letter to MSNBC

[novapsyche]

Subj: Imus in the Morning & Countdown

Dear MSNBC,

I am a faithful viewer of Countdown with Keith Olbermann and
have been for more than a year. To be honest, his show is the
only MSNBC program that I watch (though I view only about twelve
hours of television per week). His show gives me hope about
television and cable news in particular.

My roommate is an Imus in the Morning fan, so I would overhear a
good deal of his show from time to time. While I noticed that
he had a conservative bent, I did not have a problem with his
show, though I thought he was somewhat offensive.

Last week, he absolutely went over the line, and I write to
thank NBC for taking the right stand. Whether it was public
pressure or internal deliberations, it is important that NBC's
and MSNBC's journalistic reputation remain strong within the
public's perception.

I also want to thank you for finally allowing Mr. Olbermann to
cover the story. While I understand the general taboo against
criticizing one's colleagues, this was such a major news item
that I was sorely disappointed to see Countdown come so late in
the game to the topic.

Thank you again for doing the right thing, considering the
circumstances. It's important that clearly racist and sexist
sentiments are not broadcast over public airwaves. Some
conservatives will cast your decision as caving to special
interests or compromising free speech (as though the airwaves
have never been regulated), but I believe NBC has shown itself
to be responsive to issues concerning the public trust and to
social egalitarianism in general.

Sincerely,