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**Born_A_Truman** · 03-30-2012, 03:09 PM

Current TV said Friday afternoon that it had terminated the contract of its lead anchor Keith Olbermann, scarcely one year after he was hired to reboot the fledgling channel in his progressive political image.

Mr. Olbermann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Current indicated that he had failed to honor the terms of his five-year, $50 million contract, giving the channel the right to terminate it.

**janedrake** · 03-30-2012, 03:12 PM

(03-30-2012 03:09 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote: Current TV said Friday afternoon that it had terminated the contract of its lead anchor Keith Olbermann, scarcely one year after he was hired to reboot the fledgling channel in his progressive political image.

Mr. Olbermann did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Current indicated that he had failed to honor the terms of his five-year, $50 million contract, giving the channel the right to terminate it.

Can't say I didn't see this coming. I think Olbermann needs some time off to "find" himself.

**Born_A_Truman** · (This post was last modified: 03-30-2012 03:17 PM by Born_A_Truman.)

To be completely fair, Current really does need to get with the program technically. They are SD only while even MSNBC finally went HD. I do however think the techs there may have had a bit of fun with him lighting wise. Never piss off your lighting director. roflmao

I'm sure we'll hear from Keith on Twitter.

***azmouse*** · 03-30-2012, 03:21 PM

A bit surprised to hear this even though I haven't watched his show for quite a while now. Couldn't stand his attacks on Obama, and I didn't much care for his guests.

**kahuna** · 03-30-2012, 05:26 PM

(03-30-2012 03:21 PM)azmouse Wrote: A bit surprised to hear this even though I haven't watched his show for quite a while now. Couldn't stand his attacks on Obama, and I didn't much care for his guests.

Ditto AZM. That's how Keith lost me too.

**jaxx** · 03-30-2012, 08:21 PM

(03-30-2012 05:26 PM)kahuna Wrote:
(03-30-2012 03:21 PM)azmouse Wrote: A bit surprised to hear this even though I haven't watched his show for quite a while now. Couldn't stand his attacks on Obama, and I didn't much care for his guests.

Ditto AZM. That's how Keith lost me too.

Me too. He cut the President one too many times.

**Born_A_Truman** · 03-30-2012, 03:49 PM

My full statement

I'd like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV.
Editorially, Countdown had never been better. But for more than a year I have been imploring Al Gore and Joel Hyatt to resolve our issues internally, 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. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract.

Full statement at link.

***azmouse*** · 03-30-2012, 04:04 PM

This is gonna be very entertaining. Should be lots of finger pointing and blame to go around.

**Born_A_Truman** · 03-30-2012, 04:09 PM

Someone on Twitter said:

Looks like Al Gore is headed back to the Supreme Court.

**KonaKane** · 03-30-2012, 04:33 PM

It's a truly fucked up world where a Keith Olberman gets fired for stuff like this, but Limbaugh...even with the exits of so many of his advertisers....hangs on a multimillion dollar contract year after year.

Maybe it is all about the Benjamins, after all.

**Ikonoklast** · 03-30-2012, 04:45 PM

(03-30-2012 04:33 PM)KonaKane Wrote: It's a truly fucked up world where a Keith Olberman gets fired for stuff like this, but Limbaugh...even with the exits of so many of his advertisers....hangs on a multimillion dollar contract year after year.

Maybe it is all about the Benjamins, after all.

KO has always been difficult to work with, wherever he goes he butts heads with management, co-workers, and even staff.

More than a little narcissim going on there.

If you have problems with every employer you ever have, the real problem just might be YOU.

**PoliticalTiger** · 03-30-2012, 05:06 PM

(03-30-2012 04:45 PM)Ikonoklast Wrote:
(03-30-2012 04:33 PM)KonaKane Wrote: It's a truly fucked up world where a Keith Olberman gets fired for stuff like this, but Limbaugh...even with the exits of so many of his advertisers....hangs on a multimillion dollar contract year after year.

Maybe it is all about the Benjamins, after all.

KO has always been difficult to work with, wherever he goes he butts heads with management, co-workers, and even staff.

More than a little narcissim going on there.

If you have problems with every employer you ever have, the real problem just might be YOU.

It's too bad because Olbermann is a good voice for the progressive cause but he's also too much of a prima donna and the story always seems to end up being about him.

**PoliticalTiger** · 03-30-2012, 04:45 PM

According to this story:

Back in early January, executives at Current TV said that relations – especially those with Current CEO Joel Hyatt – were at a breaking point after deteriorating over several months.

Olbermann declined to cover the Iowa caucus when he learned he would have to share the hosting chair with others.

According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, that dispute was part of a larger chain of errors by Olbermann, who was fired for a "serial, material breach of his contract" such as the failure to show up to work, sabotaging the network and attacking Current.

That individual said Olbermann missed 19 of 41 working days during January and February and asked for vacation the night before Super Tuesday, giving the network "strong legal foundation" for dismissing Olbermann. Olbermann's contract not only paid him a hefty sum, but gave him equity in the network.

**pappy** · 03-30-2012, 05:00 PM

Will Cenk be next?

**PoliticalTiger** · 03-30-2012, 05:08 PM

(03-30-2012 05:00 PM)pappy Wrote: Will Cenk be next?

If only!

**pappy** · 03-30-2012, 06:09 PM

Quote:From an open letter from Al Gore & Joel Hyatt, Current’s founders:

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.

Found at TPM

**Willinois** · 03-30-2012, 11:32 PM

I think the market for anti-Obama progressive commentary is shrinking anyway. People were reminded what the alternative is after Republicans took Congress. I've had more and more people telling me they regret attacking Obama so much during his first two years. The cynical commentary spreads much faster than the facts about what he has actually done or tried to do.

**janedrake** · (This post was last modified: 03-31-2012 10:03 AM by janedrake.)

(03-30-2012 11:32 PM)Willinois Wrote: I think the market for anti-Obama progressive commentary is shrinking anyway. People were reminded what the alternative is after Republicans took Congress. I've had more and more people telling me they regret attacking Obama so much during his first two years. The cynical commentary spreads much faster than the facts about what he has actually done or tried to do.

Exactly! But WHY couldn't people figure that out in the first place? I remember why and when I stopped watching Olbermann - it was the day before the president was to give a speech announcing his decision on Afghanistan. Olbermann didn't even give Obama the courtesy of waiting a day to hear what he was to announce - he pre-emptively tore into Obama a day before his speech based on what Olbmermann THOUGHT the president was going to say. Those were the days when Olbmermann was the Zeus of liberal politics, people took their cues from him - yet all he seemed to care to do was throw lightning bolt after lightning bolt at Obama. I blame him as much as anyone for the Tea Party House - he spent the first two years of Obama's presidency seemingly systematically demoralizing Democratic voters and goading them on to rail against the president. I can't remember specifics at the moment, but I also recall hearing outright misinformation, and misinformation-by-omission, being given out on his show during the HCR debates.

What most disappointed me was that Olbermann had the platform and intelligence to educate his viewers about the finer points of policy in his own inimitable way, and yet he used that platform to make people feel bad about having voted for Obama, while Obama was working day and night to sort out the mess the GOP had left behind. Every time I see Olbermann now, I can't help but think, "Et tu, Brute?"

**kahuna** · 04-01-2012, 05:38 AM

(03-31-2012 10:03 AM)janedrake Wrote:
(03-30-2012 11:32 PM)Willinois Wrote: I think the market for anti-Obama progressive commentary is shrinking anyway. People were reminded what the alternative is after Republicans took Congress. I've had more and more people telling me they regret attacking Obama so much during his first two years. The cynical commentary spreads much faster than the facts about what he has actually done or tried to do.

Exactly! But WHY couldn't people figure that out in the first place? I remember why and when I stopped watching Olbermann - it was the day before the president was to give a speech announcing his decision on Afghanistan. Olbermann didn't even give Obama the courtesy of waiting a day to hear what he was to announce - he pre-emptively tore into Obama a day before his speech based on what Olbmermann THOUGHT the president was going to say. Those were the days when Olbmermann was the Zeus of liberal politics, people took their cues from him - yet all he seemed to care to do was throw lightning bolt after lightning bolt at Obama. I blame him as much as anyone for the Tea Party House - he spent the first two years of Obama's presidency seemingly systematically demoralizing Democratic voters and goading them on to rail against the president. I can't remember specifics at the moment, but I also recall hearing outright misinformation, and misinformation-by-omission, being given out on his show during the HCR debates.

What most disappointed me was that Olbermann had the platform and intelligence to educate his viewers about the finer points of policy in his own inimitable way, and yet he used that platform to make people feel bad about having voted for Obama, while Obama was working day and night to sort out the mess the GOP had left behind. Every time I see Olbermann now, I can't help but think, "Et tu, Brute?"