CNN - OLBERMANN'S AUDIENCE EXPANDING AT MSNBC

OLBERMANN'S AUDIENCE EXPANDING AT MSNBC

In just over a month, since MSNBC's Keith Olbermann began a blistering attack on the Bush administration, his ratings have soared 69 percent, the Associated Press observed Monday, citing figures from Nielsen Media Research. According to A.P., the sudden rise in Olbermann's audience -- it now exceeds CNN's Paula Zahn in the time period but amounts for less than half of FNC's Bill O'Reilly -- can be traced to his Countdown commentary following Donald Rumsfeld's speech equating Iraq War opponents to pre-World War II appeasers. "As a critic of the administration, I will be damned if you can get away with calling me the equivalent of a Nazi appeaser," Olbermann told the wire service. "No one has the right to say that about any free-speaking American in this country." Olbermann insists that no one in management at the channel has asked him to tone down his commentaries -- a far cry from the experience of his predecessor, Phil Donohue, who complained that MSNBC execs had asked him to add more conservatives to his guest list. The liberal commentator credits his rising ratings profile for keeping the channel's management at bay. "As dangerous as it can sometimes be for news, it is also our great protector," Olbermann said. "Because as long as you make them money, they don't care."

10/10/2006