Not sure what went on with Current TV and Keith Olbermann. Olbermann served a very useful purpose in a very dark time in our nation’s history. But he got too full of himself. I don’t think we’ll be seeing too much of him anymore. Or are their fourth acts in American celebrity?
In an open letter to Current viewers, Gore and co-founder Joel Hyatt wrote “We created Current to give voice to those Americans who refuse to rely on corporate-controlled media and are seeking an authentic progressive outlet. We are more committed to those goals today than ever before. Current was also founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.”
My cable provider charges extra for Current TV, so I’ll never know the difference.
Not sure what went on with Current TV and Keith Olbermann. Olbermann served a very useful purpose in a very dark time our nation’s history. But he got too full of himself.
Full of himself? Doesn’t that describe 98% of the talking heads on TV?
Heh. Yeah, probably.
TOO full of himself.
Even in that milieu, Olbermann was too full of himself.
BTW .. KO is in the process right now .. of Tweeting his response
TPM’s explanation looks plausible to me.
I miss the guy on MSNBC, but he sounds like a petulant, infantile dick.
that almost makes it sound like he’s mentally ill.
I miss the guy on MSNBC, but he sounds like a petulant, infantile dick.
And that’s any different from David Gregory, Brian Williams, Mark Halperin or Anderson Cooper, how?
They show up for work reliably?
When do they tape the Sunday bobblehead shows? And how hard is it to show up for 1 hour each week blowing smoke up Cranky McSame’s butt?
Strange as it may seem, Fluffy actually puts a lot of hours into preparing for that show.
During the 2008 elections he was a great source, although his rants got a little too much towards the end. I thought he became unhinged before he left MSNBC and stopped watching him long before his departure. I never had an inclination to catch him at Current. This behavior seems to be a pattern with him and it’s too bad. He has talent.
Daily Howler. Greenwald. Olbermann. All made their reputations during George W. Bush’s presidency.
There are a lot of ballplayers who look like future Hall of Famers when they’re in the minor leagues, but when they face major league pitching, they’re exposed.
How dare they criticize the Great God Obama?
Wouldn’t it be nice if people like you had other criteria by which to judge arguments?
Funny, where Obama’s concerned, that’s usually my response to you.
Right, because I don’t ever actually have arguments or evidence. I generally write things that are the equivalent of “How dare they criticize the Great God Obama.”
And your observation is that you can’t see the difference. Congratulations!
Joe, you’ve posted your reply to the wrong comment –
don’t you both mean to reply to Ed J?
Sadly, Errol, I don’t think he did. It would be very consistent with Geov’s history to claim that my comment history is the equivalent of Ed J’s comment, and my thought process comparable to his.
And it would be quite a departure from pattern for him to ever find anything critical to say to the Ed Js of the web.
I would be quite relieved to be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
“thought process” in your life.
Charging someone with being a troll for calling Barack Obama insufficiently progressive on a progressive blog is illustrative of your mental acuity.
Don’t you understand that throwing a tantrum like this does nothing but destroy your credibility?
Anyone who has read this blog in the last year knows the type of comments I write. To come here and, as opposed to disagreeing with me, write a cheap insult like “the Great God Obama,” and than claim that I’ve never had a thought process in my life, is the equivalent of putting a big “Ignore me” sign around your neck.
ignore me any time you like.
I see that when it comes to your ignorant (pun intended) troll rating, it’s “monkey see, monkey do”.
I didn’t troll rate you for saying Obama wasn’t sufficiently progressive.
I troll rated you for writing a cheap, personal insult.
You can’t tell the difference, and that’s why you get troll rated – because you write troll comments, unable to do any better.
I see that when it comes to your ignorant (pun intended) troll rating, it’s “monkey see, monkey do”.
OR MAYBE YOU’RE WRONG.
caps lock until your second reply?
YAWN.
Is this all you do?
this time.
So, did Al Gore and the owners of Current TV can Olbermann because they won’t tolerate criticism of “the great god Obama?”
Or can you wrap your head around the TOTALLY INSANE possibility that it’s possible for someone who is critical of Obama to be wrong, and even foolish?
Slightly OT, I guess, but this is the first time I heard Current openly call themselves a progressive network. That makes it even more of an issue that Current is either not available or costs extra on a lot of cable providers. Foxnews is free, Current is not. If you’re in a hospital, hotel, etc., Fox will be right there, but Current nowhere to be found.
Pressuring the cablecos to give equal access seems like something the left side should be making a major priority. MSNBC could decide to switch formats any time, plus the news part of their programming is only part time, no weekends. We can’t keep just depending on them as if they were our counterpart to Fox.
And the cable owners want it that way.
The problem with pressure is the matter of numbers. How many folks are willing to identify themselves as lefties? There is still a lot of political discrimination that goes on in employment. And it privileges righties, who can be loudmouths. While lefties have to watch what they say.
And not just south of the Mason-Dixon line (which in principle runs to California).
You’re not OT. “Foxnews is free”;same applies to MSNBC, correct? (both shows are “free”” in terms of being part of a basic cable package that millions of viewers nationwide get.)
Ultimately broadcasting is about ratings; my understanding is Olberman at his peak had a million viewers per show while at MSNBC, 200,000 per show while at Current.
One of the problems between Olberman and Current being reported on now is he was trying to control the shows before and after his timeslot– obviously a move by someone attempting to boost viewership of their own show.
It may be Current was simply not big enough of a network- and as you point out, they are not a “free” show, making it difficult for a “star” like Olberman to get exposure and thus the kind of ratings he had while on MSNBC– and the kind of rating he knows he needs in order to remain a “viable” commodity.
Current doesn’t appear to have the talent to lock in viewers prior to Olberman’s show; viewers that wouldn’t change the channel and continue on to watch Olberman. As I recall, Rachel Maddow’s show led into Olberman’s on MSNBC; did he have anything comparable at Current?
There may be some credibility to Olberman arguing that all of this was not managed well by Current management. But ultimately Current just doesn’t have the exposure, similar to MSNBC. the relationship was doomed from the start.
Actually, Maddows was on after KO. Tweety was on before KO, and it was a repeat of Tweety’s 5pm show. One other thing, while MSNBC was on basic cable on most systems, it wasn’t on all(unlike Faux Noise). But I know of no cable system where Current was part of a basic package.
Spitzer was wasted on CNN and actually I prefer him to Keith these days. The mornings at Current with Steph Miller and Bill Press are interesting. And Jennifer Granholm has been busting her hump trying to put together a great show, tough to go up against Rachel but that’s what repeats are for.
I thank Keith for his Bush years but won’t miss the product he became.
Given Keith’s Tweets, an ugly lawsuit is in the offing.
You, who have written so much about Gingrich, ask if there are fourth acts?
I think that Olbermann was simply too much to handle-apparently he acted like he owned the network, not the other way around. In this he forgot the first rule of divadom: You have to earn it by being successful, reliable and on point. Real divas understand that, and even if they are a bit difficult, knock it out of the ballpark every time they have to.
For Keith fans: Do you think Al Gore really wanted to fire him? No-but some people are so hard to work with that you have to cut your losses and move on, despite talent.
There’s somebody out there who could be the next progressive star on television, and this could be their chance to shine. Someone who has a healthy ego, but not the primadonna attitude.
Al Gore.
G.W. Butch’s first tomato can/fixer-upper. (Followed of course by Senator “Reporting For Duty” Small K kerry.)
Progressive.
Invented the internets.
Now OlderMan can go back to what he does best. Sports snark. (“And today’s Worst Person In The World? Lebron James!!!”) And he’ll still make a fortune.
Watch.
Whadda buncha maroons!!!
(Including those who take them seriously.)
AG
Al Gore never said he invented the internet, and it shows something tthat you are reduced to repeating right wing lies for God knows what reason.
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp
He passively allowed the branding, just as Small K kerry allowed
himself to be Swift Boated. And they both copped out when the vote fraud went down. Fools, cowards or co-conspirators, I do not really give a damn. I have no use for them or for the clones that still defend them.
AG
Well, I know I’m really outta the loop here but this was quite a surprise. I get Current TV on my cable provider which is Verizon FiOS, and I’d turn it over to watch him and there always seemed to be someone else taking his place, at least the times I turned it there to watch him so I’d just turn it back over to MSNBC or something else. I’m not sure what happened either but this kinda seems to be becoming a pattern to me.
Heres Olbermann’s statement.
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-keith-olbermanns-scathing-response-to-current-tv-2012-3?utm
I guess this is heading in front of a Judge. Let joy be unconfined.
The Bush presidency was a good time for people with blunt minds. People were being taken to secret CIA prisons and waterboarded dozens of times. We invaded Iraq for no plausible reason. Congress passed two gigantic tax cuts, including one during war time. There were big, obvious, glaring, world-shaking evils being perpetrated, and yet the public reaction to 9/11 meant that the people perpetrating them were given every benefit of the doubt.
In this circumstance, the ability to engage in fine-grained discernment was not particularly important. You don’t have to be Immanuel Kant to figure out that Abu Ghraib was wrong. What we needed were people willing and able to use their minds and voices as battering rams, not scalpels or tweezers.
We’re in a different world today. “We all agree we need to end the Iraq War, but exactly how should we go about that?” is not a question to be answered with “NO BLOOD FOR OIL, US OUT OF IRAQ!” Precisely what means are appropriate to target the leadership of al Qaeda, and what procedural protections should be in place when certain leaders of al Qaeda have American citizenship?” is not a question to be answered with MIRANDA RIGHTS! THE CONSTITUTION!!” “What should we do to support an indigenous democratic movement against an oppressive dictator when he attempts to crush it with military force? What if a massive humanitarian catastrophe is predicted?” – now THAT is a tough question. “CHOMSKY! IMPERIALISM! DEAD BABIES!!” is not a legitimate answer to that question.