Current TV : Keith Olbermann On Reports Swirl Around Tuesday's Announcements

Current TV Keith Olbermann : WASHINGTON – Liberal former MSNBC star Keith Olbermann is reportedly taking his talents to Current TV, the channel led by former Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt.

The New York Times scooped in a story published Monday night that people "familiar with his plans pointed to a possible deal with the public affairs channel Current TV."
Current TV is a public affairs channel which was co-founded by Vice President Al Gore. If Olbermann goes there, he would be landing at a much smaller channel than his former home, MSNBC.

(The Times notes that Current is only available in 60 million homes, whereas MSNBC is available in 85 million homes.) He would also not be able to start for some months; the deal he made with MSNBC upon his departure stipulated that he not appear on television for at least half a year. But the move would allow Olbermann to potentially bring a whole new audience to Current.

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 provided 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.