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Keith Olbermann: Current Won't Pay $50 Million Deal, Cites Breach, Sabotage, Disparagement
Hollywood Reporter ^ | March 30, 2012 | Marisa Guthrie

Posted on 04/01/2012 3:39:40 AM PDT by Zakeet

Keith Olbermann was informed Thursday morning that Current was terminating its five-year, $50 million contract with its star anchor.

The network sent an e-mail to Olbermann’s agent, Nick Khan at ICM, on Thursday morning stating that Olbermann was being let go for “material, serial breach of contract” and informed him that Eliot Spitzer would take Countdown’s 8 p.m. time slot effective immediately. (Spitzer will keep Olbermann’s staff and film his show, Viewpoint, out of the same Manhattan studio.)

According to knowledgeable sources, the issues were Olbermann’s repeated unauthorized absences as well as “sabotaging the network” and “attacking Current and its executives.”

Current has asserted that Olbermann missed 19 out of 41 working days in January and February. Then on Monday, Feb. 27, Olbermann asked for a vacation day on the following Monday, March 5, one day before the Super Tuesday GOP primaries. Olbermann was told that he could not have the day off, and if he took it, he would be in breach of contract. He took the day off. But he was on the air the following day for Current’s Super Tuesday coverage.

[Snip]

A statement from Gore and Hyatt announcing Olbermann's termination underscored the personal animosity between the two parties: "Current was … 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.”

Olbermann responded with his own statement laying the blame for the dispute on Current executives. ... “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.”

(Excerpt) Read more at hollywoodreporter.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: current; gore; olbermann; television
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To: The_Media_never_lie

They knew what a loser he is when they hired him. And now he is being replaced by another known loser. And the network is owned by a huge loser.

I’m seeing a trend here.


21 posted on 04/01/2012 6:07:35 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: shelterguy

How can they get any sponsors at all?


22 posted on 04/01/2012 6:12:31 AM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (A free country and a lying media are incompatible.)
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To: kjo

Actually, that’s pretty funny. Ego Olbermann replaced by the world’s most famous John. Talk about your network giving you the finger...


23 posted on 04/01/2012 6:13:30 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: Zakeet

“Current was … founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty to our viewers.

*************************************

Since when could a liberal show be considered any of the above?

Respect: for all views, NO
Openness: concerning liberal views
Collegiality: liberal think tanks
Loyalty: to socialist values

Overbite was hired because he is a loyal liberal. He was fired for following obamas style. Paid days off for no work done. Liberals eating their own. I love it!!!


24 posted on 04/01/2012 6:29:09 AM PDT by mardi59 ( Go Newt!!)
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To: Zakeet

Al Gore vs. Olbermann... It’s like the Iran/Iraq War. Hope they both lose!


25 posted on 04/01/2012 6:35:52 AM PDT by Tallguy (It's all 'Fun and Games' until somebody loses an eye!)
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To: Zakeet

You just know Olbermann’s career is over when Current TV doesn’t want him. And to add insult to injury Current TV is replacing Olbermann with Spitzer!


26 posted on 04/01/2012 6:42:56 AM PDT by AtlasStalled
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To: Zakeet

I can’t stand Olbermann but I hope he sues and gets his $50 million . . . what a shame if Current TV gets a hit to its pocketbook!


27 posted on 04/01/2012 6:45:26 AM PDT by AtlasStalled
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To: Zakeet
From one of the comments at the Daily Beast story on this:


28 posted on 04/01/2012 6:47:50 AM PDT by denydenydeny (The more a system is all about equality in theory the more it's an aristocracy in practice.)
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To: Vinnie

I think the man is physically dangerous. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near him.


29 posted on 04/01/2012 6:51:21 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: nuconvert
Someone will find out why he missed so many days of work and we’ll hear about it from the National Enquirer.

Yum, yummy, icing on the cake...

30 posted on 04/01/2012 7:00:19 AM PDT by GOPJ (Democrat-Media Complex - buried stories and distorted facts... freeper 'andrew' Breitbart)
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To: nuconvert
Someone will find out why he missed so many days of work and we’ll hear about it from the National Enquirer

...I'm sure it's embarrasing, but someone has to be famous enough for the hoi-polloi to care about before the National Enquirer wastes ink on them. Even Tiger Wood's scandal had to wait for a slow scandal week before the NE reported on his infidelity.

31 posted on 04/01/2012 7:11:29 AM PDT by ghost of nixon
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To: Zakeet
and Client#9 is a BIGGER lowlife

32 posted on 04/01/2012 7:16:38 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: BigCinBigD

When you’ve lost your friends at Current TV, where else can you go?


33 posted on 04/01/2012 7:53:08 AM PDT by JaguarXKE
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To: JaguarXKE

“When you’ve lost your friends at Current TV, where else can you go?”

Non current TV?


34 posted on 04/01/2012 8:07:15 AM PDT by BigCinBigD
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To: JaguarXKE
When you’ve lost your friends at Current TV, where else can you go?

Maybe he can do infomercials for the Time-Life Disco collection.

35 posted on 04/01/2012 8:12:13 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: csense

Beautiful response, so would I, thank your Dad, he didn’t raise a dummy....


36 posted on 04/01/2012 8:22:49 AM PDT by Gertie
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To: RetiredArmy

What amazes me most is they get that much revenue from advertisers. Who watches commercials anymore?


37 posted on 04/01/2012 8:29:47 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: Zakeet
...Eliot Spitzer would take Countdown’s 8 p.m. time slot effective immediately.

Yea...get the guy who paid a prostitute for his pleasure, that'll work for the Left wing crowd. Real upstanding kinda man. And, if he doesn't draw an audience, next in line there is that perverted ex-Senator who photographed himself and displayed his pictures on Twitter...Democrat,Anthony Weiner.

The Libs have such an admirable pool of talent to use to promote their low standards and immoral behavior.

38 posted on 04/01/2012 9:01:41 AM PDT by CitizenM (Obama's legacy will be to be remembered as The architect of the decline of the USA)
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To: Zakeet

I think I’ll have a tasty cake...maybe even two.


39 posted on 04/01/2012 9:11:07 AM PDT by hummingbird
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To: Joe Boucher
“Hoping for a prolonged public court battle between Olberbutt and algore.
Expensive and dirty?”

Expensive and dirty?

Hope so.

40 posted on 04/01/2012 9:16:29 AM PDT by hummingbird
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