The good news: Does anyone watch Current TV?
Keith Olbermann, the former top-rated host of “Countdown” on the news channel MSNBC, will announce his next television home on Tuesday, and people familiar with his plans pointed Monday to a possible deal with the public affairs channel Current TV.
Neither Mr. Olbermann, his representatives, or executives from Current TV would comment on the move, but they did not deny that the channel, which counts former Vice President Al Gore as one of its founders, will become at least one partner in Mr. Olbermann’s future media plans.
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.
If these reports are true -- and the exciting verdict is due later this morning -- best wishes to you, sir. I won't be watching.
UPDATE: Fans of hard-to-find bombast, rejoice! Al Gore enterprise Current TV has announced Keith Olbermann will join the network this spring. He'll host a nightly one-hour commentary program and will serve as Current TV's "Chief News Officer" -- a title that my colleague Elisabeth Meineke describes as "vaguely communist."