Keith Olbermann has been fired for the second time in a year — this time from fledgling news network Current TV. What did he do this time? Read on to find out.
Controversial TV journalist Keith Olbermann thought he found a new home with Current TV after being canned from MSNBC in 2011. He thought wrong.
Olbermann was fired from the fledgling network on Friday, and it sounds far from amicable. A statement released by network founders Al Gore (yes, that Al Gore) and Joel Hyatt, Oldermann’s ouster apparently was caused by a majorly bad attitude on his part.
“[Current TV] was founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty to our viewers,” the statement read. “Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it.”
Yeowch. So what does Olbermann have to say for himself? In a very defensive Twitter statement, he wrote:
“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 implied in Current’s statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently. 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.”
Lawsuit time!
Olbermann’s nightly spot will be filled by disgraced former New York governor Eliot Spitzer.
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