Former Vice President Al Gore’s left-leaning Current TV cable channel may be facing bigger problems than having to change the locks on diva Keith Olbermann.  According to a new report from Reuters, the network’s exceedingly low ratings are forcing Time Warner Cable to consider pulling its plug:

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Time Warner Cable Inc’s carriage agreement with Current TV stipulates that, if the left-leaning political news network fails to meet a minimum threshold for overall viewers in a given quarter, financial penalties such as Current TV being required to increase marketing and promotion spending on the cable operator’s systems are triggered.

If Current TV misses the audience benchmark in two consecutive quarters, another clause is triggered that would allow Time Warner Cable to drop the channel. The condition was built into the most recent distribution pact between the two parties, which was signed in 2010.

“Time Warner Cable has been flirting with the idea of pulling Current off its systems for some time now,” said one of the sources, who all spoke on condition of anonymity.

Aw, man — Now where will all the washed-up failed politicians and MSNBC rejects go?