Keith Olbermann may have begun the countdown to the end of his MSNBC career.
The liberal TV bloviator was yanked off the air “indefinitely” yesterday for contributing money to political candidates against company policy.
In a statement, Olbermann admitted giving $2,400 apiece to Arizona Reps. Gabrielle Giffords and Raul Grijalva, and another $2,400 to Kentucky US Senate candidate Jack Conway — all Democrats — on Oct. 28.
NBC News rules require that journalists avoid activities that “may create the appearance of a conflict of interest . . . Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns.”
In a bizarre turn of events yesterday, the network gave Olbermann’s slot to Chris Hayes, editor of the liberal Nation magazine — only to withdraw the decision after it was reported that Hayes also had doled out campaign contributions.
Hayes gave $2,000 to Democratic office seekers in Alabama and Illinois in 2008 and 2009.
Olbermann’s donations may prove the Worst Decision in the World for an anchor perpetually trailing in the ratings behind his rivals at Fox News Channel — especially since he’ll soon be getting new corporate bosses when the feds OK NBC’s merger with Comcast.
There’s speculation that Comcast might want to take the cable network in a different direction than its current position as a liberal talk bastion.
MSNBC announced the suspension in a statement from its president, Phil Griffin.
“I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night,” Griffin said. “Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”
Olbermann, an Upper East Side resident, could not be reached for comment.
But in a statement to the Web site Politico, he said he gave the money on Oct. 28 “after a discussion with a friend about the state of politics in Arizona.”
That evening, Grijalva appeared on Olbermann’s show.
“I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level,” Olbermann said.
During his tenure, Olbermann tripled the network’s 8 p.m. ratings as one of its most opinionated hosts. But he still lags far behind Fox News rival Bill O’Reilly’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”
After stumbling in its first replacement choice, MSNBC settled on Thomas Roberts, a freelance MSNBC afternoon anchor, to fill Olbermann’s time slot.
Cable cash
Olbermann’s Oct. 28 Democratic donations:
* $2,400 to Jack Conway, US Senate candidate in Kentucky. Conway lost to Republican and Tea Party favorite Rand Paul.
* $2,400 to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona. Giffords holds a narrow lead over GOP challenger Jesse Kelly; ballot counting expected to continue next week.
* $2,400 to Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona. Grijalva narrowly won re-election against GOP challenger Ruth McClung.