Notes on Keith Olbermann and his new gig

First, yeah, he has a new gig.

Keith Olbermann just signed a deal, apparently, with "Current TV" (ever heard of them?  I hadn't) so he'll be back on the air.

Second, it seems Keith had to get a dig in on MSNBC, right out of the chute, so to speak: 

"Nothing is more vital to a free America than a free media," Olbermann told reporters Tuesday. "And nothing is more vital to my concept of a free media than news that is produced independent of corporate interference."

That is surely a dig on his old place of residence--MSNBC.  It may mean because they were owned by GE or, more likely I think, because they were just bought by Comcast.

Third,  that whole thing about a "free media" and being "produced independent of corporate interference" is a bit of a hoot since Current TV is the " public affairs network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt."

Don't look for the Conservative and/or Republican sides to be espoused on this channel or show, ala' "Point/Counterpoint" like we used to see on the old "60 Minutes" program.  I'm not saying it should be, given the Fox "News" channel and all but it isn't that this station will try to show a balance on issues, either.

Next, there's this point:

Olbermann called the move to Current his "most exciting venture" in a decades-long television career that's included stops at CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, and MSNBC (twice!). He described Current as "one of the fastest-growing television networks in history."


Yeah, right, fastest-growin television networks in history.

If you ignore the Spanish television channel, Telemundo it might be.  Maybe.  I guess.

More from the article:  Current is available in 60 million households. Gore, on the conference call, suggested that Current has a larger potential audience than MSNBC had when Olbermann launched "Countdown" in 2003. (MSNBC, however, was available in over 78 million homes then and 95 million now). Current is also available in 15 million households outside the United States.


Yeah. 
Finally, there's this:

Olbermann didn't hold back his political views on "Countdown," but he got into trouble in November after donating to three Democratic candidates in without alerting MSNBC's management. Those contributions led to a brief, November suspension that set the stage for his departure a couple months later.
Gore said that Olbermann, along with other Current employees, is free to contribute to political campaigns as long as the donations are disclosed.
As I recall, that was the rule at MSNBC, too, wasn't it, Mr. O?

Enough to make you at least smile, if not laugh.

Anyway, I'm all for him and Mr. Gore and the station.  Good luck to them.  I hope it works.

Unlike "Air America" on radio.

Links:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110208/ts_yblog_thecutline/olbermann-launching-primetime-current-tv-show-this-spring
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemundo