Despite bias charges, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will lead inauguration coverage

Among the network anchors who will gather in Washington, D.C., next week to cover the presidential inauguration, MSNBC hosts Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will have particularly prominent roles. Together with Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson, the two will lead the cable news channel’s coverage of inaugural events for eight hours on Jan. 20.

That’s no surprise, considering that Olbermann and Matthews are central figures in the cable channel’s revitalized lineup, which scored record ratings in 2008. But it also represents a quiet shift in MSNBC’s approach since September, when network executives made then-Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory the lead anchor during political news events after criticism that its outspoken commentators were helming the channel’s news coverage.

MSNBC weathered a storm of complaints throughout the campaign that the left-leaning viewpoints expressed by Olbermann and Matthews were tainting the cable channel and its sister broadcast network, NBC. The protests reached a peak during the Republican National Convention, when delegates angrily chanted “NBC! NBC!” after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin complained about media bias in her speech.

At the time, MSNBC President Phil Griffin insisted he wasn’t swayed by the critique. Nonetheless, he said he concluded that Olbermann and Matthews “were being restrained” from sharing their opinions when they served as news anchors. To allow them to converse more freely, he made Gregory the lead news anchor for major politics events for the rest of the campaign. Olbermann and Matthews remained a major part of the coverage of the presidential debates and election night but were considered analysts, not news anchors.

Now that the election is over, that distinction seems to have blurred. Gregory, the new moderator of “Meet the Press,” will be contributing to the broadcast network’s inauguration coverage, while Olbermann and Matthews will once again be leading MSNBC’s coverage.

In an interview today, Griffin said he’s comfortable with the role that Olbermann and Matthews will play at the inauguration because it’s “a whole day of color commentary.”

“This is a day of watching the festivities and the pomp and circumstance,” he said. 

Griffin said he has “no problem putting our guys out to host programs on big events,” adding: “I want to highlight them.”

The MSNBC president said he would consider having someone like Gregory step in again as news anchor on a “case-by-case” basis, adding that he thought that would only be needed during political events like elections.

“There was a sense at the time that we wanted Keith and Chris to be able to be themselves and not hold back, and that’s why David was put in,” Griffin said. “And it worked beautifully, and if we’re ever in a situation like that, I would do that again.”

-- Matea Gold

Photo: (l-r) Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman.  NBC News

Comments

[Jim Leary]

Isn't Keith Ollbermann the personification of BIAS? Whenever I see him on his TV show, I visualize the word "ATTACK DOG". How refreshing it would be to just have him sit back in his chair and REFLECT on what he is going to say. His rabid vitriolic monologues produce an incredible display of BIAS.

[KWinn]

You have your commentators mixed up..it's Scarborough that's thoroughly biased.

[Richard Taylor]

Keith Olbermann is biased. It's his job to be biased. That he is biased in a smarter, far more talented way than the attack dogs of the right, who far outnumber him, is their bad fortune. Bill O'Reilly still doesn't know how to respond to someone who can out-talk, out-think, and out-perform him. Rush Limbaugh is too stupid to compete -- he's only effective when he's alone and without competition. People who hate Keith usually love his counterparts on the right, and like they, are usually not terribly bright themselves.

[jasperjava]

Keith Olbermann is biased, and Chris Matthews has his own opinions, but why should that matter when covering a ceremony? It's not a political event in which there are two competing sides.It's not as if there's a parallel Republican inauguration to cover. Obama will be the President for all Americans.

The worst we can expect is that Matthews will say something embarrassingly gushing about the thrill going up his leg. Otherwise, I'm glad they won't have some right-wing crank to spoil the deeply moving historic moment for us.

[dechien]

Nobody watches MSNBC anyway, if you're talking about record ratings, I suppose they garnished 100 more viewers, all hateful, leftwing kooks.

[Serindipity803]

ONLY because Keith is anchor on Inauguration day will I watch msnbc. He will carry the show. The man is a master at color -- a brilliant intellectual with integrity and honor. Matthews is ok-very competitive toward Keith which is why they lost the anchor after the rethugs convention -- he is also too noisy and on cable far too much. How Gregory became 3rd on any show is beyond me-he has no opinion -- he is more mina bird than anything.

[Shirl]

Let's include Wright, Ayers, Daley and Reizko, then the two CNBC idiots would fit right in. I'll bet there will be many "tingles running up those legs"!

[Jeremy]

I am glad that MSNBC has a Liberal Democrat bias. It is an alternative to FOX News. Keith Olberman, Chris Matthews, and Racheal Maddow are counterparts to Bill O'Riley and Sean Hannaity on Fox News. Conservative cable news like FOX News is probabaly the reasons Bush got elected in 2000 and again in 2004. Now it is the Liberals and Democrats turn to have Cable news commentary that represents their views. Their was way too much Consrvative Right Wing Republican commentary and not any commentary that represents the left liberal and Demcorats. MSNBC commentary is just what the Liberals and Democrats ordered when it comes to their point of view on Cable news. I love it when I hear Keith Olberman blast Bush and the Republicans its like the Republicans are getting a taste of their own medicine after what Bill O'riley and Sean Hannaity have done to the Democrats for eight years. What goes around comes around and thats what the Republicans get for doing the same to Democrats. Do onto others has they would do on to you.

[moondogge]

MSNBC must really be at the bottom with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. Neither of them have any skills as a news achnor. They make Ted Baxter look like a winner. They both on sit and slam Bush, from one story to the next day after day. What will they do when Bush is gone back to Texas? Still sit and whin about him. They need to do some real news of any sort! Can take a few minutes of Olbermann and then have to turn it to any where but there. But Rachel, I can't even take that long. She doesn't have the story right most of the time and goes on and on making stupid comments.

[fred gill]

I'm still trying to fathom how anyone could employ the phrase "brilliant intellectual" as a modifer for Olbermann. The guy's a lightweight hack on his best day. He and Matthews are the perfect team for the media's new role as Obama's heralds.

[Matt- Illinois]

LOL!! Olbermann is a 'brilliant intellectual?"? Olbermann, Matthews & Maddow. 3 people who use a hammer to try and fix all their ills. total tools.

[Corey]

The difference between Olberman's bias and Scarborogh's bias is that Olberman hosts NEWS shows, not OPINION shows. Morning Joe is an opinion show, Countdown is supposed to be a news show.

[laj]

MSNBC's Matthews, Olbermann & Maddow are not news anchors - they are commentators. Unlike the rest of us who follow the blogs and news commentaries, they can actually get their opinions out on the air. That said, its been a pleasure listening to them the past few months. For those of you who don't believe that they have any intellect at all, you haven't been paying attention and are most likely one of the few remaining US citizens who think Bush did an absolutely WONDERFUL job as president. And if you believe that you REALLY haven't been paying attention.

[laj]

MSNBC's Matthews, Olbermann & Maddow are not news anchors - they are commentators. Unlike the rest of us who follow the blogs and news commentaries, they can actually get their opinions out on the air. That said, its been a pleasure listening to them the past few months. For those of you who don't believe that they have any intellect at all, you haven't been paying attention and are most likely one of the few remaining US citizens who think Bush did an absolutely WONDERFUL job as president. And if you believe that you REALLY haven't been paying attention.

[pat lee]

Keith and Rachel present more facts on one show than Fox Noise does in a year... they are exposing the greed,corruption and economic pilllaging of the American middle class by the corporate right reptugs. Try checking the facts before you crticize MSNBC.

[gr82bright]

Keith Olbermann is biased. It's his job to be biased. That he is biased in a smarter, far more talented way than the attack dogs of the right, who far outnumber him, is their bad fortune.....Are you serious? People in the press are NOT supposed to be biased. They are supposed to report a story backed up by the facts that support it. Of course they won't admit their bias as it would be unethical. Olbermann is "smarter", "more talented", than those on the right? PLEASE! Those on the right have the TRUTH, ETHICS, and INTEGRITY on their side. Three things Olbermann is without. So he gets loud and obnoxious, and adds in the "shock" factor to his delivery. He's kind of the "Pro Wrestler" of news, and just like pro wrestling, it's all a sham but there's always some suckers out there that will believe what they are seeing.

[karin]

I love keith and rachel - so why don't you right wing haters go to a hateful blog and post there. you are really sad and sorry people. i will enjoy msnbc. you can watch hannity make up his own reality. oh, and in the meantime, i hope you haters lose your jobs and your healthcare and the people who believe in obama and no torture and real freedom do fabulous.

[Al, California]

Great, smart, intelligent anchors. Very good.

[madisonhack]

I'd love to see a media debate, one that is moderated by someone who would actually instruct the debaters to answer questions and have the ability to cut the mikes of the ones that simply refuse to abide by the rules (as Sarah Palin tried to do). After about ten minutes Olberman, Maddow, Matthews, Amy Goodman, Phil Donahue among others would be the only ones still talking on camera with the likes of O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Savage, and Beck furiously mouthing vitriol that couldn't be heard.

[squee]

Why isn't Rachel co-hosting? I love Keith and am thrilled he's going to lead coverage, that's why I'll watch it all on MSNBC instead of any other network. But why Matthews? Keith is the #1 guy on the network and Rachel is the #2. At least if you're going by ratings - if measured by "blowhardedness", Chris takes that one by a mile.