Keith Olbermann, the iconic, heroic, top-rated, and fired former MSNBC anchor, is heading over to Al Gore’s media grassroots venture, Current TV, according to a leaked report at the New York Times. Olbermann announced via Twitter he would be announcing his next career move tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM. Current has an investors’ meeting Wednesday.
The Times says Olbermann would come on board as an investor/owner, with an “equity state,” thus mitigating his perceived disdain for having a boss.
There apparently is an Olbermann “Countdown” clock, counting down the time to his announcement, and Olbermann’s latest tweet, we can assume, is mere fantasy: “OK it’s true! I’ve signed with the Yankees. I’m competing with Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon for the 5th Starter’s job.”
The Times adds,
“A move to Current TV would challenge Mr. Olbermann’s fans of his MSNBC show — where he drew about a million viewers a night — to follow him to a channel that is considerably less accessible. Current TV is available in only about 60 million homes, and is usually available only on the digital tier of cable television systems, which requires a separate receiver. MSNBC, which is owned by NBC Universal, is available in 85 million homes and is almost always available as a basic cable entry.
“But the addition of Mr. Olbermann, the former sports anchor who made himself a progressive star at MSNBC, would surely elevate the channel, bringing it attention it has never before received. The channel also wears its liberal politics on its sleeve.”
Much like our beloved Keith.