A STATEMENT TO THE VIEWERS OF COUNTDOWN

           

by Keith Olbermann

I want to sincerely thank you for the honor of your extraordinary and

ground-rattling support. Your efforts have been integral to the remedying of

these recent events, and the results should remind us of the power of

individuals spontaneously acting together to correct injustices great or small. I

would also like to acknowledge with respect the many commentators and

reporters, including those with whom my politics do not overlap, for their

support.

I also wish to apologize to you viewers for having precipitated such anxiety

and unnecessary drama. You should know that I mistakenly violated an

inconsistently applied rule – which I previously knew nothing about – that

pertains to the process by which such political contributions are approved by

NBC. Certainly this mistake merited a form of public acknowledgment and/or

internal warning, and an on-air discussion about the merits of limitations on

such campaign contributions by all employees of news organizations. Instead,

after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated, I

was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the

media.

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political

contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the

public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or

any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient

'mistake' by their recipients. When a website contacted NBC about one of the

donations, I immediately volunteered that there were in fact three of them; and

contrary to much of the subsequent reporting, I immediately volunteered to

explain all this, on-air and off, in the fashion MSNBC desired.

I genuinely look forward to rejoining you on Countdown on Tuesday, to

begin the repayment of your latest display of support and loyalty - support and

loyalty that is truly mutual.