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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCurrent fires Keith Olbermann
http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/03/30/456104/current-tv-fires-keith-olbermann/Current TV Fires Keith Olbermann | 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, did a stint on MSNBChis show In the Arena was canceled, and his departure from the network does not appear to have been acrimonious. Olbermann had been dismissed from MSNBC when he signed his deal with Current, and though 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.
snip
WI_DEM
(33,497 posts)it won't help ratings. I wonder how firm a foundation Current is on?
fasttense
(17,301 posts)So, yeah, I really suspect that Current TV's viewership will drop.
(Thank you DU for bringing spell check back)
trueblue2007
(17,228 posts)will be watched by about 7 people nationwide.
they blew it when they canned KEITH
cynatnite
(31,011 posts)Cleita
(75,480 posts)Is he suffering from some kind of mental breakdown?
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Maybe the two of them can get together and have a web based version of CrossFire
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)maybe he can fill some time there
Riftaxe
(2,693 posts)Two frothing at the mouth, two diametrically opposed lunatics going at each other would definitely be worth a pay per view event at the very least.
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)RKP5637
(67,111 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)RKP5637
(67,111 posts)budkin
(6,703 posts)I'm sure Keith was pissed that it wasn't getting bigger or being promoted, or anything. They don't even have an HD feed for Christ's sake.
RKP5637
(67,111 posts)on ROKU, but then Current took that all away to apparently force one to go to the cable/sat. channels.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)But when was Spitzer on MSNBC? I thought he had a show on CNN for a while.
senseandsensibility
(17,063 posts)Also, the writing in this article leaves something to be desired. Still, I'm sad to see Keith go. I wish him well.
RKP5637
(67,111 posts)zappaman
(20,606 posts)to hold his ego.
Pisces
(5,599 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)frogmarch
(12,154 posts)Current can go f itself.
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)Keith has a problem. He needs to just set up a website and work by himself. He obviously has issues with working with others. Not saying he's right or wrong, just that he needs to be free to do his own thing.
Usually the problem with people who go from ruining relationship after relationship like this is they are too confrontational and too reactive when dealing with others. My guess is he needs to up his tolerance for others and be more forgiving.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)much like Cenk Ugyar used to do on one of the streaming websites.
ecstatic
(32,707 posts)He's a fake. He doesn't even vote!! What type of liberal/progressive just sits out a presidential election?!
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)backdrop on the set, but I still like KO. Back in the darkest days when pretty much everyone in the mainstream press was afraid to dare question Flightsuit George and his gang of thugs, Olbermann took them head-on. He just doesn't seem to play well with others, but I would think that that would pretty much be a given going in.
senseandsensibility
(17,063 posts)I wish him well.
nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)Personally, I love Keith and will miss him. Dammit - I was hoping things would work out for him on Current. As someone who also doesn't play well with others, I wish him well
valerief
(53,235 posts)Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Jennifer Granholm may have been a great governor, but she's a yawner on the tube.
I like Cenk, but I can watch him online.
And I am not home when Bill and Stephanie are on.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)but his shows were quite good.
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)He provided me with boundless comfort in the early period of ChimpoCo when he was virtually the only voice in the wilderness on TV that dared to speak out.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)I could see this coming. Too bad also causer now I have to buy that Thurber book to see how that doggie tale ends!
Good Luck Keith!
Jello Biafra
(439 posts)frogmarch
(12,154 posts)those of us who don't Tweet, okay? Thanks.
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)please share what he tweets. Thanks!
chrisa
(4,524 posts)EFerrari
(163,986 posts)Jello Biafra
(439 posts)Keith Olbermann @KeithOlbermann
1/ I'd like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV. Editorially, Countdown had never been better.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)Wow.
What a dick.
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Hyatt Legal Services Inc. provides more legal advice to more Americans than any other law firm. But if the company's behavior in a recent AIDS discrimination case is any indication, Hyatt's own legal judgment isn't always so sound.
In an opinion issued here earlier in April, Federal District Judge Raymond J. Broderick ruled that Hyatt, a pioneer in low-cost legal clinics, had illegally removed the head of its Philadelphia office, Clarence B. Cain, after learning he had AIDS.
By making ''absolutely no effort'' to accommodate Mr. Cain, Judge Broderick ruled, Hyatt had mounted a ''corrupt assault'' on his dignity. The firm's conduct, he said, ''was not merely inexcusably insensitive'' but ''so outrageous'' that punitive damages were warranted.
XemaSab
(60,212 posts)budkin
(6,703 posts)That is awesome.
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Granholm is a yawner.
Spitzer is, too, for that matter.
P.S. If Keith prevails in a lawsuit, the station might have financial difficulties, as well.
Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)4/ Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program,
3/ while I've been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff.
2/ But for more than a year I have been imploring @AlGore and @JoelHyatt to resolve our issues internally,
1/ I'd like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV. Editorially, Countdown had never been better.
I'll be putting out my statement in two ways: 140 characters at a time, and then in one fell swoop via Twitlonger.
frogmarch
(12,154 posts)I'll say it again. Current can go f itself.
Jello Biafra
(439 posts)Keith Olbermann @KeithOlbermann
2/ But for more than a year I have been imploring @AlGore and @JoelHyatt to resolve our issues internally,
Keith Olbermann @KeithOlbermann
3/ while I've been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff.
4/ Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program,
5/ finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract. It goes almost without saying that the claims against me
6/ in Current's statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently.
budkin
(6,703 posts)budkin
(6,703 posts)RKP5637
(67,111 posts)Pisces
(5,599 posts)julian09
(1,435 posts)He was taking a lot of time off, didn't want to cover the primary election nights. If he worked the extra few hours covering the primary elections, he would take equivilant hours off during week so as to not work xtra hours. I could see there was some kind of friction. Too bad if he was as dedicated to the progressive cause, as we assumed; he should realize the message is important, not the set or atmosphereics. He could have helped bring Current up to a better place as he did Msnbc. I'm glad that Spitzer is replacing him. I also mentioned when Keith went to current, I hoped that Spitzer would follow but, CNN got him first. I hope he will find a way to help the progressive cause, we will need all the help we can get. His ratings fell because he was seldom there, had no lead in or anyone to follow before Gov Granholm.
Jello Biafra
(439 posts)11/11 That lack of judgment is mine and mine alone, and I apologize again for it.
10/ that joining them was a sincere and well-intentioned gesture on my part, but in retrospect a foolish one.
9/ In due course, the truth of the ethics of Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt will come out. For now, it is important only to again acknowledge
8/ Mr. Hyatt found himself in court for having unjustly fired an employee. That employees name was Clarence B. Cain: http://nyti.ms/HueZsa
7/ To understand Mr. Hyatts values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty, I encourage you to read of a previous occasion
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)It looks like it is going to go to court.
dembotoz
(16,808 posts)aw shit
he was the best thing on msnbc
sorry rachel but liked keith much better
what ever he does i will try to track it down and listen in.
Jello Biafra
(439 posts)Jello Biafra
(439 posts)Response to Jello Biafra (Reply #42)
cynatnite This message was self-deleted by its author.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)I'm sure the channel will survive.
I watched Countdown the other night and KO was doing his Thurber thing again. I changed the channel.
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)The "discussion" format of her show is a bit tedious for me.
julian09
(1,435 posts)Chris, Al, Cenk, Keith, Jennifer, Lawrence, Ed, Rachel, except for fridays Msnbc doesn't repeat.
So fridays Chris, Al, Cenk, Ed, Rachel, Anderson Cooper, Keith, Jennifer.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)is the height of boredom and self-love.
Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)done as the last part of the show. I personally will NEVER watch the channel again.
Greybnk48
(10,168 posts)Raine
(30,540 posts)to deal with.
cash__whatiwant
(396 posts)he might as well just record youtube videos on his iphone at this point...
greytdemocrat
(3,299 posts)How does Rove pull this stuff off???
dems_rightnow
(1,956 posts)Saw that somewhere a few years back. I think at this point some self-reflection might be warranted.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)At some point I had to stop blaming the bars.
Since he has managed to get fired from ESPN, Fox, MSNBC, and Current, I really have to conclude those stories about his being impossible to work with are true.
marlakay
(11,473 posts)He might be a hot head and a rebel and have ego problems but he is the one that got many of us through the Bush years. I am grateful to him for that.
Broderick
(4,578 posts)Thats what he is gonna do. Probably get the 40 million left on his contract.
Canuckistanian
(42,290 posts)Liquorice
(2,066 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)All that will likely be allowed for the next year is Obama love fests.
It is the way of our party I guess. Protect the conservatives in our party from any and all criticism.
Jennicut
(25,415 posts)Really, I am surprised that some people refuse to point at Olbermann who has burned so many bridges in his years on tv. Sometimes the problem is not political but personal.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)to keep up with those that create reality, as I am free to merely comment on it.
I have heard how that all works before.
Still I watch what they do instead.
JVS
(61,935 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)have posted nothing but an opinion that that is the cause, so, I don't think we really know.
He has posted a response to being fired (posted above), one may glean some things from that, but that is all I think that is known in any factual way. It would help if Current put out a statement as well.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)That's what coworkers said then, and have said at every network since. The peanut gallery isn't just making things up.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)I imagine the Cenk was also too hard to work with explaining that whole thing away.
It is an election year, Gore is helpful to the cause of the Environmentalists, but let's face it, the guy is and always has been a conservative Democrat (who was his running mate again?). It could be about "no one gets to criticize conservative Democrats during an election year". But I don't post that as fact, it may just be Gore's partner is an asshole, or actual unresolved business differences between Current and KO, maybe he thought they were going to do what the originally told him regarding the show and they changed their minds (perhaps for a good business reason) all of this would be sideline speculation and rather meaningless without knowing what happened between them.
Rumor is rumor.
Giving rumor the weight of fact is to be a rumor monger, I'm just not that into such things.
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)Or you can believe EVERY other source that says Keith is impossible to work with.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)with unsafe substandard building materials. Who needs to work with slumlords tho right?
Perhaps there is too much greed and lack of ethics in the "pundit show business" for everyone to be able to get on board as a team player. If you are in an environment where stubbornness about what you feel is right is not tolerated for long, you would earn such labels as well.
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)and choose to ignore the myriad of sources who say that he is impossible to work with from no less than FOUR networks.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Some are better able to adapt perhaps. That is all I am saying, Is that a bit clearer?
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Probably because he is too stubborn to adapt so easily himself to network politics and sponsor ass-kissing. He can't get how someone can.
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)I'm sure he'll be rehired soon at MSNBC or ESPN.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)But no one has ever questioned my ability.
I can't adapt to the slum lord game. Perhaps he should give up on a corrupted medium and write instead.
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)Keith is one unlucky guy.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Namaste
Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Snake Alchemist
(3,318 posts)Contortions are being performed by people to avoid what he actually said.
NuttyFluffers
(6,811 posts)the idea was good, but youtube makes it redundant. if they really cared about the channel they'd bottom out its value and have it part of basic cable or continue 'net streaming. but at this point, who really cares?
cherish44
(2,566 posts)He needs to start up his own thing where he can call the shots. (hope he does, we need his voice right now)
DemocratAholic
(159 posts)I used to have an employee like this, my clients loved him but he was an absolute fricken nightmare to work with. He had no sense that he was expected to follow direction. If you're going to fire Olberman, be prepared to have him tear you down in the process. These are not the actions of a professional. As much as I once enjoyed him, I am now disgusted by him. If he thinks Democrats are going to take sides with him over Al Gore, he is delusional. Olberman is now a pariah in the Democratic Party...next...Fox News will hire him as a consultant like they do all bad Democrats.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)before I threw up in my mouth a little over how nasty your post was.
RUMMYisFROSTED
(30,749 posts)Sadly, it's the children that'll be hurt most.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)a little surprised he wasn't fired a long time ago. I love his show, but damn you have to go to work once in a while. . Hell he was missing more work than George Bush!