Departed MSNBC bloviator Keith Olbermann was singing his own swan song as early as last spring, trying to persuade his bosses to let him bow out of his $7 million-per-year contract, sources told The Post.
The testy, lefty “Countdown” anchor did not like the prospects of working for less-than-supportive Comcast, whose chairman, Brian Roberts, a prominent Republican, was trying to buy NBC at the time, the sources said.
Olbermann, 51, dropped his exit request until earlier this month, when he hired a new agent and again began making noise about leaving. His bosses let him out of his four-year $30 million contract.
MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines insisted Olbermann’s sudden farewell on Friday night had nothing to do with the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast.