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Olbermann Drives MSNBC Surge

The ratings are looking better at MSNBC, with the channel registering double-digit gains in viewers and adults 25-54 for October, largely on the back of "Countdown With Keith Olbermann." That program jumped 67% in viewership and 61% in the key demo over October 2005.

"Countdown" averaged 637,000 viewers (including 233,000 in the demo) for the month, according to Nielsen Media Research. While it lags behind "The O'Reilly Factor" by a huge margin, it beat CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" in the demo and narrowly missed tying it in viewership.

"Keith Olbermann is the right person at the right time, and doing it in the right way," says MSNBC General Manager Dan Abrams. MSNBC is now in the best competitive position in total day since April 2003. Abrams says that strength extends almost completely across the board--praising Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews and Don Imus, too.

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