Is Keith Olbermann Right To Sue Current TV?

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Yesterday, Countdown host Keith Olbermann was unceremoniously dumped by his employer Current TV. A growing rift between the Al Gore-led network and its biggest star had been apparent for months, but the ultimate ousting still came as a shock to most observers. In the end, the network broke the news through an aggressively worded statement that said its core values of “respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty” were no longer reflected in its “relationship” with Olbermann.

While his firing may have been a surprise, the host’s response has definitely not been. Always willing to speak his mind, Olbermann has released a statement attacking his former bosses, patting himself on the back and vowing to pursue the matter in court. Here’s an excerpt per TMZ…

Editorially, Countdown had never been better. But for more than a year I have been imploring Al Gore and Joel Hyatt to resolve our issues internally, while I've been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract.

Anyone who watched Countdown on Current TV was definitely aware of some glaring issues. The production was decidedly low budget, and some of the graphic work was shoddy. The look of the program was a clear departure from the streamlined effort he put out at MSNBC, and some nights, it was obvious Olbermann felt a bit embarrassed and angry about the conditions. It’s easy to see why he might have raised a fuss.

That being said, Olbermann’s career has featured several bitter departures before. His relationship with many ESPN employees is still very contentious, and his departure from MSNBC was riddled in scandal and angry words. His talent and mastery of the English language are both wonderful, but he’s long been criticized by some for a lack of people skills.

Given, Olbermann’s willingness to fight for causes he believes in, it seems likely this situation will be resolved in court. He'll move forward for unlawful termination, and a lengthy legal battle will ensue. The question is whether it should. Do you think Olbermann should take Current TV to court, or do you think he should move on and focus on getting a new job? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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Mack Rawden
Editor In Chief

Mack Rawden is the Editor-In-Chief of CinemaBlend. He first started working at the publication as a writer back in 2007 and has held various jobs at the site in the time since including Managing Editor, Pop Culture Editor and Staff Writer. He now splits his time between working on CinemaBlend’s user experience, helping to plan the site’s editorial direction and writing passionate articles about niche entertainment topics he’s into. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English (go Hoosiers!) and has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of publications including Digiday. Enthusiastic about Clue, case-of-the-week mysteries, a great wrestling promo and cookies at Disney World. Less enthusiastic about the pricing structure of cable, loud noises and Tuesdays.