The negotiations are going public: Keith Olbermann and MSNBC "are knocking heads over a new contract," B&C's J. Max Robins reports. The Countdown host "is said to be seeking 'north of $4 million' a year, according to an industry source, to re-up on his pact that comes due in April. That would represent roughly a four-fold increase over his current deal, believed to be in the $1 million-per-year range."

Countdown's #s are up, but NBC's budgets are down: "NBC Universal has mandated $750 million worth of budget cuts across all divisions, and this is hardly a politic time to hand out a gargantuan raise." Note this line: "Meanwhile, CNN may have interest..."