Olbermann out at Current TV

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Updated 6:25 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Liberal television network Current TV announced Friday it ended its contract with liberal firebrand Keith Olbermann.

In a statement on its blog, Current TV told viewers that Olbermann no longer reflects Current's values.

"Current was also 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," Current TV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt wrote in an "open letter" to viewers. 

Via Twitter, Olbermann said he is taking his firing to court.

"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," Olbermann wrote

Olbermann's departure is sudden. He will not broadcast during his regular scheduled program tonight. Instead, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will replace him with a program called "Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer."

"We are confident that our viewers will be able to count on Gov. Spitzer to deliver critical information on a daily basis," the blog says. "We are moving ahead by honoring Current's values. Current has a fundamental obligation to deliver news programming with a progressive perspective that our viewers can count on being available daily -- especially now, during the presidential election campaign."

Olbermann fired back saying "the truth of the ethics of Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt will come out."

He said "joining them was a sincere and well-intentioned gesture on my part, but in retrospect a foolish one. That lack of judgment is mine and mine alone, and I apologize again for it"

The talk show host linked to an article written in the New York Times that describes a defiant Olbermann frustrated with the shortcomings of the network.

Olbermann is notorious for clashing with management. He was ousted from MSNBC more than a year ago and found a home at Current TV, raising the profile of the new network, which was co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore.

[gep1955]

You mean this guy is even too liberal for a network founded by Al Gore? Obama will nominate him for press secretary because he "shares the voice of reason" in the administration. Puke!

[Transatlantique]

Keith Olbermann is not for everyone. He is an intellectual for those who demand the truth, and, unfortunately, even "liberal" television is so PC that they often don't see it. His strong personality is proof of his anger at lies, and is a dying breed of those seeking truth. There is so much PC herd following in our culture that I've even caught Olbermann doing just that from time to time. He often, but not always, pulls no punches, and that is what I liked about him. I don't get Current TV because I won't pay for cable or satellite and their nonsense. It is so typical of vanilla minds on either side of the belief systems in our news media to do something like this. I wish Keith well, and hope his lawsuit doesn't backfire somehow. Al Gore is such a two faced idiot, and one of the reasons, along with Clinton, I don't call myself a "liberal" anymore.

[Grmstr]

Spitzer is smart, insightful and entertaining. The downside is that he's a consummate politician awash in hubris. Olbermann and Rush should team up and take their show on the road, WWF style.

[wfw3536]

Spitzer is a low life who cheated on his wife and distroyed a loving family. The guy was total failure on CN and it is a shame that Gore has gone to a new low to hire this bum.

[RobAla]

Ethics? This entire Current TV thing is a joke, when it comes to ethics. Al Gore finds it "inconvenient" to tell the "truth" on global warming. Governor Spitzer is famous for being a NY Attorney General who was busted for engaging in prostitution.

"Current was also 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," Current TV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt wrote in an "open letter" to viewers.

I don't know much about Hyatt, but Olbermann has never shown respect to anyone who didn't share his extremist progressive views. If they wanted someone to behave in this manner, they should have never hired Olbermann. How many viewers does Current TV have? 6 or 7? What a circus.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

by sully36 March 31, 2012 12:58 AM EDT
Wow! Limbaugh has ethics, this slug is the pits
---
You apparently could not recognize ethics if your life depended on it.

Ethics is not calling for drug addicts to be locked up while you're addicted to drugs yourself.

Ethics is not practicing slander against others simply because they stand up for their rights.

Rush is a lot of things, but being ethical is not one of them.

[1stlttightwad]

So says the fake Marine.

[Grmstr]

Rush is a Chicken Hawk and a drug addled egotist. If he had any real power he'd be very dangerous.

[jayc9]

Olbermann is such a jerk. Hated him on MSNBC and hope no one else ever lets him on the air again...

[erichsh]

So Keith is out, but Rush is back in stronger than ever. Sweet!

[bajajohn1]

Current probably could not afford Olbermann. He had a decent program and he was his usual tough and honest self. When management starts to cut, they cut the most expensive employee.

[1stlttightwad]

Nope, even was even too far left for them. Whew! That' saying something, ain't it.

[fedup12]

Should throw him and Limbaugh in a pit and see which one can crawl out. IN a last one standing contest.

[sully36]

Wow! Limbaugh has ethics, this slug is the pits.

[bajajohn1]

Limbaugh has ethics? Ha ha ha, since when Yhe fat man is a national embarrassment, only liked by his redneck audience.

[RealWorldNow]

Olbermann out, Spitzer in, on an Al Gore network..... well that tells you all you need to know about the quality of that broadcast, hahahhahahahahahahahah !!!!!

Spitzer ? hahahahahahah !!

[fedup12]

spitz or swallows.

[RealWorldNow]

If it was McGreevy... swallows.