MSNBC pulls Olbermann, Matthews from anchor chairs
Following on-air tensions among its election-season hosts at the Democratic National Convention, MSNBC has removed prime-time anchors Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews. David Gregory will lead the cable network’s coverage of the debates and election night, while Olbermann and Matthews will stay on as analysts.
The New York Times’ Brian Stelter that NBC Nightly News anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw “have told friends and colleagues that they are finding it tougher and tougher to defend the cable arm of the news division.”
TVNewser’s Chris Ariens reported that insiders from NBC News and MSNBC told him prior to the change and on background that the Matthews-Olbermann tag-team “[Is] a completely untenable situation” and “It’s not going to be workable forever, to have two anchors like that. It’s just too bizarre.”