Keith Olbermann

MSNBC announced Friday night that its marquee "Countdown" anchor and talk show host Keith Olbermann was out. The network did not provide a reason for his abrupt departure. "MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors," NBC Universal said in a statement. Olbermann and his bosses have clashed in recent months.

Book on pope in works It seems like the smoke had barely cleared from the Sistine Chapel before news came that a book about the new pope is on the way. The as-yet-untitled book about Pope Francis - heretofore Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, now the first pope from the Americas - is to be published by Image Books, a Catholic-focused imprint at Random House. The publisher plans for it to "give readers an insight into the spiritual vision of the new pontiff with a look at his most inspirational teachings on God, Jesus, marriage and family, life, prayer, religious freedom, and more.

MSNBC has decided to return "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann to work on Tuesday, meaning that his much-discussed suspension for making unauthorized political donations will have lasted all of two work days. In a statement released late Sunday, MSNBC President Phil Griffin said: "After several days of deliberation and discussion, I have determined that suspending Keith through and including Monday night's program is an appropriate punishment for his violation of our policy. We look forward to having him back on the air Tuesday night.

After the coffee. Before getting my own smoke signal system. The Skinny: I like FX's "The Americans," but I'm not sure I like it enough to make the commitment to watch every episode. Tonight could be a deciding factor. Wednesday's headlines include a profile of Participant Media and a sighting of reclusive comedian Dave Chappelle. Daily Dose: The Outdoor Channel, a small cable network that focuses on hunting and fishing and other manly sports has agreed to merge with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, an owner and operator of the Denver Nuggets basketball team and Denver's Pepsi Center arena.

Keith Olbermann finally responded Monday to his two-day suspension, which MSNBC imposed on him after discovering that he'd made unauthorized political donations to three Democratic candidates. In an open letter to his fans, which his management team sent to The Times and other media, the "Countdown" host criticized NBC for enforcing a donation policy that was "inconsistently applied" and insisted that he wasn't aware of the network's standards. Olbermann credited his fans for getting him cleared to return to the air Tuesday night with what he called a "ground-rattling" outpouring of support from viewers.

A roundup of Wednesday morning's arts and entertainment headlines: Is MSNBC thinking of hiring Alec Baldwin to replace Keith Olbermann? ( Pop Eater ) The stars aren't the only ones getting a makeover for the Oscars -- "The King's Speech" is getting a new ad campaign and may even be recut. ( Company Town ) The Fantastic Four's Human Torch has been killed. How long do we really think this will last? ( Hero Complex ) This isn't some compilation CD, this is real: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are teaming up for their own music festival.

As the highest-rated and most controversial anchor on MSNBC, Keith Olbermann never failed to get people talking. But when the "Countdown" host abruptly parted ways with the network Friday, neither side was willing to say much at all. During his on-air farewell speech, Olbermann simply explained that he'd "been told" that this would be his final "Countdown," implying that MSNBC had fired him, before wishing his fans "good night and good luck....

In what could be a sign of the coming apocalypse, it appears Keith Olbermann would like to return to ESPN. Olbermann recently had dinner with ESPN President John Skipper. Olbermann anchored the network's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. “Keith Olbermann, both personally and through a couple people I know, reached out to say, 'Gee, I would love to have dinner,' ” Skipper told the New York Times . “I agreed to dinner with Keith because I assumed he'd be provocative and witty and fun to have dinner with, and he was indeed lots of fun. We talked sports and politics, and we had a nice chat.

Cable news channel MSNBC ended its turbulent relationship with its most-popular anchor, Keith Olbermann, with a terse statement saying that Friday night's show was his last. In a six-minute farewell sign-off at the end of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," the forceful liberal commentator didn't volunteer a reason for his abrupt departure from the channel that became an ideological counterbalance to the rival Fox News Channel. The only hint Olbermann offered for his exit was an admission that over the last couple of years there were "many occasions" when the noise and heat surrounding the show "was just too much for me. " But, he added, it was a supportive, unwearying audience that "required that I keep going.

Punishing the host Re "Suspension ignites debate," Nov. 6 This shows the difference between NBC standards and Fox News standards. What Keith Olbermann gave to Democratic candidates is pocket change compared to all the free publicity and cheerleading the Fox News entertainers gave to candidates supported by the " tea party. " I don't suspect Fox News will suspend any of its "news" people anytime soon. That is especially appalling since Karl Rove, the "architect" of the failed George W. Bush presidency, is allowed to be the middle man in the scheme to funnel tens of millions of dollars from anonymous business interests to Republican candidates.

Rory McIlroy's reputation took a big hit last week when he walked off the course and withdrew from the tournament during the second round of the PGA Tour's Honda Classic. McIlroy was seven-over for the round when he hit his second shot into the water on the 18th and abruptly walked away without finishing the hole. On his way to the parking lot, he told reporters that his head was not in the right place. He later issued a statement that his wisdom tooth was causing pain. Many golf fans quickly labeled him as a quitter who folded when things weren't going his way. One key member of the PGA Tour agrees with that assessment: Rory McIlroy.

  One of the most aniticipated episodes of WWE's "Monday Night Raw" each year is their "Old School" episode, where they go retro with old-style graphics and appearances from several retired wrestler. This year's episode, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. PT on USA, is no different. WWE legends Ric Flair, Mae Young, Honky Tonk Man, Sgt. Slaughter, Million Dollar Man, Dusty Rhodes, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, New Age Outlaws and Mean Gene Okerlund will return for the show, and there will probably be a few surprises along the way. But there's one guy everyone wants to see return tonight: The Undertaker.

In what could be a sign of the coming apocalypse, it appears Keith Olbermann would like to return to ESPN. Olbermann recently had dinner with ESPN President John Skipper. Olbermann anchored the network's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. “Keith Olbermann, both personally and through a couple people I know, reached out to say, 'Gee, I would love to have dinner,' ” Skipper told the New York Times . “I agreed to dinner with Keith because I assumed he'd be provocative and witty and fun to have dinner with, and he was indeed lots of fun. We talked sports and politics, and we had a nice chat.

After the coffee. Before figuring out if it's too late for law school. The Skinny: I worked last Sunday and I'll be working this Sunday. Doesn't the industry know it's football time? Some things should be sacred! Thursday's headlines include Al Jazeera's acquisition of Current TV and a look at why Dish Network may not be the funnest place in the world to work. Daily Dose: Several top women golfers on the LPGA tour are from South Korea, and pay-TV distributors are making it easier for Koreans in Southern California to get the Golf Channel.

Current TV, the struggling news/talk channel co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore, is in advanced talks to sell itself to Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based cable news company, a person close to the stituation confirmed. An announcement regarding a sale could come as early as Wednesday afternoon. The talks were first reported by the New York Times. Majority owned by Gore and his business partner Joel Hyatt, Current has been on the block for several months. The cable channel, which originaly focused on short-form documentary programs, has in recent years tried to rebrand itself as a news outlet for liberal viewers.

Al Gore is riding to the rescue of his TV network -- just in time for the big political conventions.  Earlier this year, Current, the upstart outlet the Nobel laureate and former vice president co-founded, got a black eye when it fired commentator Keith Olbermann, partly over disagreements about how the network was covering the primaries. Olbermann lashed back against his former bosses with a lawsuit that's still pending. This week, Current revealed that none other than Gore himself will host the network's coverage of the Republican National Convention later this month, when Mitt Romney is expected to be crowned the official GOP nominee.

I remain unpersuaded that Keith Olbermann represents a positive trend in TV news reporting ["Olbermann Keeps News in Order," by Paul Brownfield, Aug. 7]. While Olbermann doesn't disguise his liberal viewpoint in his editorials and Top 3s, his method of confirming his preexisting views with his "salon" of like-minded Beltway observers is bias masquerading as journalism. "The Daily Show" is obviously ironic and humorous.

Rising from their seats en masse, the liberal faithful at Beverly Hills' Saban Theatre greeted Rachel Maddow like parishioners welcoming a mega-church pastor. Cellphone cameras flashed like fireworks. Lusty, and perhaps a few lustful, cheers cascaded from the Art Deco mezzanine. Bill Maher, the interviewer at Tuesday night's Writers Bloc public chat, turned to Maddow as they took the sold-out theater's stage. How much of that do you think was for you, and how much was for me?

Keith Olbermann isn't mincing words in his $70-million lawsuit against Current TV. Dumped last week by the upstart cable network, Olbermann let loose a verbal barrage against co-founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt in a 43-page legal complaint for breach of contract filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accusing them of blackmail and calling them "dilettantes portraying entertainment industry executives. " The lawsuit sets the stage for a high-profile legal battle between two leaders of American liberalism: Gore, a former U.S. vice president and Nobel laureate, and Olbermann, a fiery talk-show host.