Were We Wrong About Olbermann?

Yesterday I posted that it seemed obvious that Keith Olbermann had been forced from his job at MSNBC with virtually no notice.  When I’m wrong, I say so.  While he may have been forced from his job, he apparently negotiated his departure from MSNBC for some time, weeks even.

The latest on Keith Olbermann’s departure from MSNBC, via the New York Times:

For the last several weeks, Mr. Olbermann and the network have been in negotiations to end his successful run on MSNBC, according to executives involved in the talks who requested anonymity because the talks were confidential. The deal was completed on Friday, and Mr. Olbermann made the announcement on his final “Countdown” hours later.

Friday’s separation agreement between MSNBC and Mr. Olbermann includes restrictions on when he can next lead a television show and when he can give interviews about the decision to end his association with the news channel.

The executives involved in the discussions confirmed that the deal carries limitations for Mr. Olbermann in terms of when he can next work on television, though he will be able to take a job in radio or on any forum on the Internet. The deal also prohibits the host from commenting publicly on the deal, the executives confirmed.

Mr. Olbermann did not respond to requests for comment Friday or Saturday.

Sounds like we won’t be hearing directly from Olbermann, if this account is correct.

According to anonymous Comcast officials, the separation had nothing to do with the Comcast/NBC merger. In fact, the Times account claims the company is worried that it will be seen as exerting pressure to fire Olbermann… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Daily Kos>

I’ll still miss him.  I’ve heard buzz that he may be planning an online presence in the form of a major blog, but I was unable to confirm a source I do not know sufficiently to trust, so I’ll present that as speculation only.

Also this does not mean that Keith left of his own free will, and I still consider it likely that either he was forced out, or that he was presented with editorial restrictions that violated his sense of integrity.

I’ll keep watch for his reappearance.