Corporate Bullying Sure Is Wonderful

Some of you maybe familiar with the story of Newton, Massachusetts news reporter Barry Nolan. If not, here is the runthrough on this individual.

Two years ago, while working for CN (Comcast) 8 in Boston, Nolan was upset over the New England chapter of the National Academy for Television in Arts and Sciences giving their Governors' Award to Bill O'Reilly at their local Emmys.

So justifiably upset was Nolan, that in the buildup to the event, he both privately and publicly voiced his opposition towards the O'Liely one garnering that award. And he pulled no punches back when he labeled him "a mental case."

And on the night of the formal tuxedo event, Nolan decided to dress down for the occasion, citing himself that his slacks and a blazer were accordingly enough for him. In addition, the Comcast anchor (at the time) continued in his temerity by passing out flyers of the Fixed Propaganda blowhard's worst comments ever, including the infamous "I just wish Katrina had only hit the United Nations building, nothing else, just had flooded them out.” That information most likely contributed in O'Reilly getting boos from the crowd along with the now tarnished award.

Because of Nolan's hardline stance on this, it eventually lead to Comcast suspending him before giving the 30 year veteran his pink slip a little over a week later.

Now in the last few days, as Amanda Terkel observed, the Columbia Journalism Review reported on another intriguing factor adding to the story. From how the story played out originally, it seemed Comcast didn't need any assistance or outside urging to fire Nolan.

But this following tidbit tells the story of how Comcast became more yellow than any Canary you may see in your lifetime:

Many an employee has been fired for saying too much, too loudly, to the wrong people, at the wrong time. Still, some in Boston’s media community remained suspicious about Nolan’s termination. “There was something unseemly about a small player like Nolan being forced out by a giant like Comcast,” says Dan Kennedy, a former Boston Phoenix media critic and an assistant professor of journalism at Northeastern University. “It made me wonder if they were afraid O’Reilly would go running to Rupert Murdoch. But what was Murdoch going to do? Take American Idol off Comcast?”

It turns out, however, that such suspicions were well grounded. Documents filed in federal court as part of his suit show that beyond Nolan’s mouthing off publicly against O’Reilly, there was another factor at work—the mutual business interests of two media giants, Comcast and the Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which owns the Fox News Channel.

On May 12, 2008—two days after the Emmys—O’Reilly went on the offensive against what he called Nolan’s “outrageous behavior” with a carefully worded, lawyerly letter to Brian Roberts, the chairman and CEO of Comcast, which distributes Fox News and entertainment programming, to its subscribers. The letter was written on Fox News stationery and was copied to Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.

This letter truly is a representation of O'Liely and his hectoring loofahness at its finest:

Pointedly, O’Reilly began by noting their mutual business interests. “We at The O’Reilly Factor have always considered Comcast to be an excellent business partner and I believe the same holds true for the entire Fox News Channel. Therefore, it was puzzling to see a Comcast employee, Barry Nolan, use Comcast corporate assets to attack me and FNC.” Telling the Comcast CEO that Nolan had attended the Emmy Awards “in conjunction with Comcast,” O’Reilly apologized for bothering him but let him know he considered this “a disturbing situation.”

Two things arise after seeing this letter. Obviously the first one is how much of a scum Mr. "We'll DO IT LIVE" is, especially at anybody calling him out for his own stupidity and bile.

But an even larger story is created here: Murdoch basically has Comcast right around his finger
to carry his water at anytime.

Yes, that same Comcast that is an FCC approval away from fully taking over NBC Universal. That same Comcast that was so frightening at how Nolan's terrific actions would make their buddy buddies mad that they chose the pusillanimous route of getting rid of that potential danger to their well beings.

But while they revel in being proud corporate cowards, you won't find anything unwavering and scared about Nolan fighting in his lawsuit against his former employer.

And he expresses how the handling of his situation could easily happen to another on an even bigger platform:

“I don’t think they had the F-ing right to tell me what I’m allowed to say. In the end, I think they were trying to suck up to Roger Ailes and Rupert Murdoch and Bill O’Reilly in a way that’s spineless and appalling for a company [Comcast] that aspires to run a major network news operation [NBC]. What happens when Keith Olbermann goes after O’Reilly? I think that’s scary.”

That's a telling comment of real truth from a guy that sure doesn't get scared easy.