Former MSNBC Host Set to Join Al Gore’s Current TV
- Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:05pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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NEW YORK (The Blaze/AP) — Current TV is bringing Cenk Uygur and “The Young Turks” to its prime-time lineup.
Current will work with Uygur and his team to launch a television version of their online program by year-end, the network announced Tuesday.
The Young Turks, led by Uygur, are a group of progressive journalists and commentators who draw millions of Web viewers and claim to be the Internet’s most-watched news show. Like the online original, the new Current version will cover politics, pop culture and lifestyle, and will be produced from Los Angeles.
Current disclosed no details of the deal.
“Cenk has really demonstrated a unique talent for translating complex daily events into a narrative context that reveals deeper meanings and engages his audience,” Current chairman Al Gore said in an interview with The Associated Press, “and he has connected, in particular, with a young demographic interested in what’s going on in the world.”
Uygur’s show will precede “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” at 7 p.m. Eastern each weeknight. Like Olbermann, Uygur was formerly a presence on cable-news network MSNBC. Olbermann left MSNBC last January and soon afterward joined Current, where “Countdown” resumed in June as the centerpiece of a planned full night of talk programing.
Uygur had held MSNBC’s 6 p.m. hour for some months before abruptly exiting the network in July, saying his bosses had told him he was too combative toward the Washington power elite (The network countered that no effort was made to leash Uygur, and insisted other time slots had been offered him):
Soon afterward, civil rights leader Al Sharpton was named the permanent host of the 6 p.m. slot.
“I have no interest in doing a pro-Establishment show,” Uygur said, “and that‘s not what I’ll be doing at Current.”
After leaving MSNBC, Uygur had professed to be satisfied with his online home and in no hurry to find a TV outlet.
“I don‘t have to do something I’m not comfortable with just to be on television,” he said after Tuesday’s announcement. “But if there is an outlet such as Current TV that lets me do the real show, then of course I was interested.”
Mediaite also has a statement from Uygur explaining the move:
We wanted to be in a place that is both independent and truly progressive, not owned and encumbered by a media conglomerate. Does it get any better for a progressive than working where Al Gore and Joel Hyatt are your bosses, and Keith Olbermann is your colleague? It’s an honor to be the lead-in program for Keith Olbermann. Add to that we will work with David Bohrman, who has been creating unique and great television programming for decades. His vision for Current is exactly in line with ours. When you bring all of these people together with ‘The Young Turks,’ watch out — we’re coming!
Gore drew a contrast – and not for the first time – between Current and its rival networks owned by large conglomerates. (MSNBC is controlled by Comcast Corp.)
“We’re independent,” Gore said, “not just in spirit and in tone, but, more importantly, in reality.”
Gore called himself “a big fan” of Uygur’s MSNBC show, saying, “He demonstrated that his phenomenal success on the Web translates easily and well into the television format.”
Joel Hyatt, Current CEO and (with Gore) the 6-year-old network’s co-founder, said adapting an online program for TV “is very much in our DNA. Al and I set out to build a multi-platform media company and to find synergies between the platforms that were additive and not duplicative.”
Current President David Bohrman spoke of using “The Young Turks” as a way to develop new connections between online and TV.
“We can do that with Cenk and his passionate followers who are online now,” said Bohrman.
He made a distinction between the show Uygur hosted on MSNBC and his upcoming Current program.
“We’ll be bringing the Turks as well as Cenk,” Bohrman said. “The group, with its free-wheeling dynamic, isn’t really the Cenk you saw on MSNBC.”
Meanwhile, the network, now available in 60 million households, expects to announce a third nightly program in the near future.
“Ain’t no grass growing under our feet,” Gore said.
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Comments (103)
65Mustang
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:53pmPlease God, spare us from the insanity of Gore, Obermann and this “turk” from ever being a success.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:25pmAmen….
Report Post »greysnake
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:34pmLooks like Gore is trying the cable version of moneyball. Watch for him to pick up Ed Schultz or Alf.
Report Post »Metalist
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:47pmSecond that “amen”…
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:41pmNo worries, Al’s cheesy little network will fail.
Report Post »C. Schwehr
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:18pmI think you prayer has been answered….When I read the story, the first thing to mind was….who? Seems that “Current” TV is becoming the home to everything progressive, radical socialist, or just plain nuts…..Fine..put them all on one channel then shut it down!
Report Post »jnealer
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 6:23pmActually, The Young Turks are already quite successful. You should give it a try for 10 minutes, you might be surprised. The format and tone is way different than anything you’ll find on the godawful cable news wasteland. The opinions aren’t tied to any party or corporate interests (the show has always been viewer supported) and he’s truly a free thinker. BTW, check out Dan Carlin’s Common Sense podcast too. There are actual independent voices out there.
Report Post »Dd09999
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:07pmCurrent TV is where MSNBC sends all their losers. Another channel even less people watch.
Report Post »Highland
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:13pmNo one watches Current anyway, except conservative bloggers looking for laughs.
Report Post »Middle Finger
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:45pmHey! you big turk F@G. Welcome to the liberal wasteland.
Report Post »SoCalWalt
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:49pmCurrent TV = PBS on steroids. It‘s good there’s finally a home for those on the far left … keeps them off anything that resembles “mainstream” television. Can’t find any ratings for them, of course, because the only people who watch are hard-core progressives and those from the right who are monitoring them.
Report Post »bloodrage
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:47pmI guess we can all see where all the leftwinged flunkies and losers will go when there canned too. Al Gore’s Current TV the home of the degenerate fools with no perception of reality.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 8:04pm“Island of Misfit Toys”
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:46pmLets see, working with Al “Sweathog” Gore and Keith “Obersturmfuhrer” Obermann – PRICELESS!!!!
Report Post »Mary M. Tebbe
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:40pmWhat‘s the ole’ saying??? Birds of a feather flock together. At least we know who they are. And gee, the Republicans get Rick Perry, Al Gore’s former campaign manager. Aren’t we all lucky???
Report Post »Just as a side note…the Turks are an ancient Hittite race, and the Hittites were ancient Phoenician/Canaanites (Genesis 10: 15).
The progressives are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian/Goths that traveled through the pages of history with the Lost Tribes of Israel, and are contrary to everything that we believe in. Just sayin’.
Couldn’t resist…an ole’ history buff! :)
Baikonur
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:13pm@Mary M. Tebbe
Report Post »Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:40pm
‘Just as a side note…the Turks are an ancient Hittite race, and the Hittites were ancient Phoenician/Canaanites (Genesis 10: 15). The progressives are the descendants of the ancient Assyrian/Goths that traveled through the pages of history with the Lost Tribes of Israel, and are contrary to everything that we believe in. Just sayin’.’
******************
Dear Mary,
I am still waiting for your multi-thousand page tome on world history that you have been teasing us with for ages. The one that will reveal all the secrets of our secret as interpreted by a nut from the nuthouse? What gives? :)
Mary M. Tebbe
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:28pmbaikonur: You again? :)
Report Post »I read your profile with the 10 comments provided by theblaze. Who exactly is the nutjob!?
Someday I’ll tell you all about your Slavic background.
I do not tease about my book. I have given out a lot of good information from it. Keep posted. I’m about to tell you all about the Chinese, seeing we are so tied to China at present. How about you first tell us what you know about China, and how it fits with the future, and how it fits directly with our own future. That should be a good read from someone like you. LOL Maybe if you get it right, I won’t have to say a thing! I guess I better prepare my piece then. LOL Thought so. LOL
blue_sky
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:40pmSoon Rick Perry will join his former boss, Al Gore, as well. The plastic man is flexible and diverse.
Mitt Romney is already finished. It is OFFICIAL now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJgLXC66ttk
===========================================
Report Post »FEMALL
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:40pmNext stop: Acme Used Cars and Insurance
O=Solyndragate.
Report Post »I_Hate_Libs
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:37pmI hope the rest will follow because I never heard of Current TV.
The horror of the Democrat mind.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:36pmNever seen the channel; never will–and I didn’t know this guy got canned. Don’t watch MSNBC; pointless.
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:36pmThe lefties are just an absurd joke after joke.
Report Post »There is a competing channel called climate chill- It run by lefty eskimos
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:33pm.
Report Post »I have a few questions about this. Does Al pitch and Cenk catch? Or is it the other way around, and does the benefit pkg come with knee pads?…………
Blackhawk1
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:31pmI notice they say that “the network, now available in 60 million households”. Just because something is Available doesn’t mean it will be viewed. I haven‘t checked my available satellite channels but I sure won’t be viewing “Current”.
Report Post »Country_of_Arizona
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:22pmBEWARE OT THE FAT TURK!!!!!! it seeems the way-out left lefties have found a new venue, but when they finally end up on the “Free Speech and Democracy Now channels:“ they wlll as far left with the like Billy Bob Ayers ”it out“ and ”where am I” danny G etc et al and all that jazz!!!!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:29pmI am going to cancel all but basic cable … I REFUSE to pay for this channel!
Report Post »Libertarian
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:35pmAl Gore’s network might be as successful as Air America.
Report Post »steveh931
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:21pmThis guy point blank admits that the executives at MSNBC is a part of the Establishment. I have news for you, so is Al Gore, he’s running a management company for green jobs and doing it with Federal Funds. The Establishment is getting ready to fall and the American citizens are going to take back this Great Nation, watch and see!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:28pmThey’ll be investigating the Obama administration for years…
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:21pmThey’re bringing back The Gong Show?!
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:26pmLOL — good one. Bring on “Gene, Gene — the Dancing Machine”!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:32pmMaybe the libs will agree to replace “water boarding” with “Gore watching.” ( Maybe not as it could be even crueler )
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:21pmI’m gonna watch because Al said he was a fan of the show. He’s my hero. I’ll be one of the three watching, woo hoo!
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:18pmHe’s got a bigger audience on his awful youtube channel . Shank Puker .
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:15pmI thought variety shows died back in the ‘70’s.
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:26pmThey are trying to compete with Comedy Central and their awesome journalistic talent.
Report Post »Utah_Carl
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:14pmHard to believe that “turk” is on tv. He’s one mean-sounding turk, always with the curled lips.
Report Post »drago
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:14pmcenk, may you an al walk blindly, hand in hand , into an open sewer cover……….
Report Post »cntrlfrk
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:12pm‘
Report Post »Good for him. Maybe all of the left wing media can move there and never be heard from again!
I.Gaspar
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:10pmAin‘t no grass growing under gore’s feet because his bloated carcass has deprived it of sunlight.
Report Post »What a pretentious a-hole, trying to commonspeak for the sheep.
And this “young turk” is like the majority of America hating Turks….no thanks, we don’t need you here.
Y2kHoax61
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:10pmUygur and Gore? It sounds like a horrible Russian Chainsaw Massacre movie re-make. This is a guaranteed flop.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:08pmOh, for the love of God, PLEASE spare those interns!! Haven’t they suffered enough from their forced viewing of that crap??? You folks are evil….. ;)
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:08pmHa! The losers all on the same show! Hehehehe! Can’t make that **** up!!
Report Post »HKS
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:14pmLooks like GIGI to me.
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:17pmAnother man‘s trash is another man’s treasure. At least the folks at msnbc know they will have a job lined up if they get canned.
Report Post »