Woo hoo!

[novapsyche]

Keith Olbermann, NBC agree on second term: 'Countdown' host extends through 2011; will contribute more to network

"It (Countdown) is obviously [an] incredibly import[ant] franchise for us," NBC News President Steve Capus said. "It is something that has really put MSNBC back on the map."

In addition to his nightly newscast -- which counts down the day's top political and entertainment stories with Olbermman's signature wit -- the MSNBC host will contribute occasional "essays" to the "Nightly News with Brian Williams" and host two Countdown specials a year on NBC.

[...] "Countdown's" ratings increased by 85 percent over the last year, finishing the month of January with an average of 715,000 viewers, with 283,000 in the adult demographic (25-54).

[...] The show’s popularity leapt after Olbermann began penning "special comments" that voraciously attacked politicians like George Bush for failing to live up to their commitments. One of his first comments, pegged to the anniversary of 9/11, accused Bush of forgetting the men and women who died during the attacks and ended with a message for the president: "May this country forgive you."