Fox News chairman Ailes calls Olbermann `over the line'

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 7/24/06 | Beth Harris - ap

[NormsRevenge]

PASADENA

Fox News Channel chairman and CEO Roger Ailes responded to Keith Olbermann's latest critical volley against Bill O'Reilly on Monday, saying the MSNBC host's behavior "is over the line."

Ailes, appearing Monday at the summer meeting of the Television Critics Association, said Olbermann takes shots at Fox's O'Reilly because it boosts his ratings.

"Clearly he has no viewers except those he gets when he attacks Fox News, and particularly has made himself committed to continuing to attack Bill," Ailes said.

Olbermann opened his Saturday session at the critics' meeting by whipping out a mask of O'Reilly and giving a Nazi salute.

"I really think that's over the line," Ailes said.

During his "Countdown" show on MSNBC, Olbermann regularly tweaks O'Reilly. Olbermann has named O'Reilly his "Worst Person in the World" at least 15 times. The nightly "award" is Olbermann's way of criticizing bad behavior.

O'Reilly has referred to Olbermann although not by name as a "notorious smear merchant" and pointed out the low ratings for "Countdown."

"The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox is No. 1 in the cable TV news ratings. Olbermann generally runs third in the same time slot.

Also Monday, Ailes said Fox will mark its 10th anniversary with a 10-city "Thank You America" tour this fall. Shows fronted by O'Reilly, Shepard Smith, Greta Van Susteren, Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, and Neil Cavuto will do live audience versions from cities around the country, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas and San Diego.

[Northern Alliance]

Stupid move by Ailes. He should just ignore him. O'Reilly can certainly defend himself, and this just gives publicity to Olbermann and makes Ailes sound like a whiner.

[Jonah Johansen]

With Abrams as his new boss Keiths days are numbered.
If you ever watched Abrams show you know he does not like liars.
MSNBC is still part of NBC News and they want people to turn it on of news. Olberman is a such a clown that with him on the schedule they don't have a prayer of gaining any ground on Fox
My guess is they will replace him before the October
lead up to the election. With someone to the right of Matthews.

[Exit148]

He is sinking and is trying to stay above water. Flap flap ---- he's gone.

[alloysteel]

I believe the Texan term for Keith Olbermann is one much used by LBJ - a 'pissant'.

Annoying, but for the most part, not very formidable

[eric_da_grate]

He's a fraud....I remember seeing the video of Olbermann doing his 'Howard Beal' routine. I was embarrassed for him. He's got a hard-on for O'Reilly that just won't quit. It's gotten very personal, very quickly. Like a man who's lost naked pictures of his wife. MSNBC is staking alot on this guy. They're letting it go on. I think that's important to note.

This stunt with the cardboard face and the Nazi salute is for sophomores.

O'Reilly should invite him on his show and debate him on any topic he wants. Olbermann's instinct would be to go for the throat. He's talked too much trash to behave like a principled, civilized man. His peers would be woefully disappointed if they got anything less.

[RandyGH]

I remember when KO was the sports reporter on a local Los Angeles independent station. He was bad then, he is worse now.

[decal]

"Olbermann's ratings are UNDER THE LINE."

Maybe we should start an Olbermann Line for ratings like the Mendoza Line for batting averages - THAT'D get his goat.

[bpjam]

Olbermann got perp-walked out of ESPN and then literally paid NOT to appear on the air for Fox Sports. He is the Bryant Gumbel of cable news - the guy people keep bidding to get but that no actual viewers want to see on TV.

[eric_da_grate]

Olbermann is still on the air because he's the only guy willing to be the left's only bullhorn on prime time tv. In their world, he's a 'Jon Stewart' with credibility.

Yes, they really are that pathetic.

If Olbermann wants to play this game, he's better be ready to stand for something or just be up front with his public and admit his show is satire. There's something very insincere about a man who's best known for his contempt and disgust of his rival. He's the one who's got something to prove and hating Bill O'Reilly is no way to live.

O'Reilly actually has a stated points of view which he's not shy about. This obviously gets under Olbermann's thin skin. But, Olbermann's tirades are motivated by nothing more than what he perceives to be bad etiquette from a political party that he's not real fond of. All his self-righteous indignations are phoney and he knows it.

He's on the clock.

[BigSkyFreeper]

 

Related Thread: Olbermann Mocks O'Reilly

[stephenjohnbanker]

ROTFLOL!

[Generic_Login_1787]

He's never gotten over becoming famous for giving sports scores.

[Blue Highway]

Who in their right mind thought KO would even have the credentials to be on the kind of show he is on now, considering he was the guy on Sportscenter? Was this MSNBC's attempt to draw viewers away from O'Reilly? If so they failed, and if it comes down to them to replace Keith Olberman, maybe this time they can try a weatherman, heck Al Roker would be a step in the right direction, but that's the problem, it's the direction, not the left.

[Blue Highway]

ooops>>>>>it's the rightdirection, not the left.<<

[Defiant]

San Diego is the reddest city of that list, so I hope you are happy they are coming here.

[Watery Tart]

Olbermann has named O'Reilly his "Worst Person in the World" at least 15 times.

Oooohhhhh! OW! What cutting-edge sarcasm! That's gonna leave a mark! What rapier-like wit! Did you write this yourself, Keith, or did you swipe this from, say, Shakespeare? No! Hold old the phone! Maybe Oscar Wilde?

*humbled crouch, averting my gaze from this intellectual greatness*
I don't mean to step on your monstrous intellect here, but maybe if you just called him a "doodyhead" you could be done with it! I triple-dog dare ya!

[Politics4Fun]

At what point do you feel someone has crossed the line though. Poking fun at O'Reilly for whatever reason is Bolbermann's prerogative, but when he compares him to Hitler or ANY nazi, it's totally out of bounds.

I think Ailes did the right thing. It was time to step in...hopefully it'll draw attention to just how pathetic and low-life Bolbermann is.

[ozzymandus]

If MSNBC wanted to show that they had a single grain of class, they'd fire that punk immediately. His ratings are what, 1/10 of O'Reilly's

[StAnDeliver]

"San Diego is the reddest city of that list, so I hope you are happy they are coming here."

Yes! The 1/2 is Dallas. Getting bluer by the minute...

[finnman69]

CABLE NEWS RACE
MONDAY, JULY 24
VIEWERS

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,693,000
FNC HANNITY/COLMES 1,801,000
FNC BRIT HUME 1,648,000
FNC SHEP SMITH 1,559,000
FNC GRETA 1,491,000
CNN COOPER 1,128,000
CNN KING 1,097,000
CNN ZAHN 890,000
CNN DOBBS 784,000
CNNHN GRACE 460,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 369,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 365,000