Mediaite's Mark Joyella captures the essence of Keith Olbermann--and the problems that the bosses of Current TV, including Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, are going to have managing their new "Chief News Officer."
As Joyella suggests, if for no other reason than to prove he's in charge, Olby is going to hog airtime, keeping his show on longer than an hour, if he wants to thereby playing havoc with the schedule, and the egos of other Current talent. We might note that there's a reason TV shows have off-camera producers, as well as on-camera talent. That division of labor is essential, although as TCG noted many times, it was obvious that Olbermann was overriding that divison of labor when he was at MSNBC. And it looks as if he will do it whenever he feels like it at Current, because, as Joyella notes, Olby's "in charge":
Now maybe he was making all these comments tongue in cheek, but if these quotes are to be taken at face value, his “I’m In Charge” Status means he won’t even be constrained by the limits of traditional timeslots. He’ll, essentially, have the power to pre-empt the show that follows him—right from the desk during his show? Adams quotes Olbermann saying:
“So I’ll stay on one hour longer, but I’m in charge of that, too. If we’re long, then I’m on a little more and the next show’s a little short.”
And then, if that’s not enough, there’s this. (Again, see repeated caveats above) Olbermann professes to have no idea why he’s not at MSNBC anymore.
Quote: “Keith Olbermann on MSNBC shedding him: ‘I don’t really know why.’”
If these quotes are all serious and true, Olbermann doesn’t know why he’s out of MSNBC, but he does know that he’s landed in a gig giving him total and complete power to do whatever he wants at Current TV–with no cut in pay. Either Olbermann was misquoted, he’s exaggerating his role, or he’s got one helluva sweet gig.
A "sweet gig" for Olby, sure, until Gore and Hyatt figure out what they've gotten themselves into.
“So I’ll stay on one hour longer, but I’m in charge of that, too. If we’re long, then I’m on a little more and the next show’s a little short.”
And then, if that’s not enough, there’s this. (Again, see repeated caveats above) Olbermann professes to have no idea why he’s not at MSNBC anymore.
Quote: “Keith Olbermann on MSNBC shedding him: ‘I don’t really know why.’”
If these quotes are all serious and true, Olbermann doesn’t know why he’s out of MSNBC, but he does know that he’s landed in a gig giving him total and complete power to do whatever he wants at Current TV–with no cut in pay. Either Olbermann was misquoted, he’s exaggerating his role, or he’s got one helluva sweet gig.
A "sweet gig" for Olby, sure, until Gore and Hyatt figure out what they've gotten themselves into.
