Keith Olbermann Fired by Current TV

Image from source, Think Progress.

I used to be a huge fan of Countdown with Keith Olbermann. I was very sad when the host was fired from MSNBC, and replaced by Lawrence O'Donnell. But I grew to like The Last Word, and having long since grown more attached to The Rachel Maddow Show, Olbermann was soon pretty much forgotten, unless he made news. We don't get Current TV on Cox Cable in Las Vegas, so other than the occasional internet clip, Olbermann was out of sight, out of mind.

That said, I've been lobbying Cox to get Current, not just for Olbermann, but for Cenk Uygar and The Young Turks, and most recently the addition of Talking Liberally with Stephanie Miller (The Stephanie Miller Show). So far, I'm having no impact. But one of the reasons I wanted Current has apparently been removed. I checked the article for its posting date, but it is not listed as April 1, so I'm assuming it's true.

Keith Olbermann has been fired. The Al Gore/Joel Hyatt-owned station has given him the boot apparently. This is something of a surprise, given that the channel is firming up as a full-schedule liberal alternative to FOX "News." I know that Olbermann could be difficult--and was expensive--but it would seem like a really, really bad move. Olbermann must have lived up to his reputation for being hard to work with, I guess.

[Excerpt]


Current TV Fires Keith Olbermann, Replaces Him With Spitzer Immediately, Olbermann to Sue

The New York Times’ Brian Stelter breaks the news that Current TV has let go Keith Olbermann, and will replace him starting tonight with Eliot Spitzer, denying Olbermann to give a send-off or special comment to his viewers. Spitzer, like Olbermann, also had experience at MSNBC, where he appeared as a guest anchor. Olbermann had been suspended by MSNBC for violating its rules on campaign contributions, an event that soured his relationship with the network, before his departure from MSNBC opened the door to his deal with Current. He was at one point a high-profile acquisition for the network, founded by former Vice President Al Gore to provide a more progressive take on the news. But his ratings fell and his relationship with Current quickly foundered. . .

Read more at: Think Progress