Alexander Higgins
March 31, 2012

The Cable network Current TV has fired Countdown host Keith Olbermann claiming he sabotaged the network and have announced plans to replace him with Elliot Spitzer.

Countdown host Keith Olbermann has been fired by Current TV who claims he sabotaged the network, a claim he denies.

Keith Olbermann, host of the progressive show Countdown with Keith Olbermann has been fired by Current TV.

He has been an outspoken critic of controlled media and both political parties with an extreme and almost repugnant bias toward republicans.

However some of his special comment sections, like the video below, have been some of the greatest pieces I have seen and will be missed.

In fact, I wouldn’t not doubt if his outspoken political views are part of the reason for the fallout with the network.

Must Watch: Incredible Speech On Why We Need To Fight The Unconstitutional Super Congress And Take Back Our Government From the Politicians, The Media, The Rich And The Corporations.

Current TV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt say that Keith has been fired breach of contract claiming he “sabotaged” the network, according to a report from Politico.

Keith denies the claims stating implying there has been a pay dispute and the network though it would be more economical to relieve him of his contract promising to sue the network over the incident.

The network will be replacing Olbermann with former New York governor and CNN host Eliot Spitzer.

Current TV has released the following statement saying the situation has devolved into an unsustainable relationship.

To the Viewers of Current:

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.

Source: Politico

Keith has issued the following statement using twitter:

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. It goes almost without saying that the claims against me in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently. To understand Mr. Hyatt’s “values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty,” I encourage you to read of a previous occasion Mr. Hyatt found himself in court for having unjustly fired an employee. That employee’s name was Clarence B. Cain. 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 that joining them was a sincere and well-intentioned gesture on my part, but in retrospect a foolish one. That lack of judgment is mine and mine alone, and I apologize again for it.

Source: Twitter

Politico reports more on the specific reasons current claims they are firing Keith over:

Current TV fires Keith Olbermann

Current TV has fired Keith Olbermann, citing a lack of “respect” and “collegiality” in its relationship with him, following months of open warfare between Olbermann and Current executives in the press.

He will be replaced by Eliot Spitzer, the former New York governor who had been a frequent guest on “Countdown” since its earliest days on Current — and whose own show on CNN was canceled last year.
[…]

The move comes just over a year after Current hired Olbermann amid great fanfare, announcing its plans to build its new identity as a more progressive alternative to MSNBC around him. But it also comes little more than a year after Olbermann abruptly left MSNBC, announcing his departure during his final show in only the latest in the string of stormy departures that have marked his career.
[…]

Signs of trouble first appeared when Olbermann did not participate in the network’s coverage of the early primaries. Although he appeared in later broadcasts, the tension leaked into increasingly tough stories detailing Olbermann’s unhappiness with the technical limitations of his New York studio and lack of input into Current’s programming decisions.Current executives had hoped to head off this kind of warring by giving Olbermann an equity stake and the title of “chief news officer” — making him, in essence a boss. But in the end, that was not enough to keep him from fighting with the network’s top brass.

Source: Politico

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