Olbermann Apologizes to Viewers, Slams MSNBC

Keith Olbermann has apologized to his viewers for the "unnecessary drama" created by his suspension from MSNBC. In an open letter, the Countdown host said his fans and their "ground-rattling support" are responsible for his scheduled return to the air tonight, the New York Times reports. No olive branch was offered to the network, however, which Olbermann slammed for its "inconsistently applied" policy.

"I mistakenly violated an inconsistently applied rule—which I previously knew nothing about—that pertains to the process by which such political contributions are approved by NBC," he wrote. "Certainly this mistake merited a form of public acknowledgment and/or internal warning, and an on-air discussion about the merits of limitations on such campaign contributions by all employees of news organizations. Instead, after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated, I was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the media.” (More Keith Olbermann stories.)