UPDATE: PAC Claims 280,000-Plus Signatures to Reinstate Olbermann

Updated 16:45 ET

The Progressive Campaign Change Committee, which pushes progressive causes and candidates, has launched an online petition drive to try and get Keith Olbermann reinstated and, as of Sunday morning (Nov. 7) was boasting over 280,000 signatures.

In an e-mail late Friday, the group asked web surfers to sign an "emergency petition" to get Olbermann back on the air after he was suspended indefinitely without pay for making donations to three Democratic candidates.

"The Democratic Party sadly saw this week what happens when you alienate your base," said PCCC. "Tell MSNBC that if they want to keep their viewers, they must put Keith back on the air NOW!"

AP was reporting, and an MSNBC source confirmed, that one of the contributions to a candidate came the same say that candidate appeared on Olbermann's "Countdown" program.

PCCC pointed out that Olbermann had donated to two candidates endorsed by the PAC, adding "Good for Keith."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.