 1: run out of goodwill and jokes. Oh, I'll get her 610 00:39:58,675 --> 00:40:00,595 Speaker 1: back on the reservation, Jeff. But if you think this 611 00:40:00,675 --> 00:40:03,435 Speaker 1: is my problem, just think about what happens if he 612 00:40:03,515 --> 00:40:06,115 Speaker 1: really does take us off the air, or if it 613 00:40:06,275 --> 00:40:09,235 Speaker 1: just gets out that he threatened to take us off 614 00:40:09,275 --> 00:40:16,355 Speaker 1: the air because his mother didn't like what Fox said 615 00:40:16,635 --> 00:40:21,875 Speaker 1: about him. That's my problem. Uh uh, that's your problem. 616 00:40:22,235 --> 00:40:25,155 Speaker 1: And it's the problem of the CEO of the fricking 617 00:40:25,395 --> 00:40:29,315 Speaker 1: sixth largest corporation in the world, who makes his business 618 00:40:29,355 --> 00:40:33,835 Speaker 1: decisions involving hundreds of millions of dollars of profits based 619 00:40:33,875 --> 00:40:39,355 Speaker 1: on what his mother says. At this point, Phil Griffin 620 00:40:39,435 --> 00:40:42,195 Speaker 1: managed to pull Zucker away and Izzy and I made 621 00:40:42,275 --> 00:40:46,315 Speaker 1: for the door, saying nothing until we were in the elevator. Finally, 622 00:40:46,355 --> 00:40:49,115 Speaker 1: she asked, what are you going to do about Rachel? 623 00:40:49,995 --> 00:40:52,595 Speaker 1: I look straight ahead. I have depth perception issues while 624 00:40:52,595 --> 00:40:56,275 Speaker 1: traveling forward, backwards, up or down. Yeah, if I know 625 00:40:56,275 --> 00:40:57,995 Speaker 1: what I'm gonna do about her. But I got an idea. 626 00:40:58,475 --> 00:41:00,395 Speaker 1: I mean, the only person she was really talking to 627 00:41:00,475 --> 00:41:04,355 Speaker 1: in there was herself. This isn't a brand new Surprise 628 00:41:04,395 --> 00:41:07,795 Speaker 1: six success for her anymore. This is successful. This is 629 00:41:07,835 --> 00:41:11,715 Speaker 1: what nine ten months she's successful. She said she was 630 00:41:11,755 --> 00:41:14,555 Speaker 1: once a dancing cell phone outside of a cell phone 631 00:41:14,635 --> 00:41:17,155 Speaker 1: store outside of Boston. She ain't going back to that. 632 00:41:18,795 --> 00:41:20,675 Speaker 1: I went to talk to Rachel about an hour later 633 00:41:20,715 --> 00:41:24,155 Speaker 1: and reassured her. I mentioned that powerful as Fox was, 634 00:41:24,595 --> 00:41:26,395 Speaker 1: they were not going to be able to re invade 635 00:41:26,435 --> 00:41:30,315 Speaker 1: Iraq by themselves, and unless she moved it way closer 636 00:41:30,395 --> 00:41:33,195 Speaker 1: than it had been, nobody would cross her censorship line, 637 00:41:33,675 --> 00:41:35,875 Speaker 1: and I said, just give me as much time as 638 00:41:35,875 --> 00:41:39,635 Speaker 1: the French government took before fleeing during the Nazi advance 639 00:41:39,675 --> 00:41:42,115 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty. I said, give me, what was it, 640 00:41:42,155 --> 00:41:44,755 Speaker 1: thirty three days? Give me thirty three days. If we 641 00:41:44,755 --> 00:41:46,955 Speaker 1: aren't back where we were this morning, we can both 642 00:41:47,035 --> 00:41:50,315 Speaker 1: quit on the air. I mean that'd be fun, right. 643 00:41:51,475 --> 00:41:54,155 Speaker 1: Three nights later, well after midnight on a Friday, my 644 00:41:54,315 --> 00:41:58,755 Speaker 1: NBC issued BlackBerry buzzed with a quick email from Rachel 645 00:41:58,755 --> 00:42:02,915 Speaker 1: madow Hey. She wrote, don't necessarily quote me because I'm 646 00:42:02,955 --> 00:42:05,915 Speaker 1: really drunk, but just make the deal you can for us. 647 00:42:05,995 --> 00:42:08,235 Speaker 1: I trust you. We don't need to do Fox all 648 00:42:08,275 --> 00:42:10,715 Speaker 1: the time. I never do Fox stories anyway. I just 649 00:42:10,795 --> 00:42:13,355 Speaker 1: had to say that, and this is the best platform 650 00:42:13,395 --> 00:42:17,115 Speaker 1: we will ever have. Well she was right, at least 651 00:42:17,115 --> 00:42:19,235 Speaker 1: for the time being. A couple of weeks later, I 652 00:42:19,235 --> 00:42:21,675 Speaker 1: had to sneak in a script that blasted Fox, and 653 00:42:21,715 --> 00:42:23,755 Speaker 1: at ten thirty at home that night, I got a 654 00:42:23,795 --> 00:42:26,675 Speaker 1: call from a drunken Phil Griffin shouting into the phone. 655 00:42:26,835 --> 00:42:28,195 Speaker 2: I have a family. 656 00:42:29,595 --> 00:42:33,835 Speaker 1: Zucker had to go meet with Roger Ayles secretly inside 657 00:42:33,915 --> 00:42:36,915 Speaker 1: thirty Rock, and I hope they remember to clean the 658 00:42:36,995 --> 00:42:40,395 Speaker 1: room afterwards, and mlt even had to meet with Murdoch. 659 00:42:40,875 --> 00:42:44,355 Speaker 1: And then, happily, some idiot Ge executive decided to boast 660 00:42:44,435 --> 00:42:47,275 Speaker 1: to The New York Times about getting us little talent 661 00:42:47,395 --> 00:42:51,075 Speaker 1: children under control and a big deal with the executives 662 00:42:51,115 --> 00:42:53,635 Speaker 1: over at Fox and how they'd settled everything, which blew 663 00:42:53,715 --> 00:42:56,875 Speaker 1: up the whole deal instantly, because the moment the deal 664 00:42:56,915 --> 00:43:01,595 Speaker 1: went public, NBC looked so stupid, and even NBC News 665 00:43:01,675 --> 00:43:05,435 Speaker 1: was now risked. The only point of the whole thing 666 00:43:05,555 --> 00:43:07,715 Speaker 1: was to keep the Immelts and the Zookers and the 667 00:43:07,755 --> 00:43:10,515 Speaker 1: Griffins and the ales Is from throwing us and our 668 00:43:10,555 --> 00:43:14,235 Speaker 1: little island of liberal commentary out of that window at 669 00:43:14,235 --> 00:43:17,835 Speaker 1: thirty Rock. But as Rachel Mattow and I would be 670 00:43:17,875 --> 00:43:22,115 Speaker 1: constantly reminded in the ensuing years, thirty Rock has a 671 00:43:22,195 --> 00:43:48,755 Speaker 1: lot of freaking windows fiddling around with the format. Believe 672 00:43:48,755 --> 00:43:51,275 Speaker 1: it or not, there's still more new idiots to talk about, 673 00:43:51,275 --> 00:43:54,355 Speaker 1: the daily roundup of the misgrants, morons and Dunning Krueger 674 00:43:54,355 --> 00:44:00,955 Speaker 1: effects specimens, who constitute the other worse persons in the world, 675 00:44:01,555 --> 00:44:06,715 Speaker 1: the Brons worse. Why for change of top it's NBC News. Well, 676 00:44:06,795 --> 00:44:09,035 Speaker 1: this has nothing to do with MSNBC. Why is it 677 00:44:09,075 --> 00:44:12,515 Speaker 1: in the show? My pal Will Bunch pointed this out 678 00:44:12,555 --> 00:44:14,795 Speaker 1: because it was a story about a fire in his 679 00:44:14,875 --> 00:44:19,715 Speaker 1: hometown of Philadelphia. The headline on the NBC News website 680 00:44:19,915 --> 00:44:25,195 Speaker 1: US news man's burning body found in driveway of Philadelphia home. 681 00:44:26,275 --> 00:44:33,035 Speaker 1: Police call death suspicious. A gas can instruct matches were 682 00:44:33,075 --> 00:44:34,955 Speaker 1: found near the body of the man who was found 683 00:44:34,955 --> 00:44:37,955 Speaker 1: with severe burns laying in a driveway shortly after three 684 00:44:37,995 --> 00:44:43,635 Speaker 1: am Tuesday. Police said suspicious. You say, man's burning body 685 00:44:43,635 --> 00:44:47,355 Speaker 1: found in driveway of Philadelphia home. Police called death suspicious suspicious? 686 00:44:48,115 --> 00:44:51,835 Speaker 1: Why on earth does that make you think that suspicious 687 00:44:53,515 --> 00:44:57,275 Speaker 1: spontaneous combustion is a real thing. This flashed me back 688 00:44:57,315 --> 00:45:01,035 Speaker 1: to my youth as a Los Angeles sportscaster not long 689 00:45:01,075 --> 00:45:03,875 Speaker 1: after I left there. This is April of nineteen ninety two. 690 00:45:03,915 --> 00:45:07,955 Speaker 1: The following appear in the Los Angeles Times. Unfortunately, it 691 00:45:07,995 --> 00:45:10,395 Speaker 1: was about a reporter I knew from my old station. 692 00:45:11,435 --> 00:45:14,835 Speaker 1: Just the Facts reads this blurb. Last week, when the 693 00:45:14,915 --> 00:45:17,595 Speaker 1: severed arms of a woman who has since been identified 694 00:45:17,835 --> 00:45:21,715 Speaker 1: washed ashore at Venice Beach and Marina del Rey, Channel 695 00:45:21,755 --> 00:45:26,115 Speaker 1: two sent Jody Baskerville in pursuit of the story Baskerville 696 00:45:26,155 --> 00:45:33,515 Speaker 1: to a police official. Quote, do you suspect foul play? Unquote? No, no, 697 00:45:34,195 --> 00:45:36,915 Speaker 1: of course not. The woman just stayed too long in 698 00:45:36,955 --> 00:45:41,635 Speaker 1: the Pacific Ocean. Her arms melted off. The runner up 699 00:45:41,675 --> 00:45:45,115 Speaker 1: worser Pete hegseeth the creature Trump wants running. You know 700 00:45:45,915 --> 00:45:49,155 Speaker 1: all of our military popular information dug up a piece 701 00:45:49,155 --> 00:45:55,235 Speaker 1: that Pete Hegseth published in college, a bemusing yet mandatory 702 00:45:55,275 --> 00:45:58,835 Speaker 1: orientation program, revolved entirely around whether an instance of sexual 703 00:45:58,875 --> 00:46:03,875 Speaker 1: intercourse constituted quote rape unquote. He wrote, The actual instance 704 00:46:03,915 --> 00:46:06,475 Speaker 1: portrayed in the kit was in fact not a clear 705 00:46:06,515 --> 00:46:08,635 Speaker 1: case of rape, at least not in my home state. 706 00:46:09,155 --> 00:46:12,275 Speaker 1: In short, though intercourse was not consented to, there was 707 00:46:12,315 --> 00:46:16,915 Speaker 1: no duress because the girl drank herself into unconsciousness. Both 708 00:46:16,995 --> 00:46:20,995 Speaker 1: criteria must be satisfied for rape. Unfortunately, the panelists never 709 00:46:21,035 --> 00:46:24,515 Speaker 1: cited any legal definition of rape. Yet the panel, all 710 00:46:24,555 --> 00:46:28,355 Speaker 1: females in the session I attended, claimed that rape it waste. 711 00:46:29,595 --> 00:46:31,875 Speaker 1: In case you're thinking, well, everybody who writes anything in 712 00:46:31,875 --> 00:46:35,355 Speaker 1: college writes something stupid, and this is, you know, nineteen 713 00:46:35,515 --> 00:46:38,715 Speaker 1: fifty six or something. This thing from hegseith. You can't 714 00:46:38,795 --> 00:46:44,075 Speaker 1: rape an unconscious woman because she's incapable of saying no right, 715 00:46:44,555 --> 00:46:50,915 Speaker 1: no duress because she's unconscious. This scumbag graduated college in 716 00:46:50,915 --> 00:46:56,595 Speaker 1: two thousand and three. But our winner the worst, Nancy Mace, 717 00:46:57,475 --> 00:47:01,155 Speaker 1: the ex Republican gadfly ron Philip Kowski says by his 718 00:47:01,275 --> 00:47:05,315 Speaker 1: count in just thirty six hours, crazed Republican congress woman 719 00:47:05,435 --> 00:47:08,795 Speaker 1: Nancy Pace posted just a few times on the subject 720 00:47:08,795 --> 00:47:12,915 Speaker 1: of barring transgendered congress women from the women's bathroom in Congress. 721 00:47:13,115 --> 00:47:16,235 Speaker 1: Just a few times, just two hundred and sixty two 722 00:47:16,315 --> 00:47:20,035 Speaker 1: times in a day and a half. This is because 723 00:47:20,075 --> 00:47:22,155 Speaker 1: Mace was also trying to fund race off of it. 724 00:47:22,595 --> 00:47:26,475 Speaker 1: She text bombed all supporters and some non supporters too. 725 00:47:26,595 --> 00:47:29,835 Speaker 1: Natalie Johnson had been Mace's communications director and was so 726 00:47:29,955 --> 00:47:34,195 Speaker 1: embarrassed she not only quit, she left Washington. She left 727 00:47:34,235 --> 00:47:37,435 Speaker 1: politics to go to Utah to become a skiing instructor. 728 00:47:38,315 --> 00:47:40,875 Speaker 1: She got one of the Mace fundraising texts, and her 729 00:47:40,915 --> 00:47:44,795 Speaker 1: response was to nuke her ex boss. She posted a 730 00:47:44,835 --> 00:47:48,115 Speaker 1: screenshot from Mace's text, I don't want to see your 731 00:47:48,275 --> 00:47:52,755 Speaker 1: junk in my bathroom. It's representative Mace. The trans mob 732 00:47:52,875 --> 00:47:56,795 Speaker 1: wants to kill me, but I fought back and won, 733 00:47:57,555 --> 00:47:59,675 Speaker 1: and then there's a link to making a donation. This 734 00:47:59,795 --> 00:48:02,475 Speaker 1: is one of the two hundred and sixty two times 735 00:48:02,475 --> 00:48:07,195 Speaker 1: that she I guess text and posted about it, according 736 00:48:07,235 --> 00:48:12,035 Speaker 1: to Philip Kowski. Natalie Johnson put out this screenshot and added, 737 00:48:12,595 --> 00:48:16,795 Speaker 1: I don't want to see your botched, cheap hooker inspired 738 00:48:16,875 --> 00:48:20,555 Speaker 1: boob job on my television? Can we introduce a bill 739 00:48:20,675 --> 00:48:26,275 Speaker 1: to bar that kinda say? Cheap hooker inspired boob job 740 00:48:26,315 --> 00:48:28,435 Speaker 1: is one of my new favorite all time insults, up 741 00:48:28,475 --> 00:48:31,355 Speaker 1: there with pine Cone. I don't want to see your 742 00:48:31,435 --> 00:48:36,075 Speaker 1: cheap hooker inspired boob job you pine Cone? Well done? 743 00:48:36,275 --> 00:48:42,315 Speaker 1: Ms Johnson, Nancy cheap hooker inspired boob job? Wait, aren't 744 00:48:42,355 --> 00:48:46,995 Speaker 1: the terms boob and Nancy Mace redundant? Mace Today's other 745 00:48:47,715 --> 00:49:05,715 Speaker 1: worse person in the world. I've done all the damage 746 00:49:05,715 --> 00:49:07,675 Speaker 1: I can do here. Thank you for listening. Follow me 747 00:49:07,715 --> 00:49:12,835 Speaker 1: for the podcast promo videos on Blue Sky, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, 748 00:49:13,115 --> 00:49:17,555 Speaker 1: x if it's still there, Instagram, threads, and you twit. 749 00:49:18,755 --> 00:49:22,315 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, the musical directors, have Countdown, arranged, produced, 750 00:49:22,315 --> 00:49:25,435 Speaker 1: and performed most of our music. Mister Chanelle handled orchestration 751 00:49:25,515 --> 00:49:28,835 Speaker 1: and keyboards. Mister Ray was on the guitars, bass, and drums. 752 00:49:29,075 --> 00:49:32,435 Speaker 1: It was produced by Tko Brothers. Our satirical and pithy 753 00:49:32,515 --> 00:49:35,075 Speaker 1: musical comments are by the best baseball stadium organist ever, 754 00:49:35,195 --> 00:49:38,315 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust. The sports music is the Olderman theme from 755 00:49:38,355 --> 00:49:41,355 Speaker 1: Me ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis Curtesy of 756 00:49:41,595 --> 00:49:44,795 Speaker 1: ESPN Inc. Other music arranged and performed by the group 757 00:49:44,835 --> 00:49:47,915 Speaker 1: No Horns Allowed. My announcer was my friend Larry David, 758 00:49:47,915 --> 00:49:52,315 Speaker 1: and everything else was as ever my fault. That's countdown 759 00:49:52,315 --> 00:49:56,075 Speaker 1: for today, just one five hundred and eighteen days until 760 00:49:56,115 --> 00:49:59,555 Speaker 1: the scheduled end of the lame duck presidency of Trump. 761 00:50:00,355 --> 00:50:03,115 Speaker 1: Probably I'm going to try to take the holiday off, 762 00:50:03,195 --> 00:50:06,115 Speaker 1: but I suspect there will be a second podcast at 763 00:50:06,115 --> 00:50:09,555 Speaker 1: some point this week. I will alert the media the 764 00:50:09,595 --> 00:50:14,315 Speaker 1: next scheduled countdown is next Monday. As always bulletins as 765 00:50:14,355 --> 00:50:17,075 Speaker 1: the news warrants till the next one, whenever the hell 766 00:50:17,155 --> 00:50:20,195 Speaker 1: that is. I'm Keith Olremman. Good Morning, good afternoon, good night, 767 00:50:20,955 --> 00:50:43,755 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olreman is a production 768 00:50:43,995 --> 00:50:49,275 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 769 00:50:49,395 --> 00:50:52,755 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts,