Why was Keith Olberman fired?

Keith Olbermann’s Countdown was the number one show on MSNBC, and yet on the Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 show he announced that he had been told it would be his last day on air. MSNBC is owned by NBC, which in turn is owned by General Electric; one of the world’s largest corporate congolmerates.

Olbermann has poked his finger in the eye of the corporatocracy on many an occasion. Did the corporate bosses at GE decide they were tired of it? What do you think prompted the firing? Certainly not sagging ratings. How chilling do you think this will be for other liberal voices in broadcasting? Clearly, you can say almost anything on air so long as it supports right-wing ideology. Should we worry that newspeak will soon be the only discourse allowed on the public airwaves?