Keith Olbermann’s move to Current TV definitely says something about the man. He might be well-known as someone who’s difficult to work with in the world of TV, but he probably could have landed a job hosting a show on a bigger network like CNN. So is hosting a show on Al Gore’s low-rated cable network career suicide?
Well, there’s always the possibility that a good portion of the rather large amount of Keith Olbermann’s fans will follow him to Current TV, and his presence might even help the network gain viewers for some of its other shows. So perhaps viewers will come for Keith Olbermann, and stay tuned in to Current TV for shows like “Kill It, Cook It, Eat It”, a series that sounds like something Sarah Palin would enjoy: participants hunt and kill their prey and go through the entire process of preparing and cooking the meat before eating it. There’s also “Bar Karma”, a sci-fi series about a bar at the edge of the universe, and “Long Way Round”, which sounds like “The Motorcycle Diaries” with a movie star: Ewan McGregor and his pal travel from London to New York by motorcycle.
Whatever happens with the rest of the shows on Current TV, Al Gore has to be glad that he snagged Keith Olbermann, who will be hosting a primetime news and commentary show on the network (which basically means “Countdown” simply switched stations). Even if Keith Olbermann doesn’t draw the viewership he did on “Countdown”, it will likely be an improvement over the numbers that whatever show he is replacing pulls in.
The move also shows that Keith Olbermann is a guy whose top concern isn’t the cash or the viewership; he evidently just wants lots of creative control, and in the liberal-friendly environment of Current TV, where he’ll be the “Chief News Officer”, he’s likely going to get plenty of it; it’s hard to imagine the network turning down many of his ideas since Current TV currently isn’t doing so well ratings-wise and needs all the help it can get.
There is always the possibility that Keith Olbermann’s presence at Current TV could completely turn things around for the network. Could it become like FOX News for liberal viewers? As far as ratings go, this would definitely be one tough feat and very unlikely, but it will be very interesting to see the ratings showdown between Keith Olbermann’s new show and whatever ultimately replaces “Countdown”.
SOURCES: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030998-503544.html
http://current.com/shows/
