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Broadcast blowhard Keith Olbermann’s countdown has finally come to an end.
The liberal lip of MSNBC was unceremoniously dumped by the peacock network last night in a major shakeup that set tongues wagging across the broadcast world.
Olbermann, in the middle of a four-year $30 million contract reportedly set to last until 2012, announced that last night’s edition of his prime-time ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann,’ would be his last.
Sources said network brass basically paid the pontificating pundit to scram by working out an agreement in which he would give up his show and continue to be paid. The garrulous gasbag will likely also have to stay off the air at least until fall under the agreement.
Last night, the unemployed Uberdork – who was suspended from the network in November for making political contributions – bid his farewell to fans in a long-winded segment at the end of his show, touting his program as a progressive platform that he felt spoke truth to power.

Keith Olbermann.

After eight years together, MSNBC and Keith Olbermann are parting ways.
A statement from NBC Universal revealed the move late Friday.
“MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract” – it read. “The last broadcast of ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann’ will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
At the end of his show Friday night, Olbermann announced his departure in typical deadpan style, evoking scenes from the film ‘Network’ and thanking viewers for keeping him on the air for eight years.
“In the mundane world of television goodbyes, reality is laughably uncooperative” – Olbermann said before launching into a story about his exit from ESPN 13 years ago.
“As God as my witness, in the commercial break just before the emotional moment, the producer got into my earpiece and he said, ‘um, can you cut it down to 15 seconds so we get in this tennis result from Stuttgart’” – he said, half-smiling, pausing for composure.
“So I’m grateful I have a little more time to sign off here. Regardless, this is the last edition of Countdown.”

In a surprising and abrupt turn of events, Keith Olbermann announced that last night would be his final time hosting MSNBC’s highest rated primetime program, ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann’. No, it wasn’t a gag or a publicity stunt. NBC News said on Twitter that MSNBC has decided Olbermann’s contract would not be renewed. Friends such as Luke Russert and Shannyn Moore immediately tweeted goodbyes and good lucks to Olbermann. Olbermann’s colleague, Rachel Maddow, also openly talked about Olbermann leaving the network on Friday night’s ‘Real Time w/Bill Maher’ on HBO.
As for our opinion on what’s next for the liberal anchor, don’t be surprised if Olbermann ends up on CNN sooner than later. Their ratings are in the tank, their new ‘Parker/Spitzer’ series is a disaster (with Kathleen Parker reportedly not very happy being there) and is a poor lead-in to the new ‘Piers Morgan Show’. The entire evening lineup needs a makeover, and fast. Olbermann reportedly still has two years on his contract and will get paid his annual salary of about $7 million. However, what is not known at this point if he has a non-compete clause in his contract that would prohibit him from appearing on a rival station until his two-year contract is over.
The decision to fire Olbermann was reportedly one of the first decisions made by Comcast, who recently became the majority share holder of NBC and NBC Universal. You’d think they would have started making drastic decisions with the struggling mother network, NBC, first. Are we now going to expect Comcast to cancel NBC’s top series ‘Law & Order: SVU or The Biggest Loser’? They did cancel MSNBC’s top-rated program, after all.