Same name, different network.
Keith Olbermann‘s CurrentTV show will be called Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the same name as his long-running MSNBC program.
The Current show will bow on June 20 at 8 p.m., the network announced today.
The 8 p.m. time slot is also where Olbermann’s MSNBC show aired and where Olbermann will compete with fromer colleague Lawrence O’Donnell, whose MSNBC program Last Word moved to 8 p.m. in January, after Olbermann’s departure.
Olbermann joined Current, where he is also the network’s chief news officer, last February after an initial call from network co-founder Al Gore. RELATED: Tim Goodman’s analysis of Olbermann’s career move.
“Nothing is more vital to a free America than a free media, and nothing is more vital to my concept of a free media than news produced independently of corporate interference,” Olbermann said at the time.
In a statement, Mark Rosenthal, CEO of Current, said the show “will combine familiar and popular features with some new elements that we can’t wait to unveil. We’re creating a great platform for Keith’s style, which includes a very sophisticated digital presence for him — that we think will appeal to his very enthusiastic and active following. The show will also appeal to new viewers tuning into Keith for the first time.”
Email: Marisa.guthrie@thr.com
