Keith Olbermann Sues Current TV — Claims He’s Owed $70 Million+
- Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:11pm by
Mytheos Holt
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Keith Olbermann is moving his grievances with his former employer Current TV from the airwaves to the courtroom, suing the network for more than $50 million and blasting it for what he claims were shoddy production values.
Olbermann’s breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Thursday also seeks a judge‘s ruling that he didn’t disparage the network before his firing, and that his former bosses violated his agreement by disclosing how much he was being paid.
The complaint describes a litany of technical issues, including shoddy equipment that wouldn’t work if it rained, “terrible sound and filming” of the show, guests who were abruptly dropped from the air, busted teleprompters and an earpiece that repeatedly malfunctioned.
The court case escalated a war of words between Olbermann and the network since the host was fired last week. The lawsuit repeatedly attacks Current co-founder Joel Hyatt and network President David Borman, claiming they were responsible for many of the problems with Olbermann’s show.
Current spokesman Christopher Lehane fired back, saying Olbermann was fired for missing work, “sabotaging the network” and disparaging his bosses.
Lehane’s statement said the network looked forward to airing the grievances, which it called false and malicious, in a courtroom where they would be treated objectively.
It also swatted back at Olbermann, whose attorney at one point in the lawsuit likened Current to a public-access cable channel.
“We hope Mr. Olbermann understands that when it comes to the legal process, he is actually required to show up,” Lehane wrote.
Olbermann denies missing work without permission and is asking a judge to determine he did not violate the terms of his lucrative agreement.
He filed his case two days after he attacked his former employers on David Letterman’s late-night talk show.
“Current’s dysfunction permeated all levels of the organization,” the lawsuit states. “After being on the air for nearly eight months — long after all ‘growing pains’ should have ceased — Current still couldn’t manage to, literally, keep the lights on.”
The talk show host claims he may be owed in excess of $70 million, and that the mismanagement at Current has damaged its value. He has an ownership stake in the network, according to the case.
“Olbermann deeply regrets his decision to put his trust in Hyatt and Gore,” the lawsuit claims. “Current had neither the desire nor the ability to produce a first rate news commentary show. Olbermann did not join Current to ruin his hard-won reputation and appear on a show that was an embarrassment.”
Olbermann was fired March 30 and replaced with a new program hosted by former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. In a statement, Gore and Hyatt said their relationship with Olbermann no longer reflected respect and other values.
In his lawsuit, Olbermann accused Hyatt of acting erratically in his leadership of the network. He claims Hyatt threated to fire him and his staff days before the show premiered.
While the host is critical of Gore — at one point describing him and Hyatt as “dilettantes portraying entertainment industry executives” — his complaint does not attack the former vice president in the same way as he does others. The case even airs Olbermann‘s dissatisfaction with the network’s decision to hire Cenk Uygur, who created the talk show “The Young Turks.”
Olbermann came to Current last June after a stormy eight-year stint at MSNBC, his second at that network. The at-times volatile host abruptly left MSNBC in January 2011.
___
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP . AP Television Writer Frazier Moore in New York contributed to this report.
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Comments (134)
barber2
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:12pmOuch. Think those chickens are coming home to roost.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:11amSux ta be Current(zapp!!) TV…they put this in his [contract] for a certain timelimit…they fired him before the limit was expired…and ya wonder lib-companies go broke!..hahahahahahahahahahahaha,(take-a-breath) and hahahahahahahahahhhhaha… {:o)
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:40amI hope this drags out for a couple of years. It will tickle us all to see that he attorneys will absorb the majority of any money in question regardless which side wins.
Report Post »Cymry
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:54amI‘d hate to be in Keith’s shoes when his world comes crashing down having the ego he does.
and Keith, your last name is Olbermann NOT Ubermann.
Report Post »Bonnieblue2A
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 11:11amCurrent TV’s low ratings may get it booted from Time Warner Cable.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/05/us-currenttv-timewarnercable-idUSBRE83404P20120405
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:14pmWould it be funny if they both went broke sueing each other?
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:57pmSo, Olberman is going to sue Gore potentially…….I’m not sure who to support, because I really don’t have a horse in this race. However, why is it that I suddenly feel the need to giggle uncontrollably????
Report Post »Reason365
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 2:46pmHaaaaa, haaaaa , haaaaa
Report Post »Keep Blabberin you slay me.
Please stay in the headlines
Your arrogance keeps me a smilin :)
AZRACISTBIGOT
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 5:19pmWhat does that figure out to be, a little over 20 Million per lost viewer?
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:11pmAl is responsible for “Olberwarming”.
Report Post »Let’s tax him.
football lady
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:14pmhahahahahaha
Report Post »marhee9
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:56pmPoor, poor Keith. I feel so bad for that nice man……………LOL!!! This guy is one of the top five worst people on the face of the earth. Don’t go away mad Keith…..just go away! Where does one go after being fired from Current TV? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW9-6m6dKZw
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:59pmLook at the bright side,,,,he’s finished. We won’t have him around to orate that vile, one sided, ignorant crap he spews from his worthless pie-hole anymore. He’s dug his own grave. Bye-bye oberchump!!
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 7:23pmSo keith is gone ; nex currant tv folds- YES?
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 7:32pmThere’s still aljazeera or russian tv for the traitor to work for.
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 7:50pmWatching all of this unfold is more entertaining than Current TV ever could be
Report Post »Miami
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 8:03pmServes Gore right for hiring this sleaze ball
Report Post »Restored One
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 8:15pmThey all start to eat their own. Let them both go down. This could be fun to watch.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 8:22pmTheObamanation
You forgot TV-Iran
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 1:48amI guess Keith just doesn‘t take care of Al’s chakras the way he likes.
I gotta be honest, I don’t know who to root for in this lawsuit. On one hand you have a pompous windbag who tells the world how wrong they are and how right he is; and on the other hand you have a pompous windbag who tells the world how wrong they are and how right he is. I just decided who to root for…the lawyers. I hope they drag this out for years and both parties end up losing their shirts. I doubt Al’s legal team is this stupid, but wouldn’t it be great if his personal assets were attached? That would be sweet irony.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:05amI bet he could get a job doing the crop reports on NPR.
Report Post »P. Edmonds
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:10pm6:05 p.m. EST
NEWS FLASH: According to his spokesperson, and after a mere week since his untimely departure from “Current” television, Mr. Olbermann has accepted the position of Executive Director with NAMBLA, a secular-progressive organization with branches throughout North America. NAMBLA’s Director of Human Resources, Mr. Jerry Sandusky, could not be reached for comment.
Report Post »team1blazer
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:33pmJust peed my pants from laughing so hard! Now that’s funny!
Report Post »liberalisrunamuckus
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:50pmI blew soda outa my nose
Report Post »matinva
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:18pmThat is just rich!!
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:46amP. EDMONDS, Wonder if BSNBC will pull that paragraph from the Internet and run with the story, as they have been known to do in the past. LOL, that was great
Report Post »MrKnowItAll
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:03pmThese 99% people. ALL they do is Sue.
Report Post »Worked with a guy who was married to and received a tattoo of the name of his wife Sue on his arm. After his Divorce. He had it changed to “I’ll Sue You!” KEITH! Your 15 Milliseconds is OVER. So are YOU! Remember Al Gore? He got the Votes and Lost. Not this time CHUMP. Global Warming Money Will Get The Best Johnny Cockran’s Scam Money Can Buy.
TheObamanation
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:10pmGore didn’t get the votes … that’s why he lost
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:00pmKind of reminds me of an MMA fight. Everybody’s watching for the two big guys to punch and kick the crap out of each other, only to have it turn into a boring wrestling match and then nobody cares anymore.
Report Post »TheSoundOf Truth
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:01pmBut the boring wrestling is where all the skill is.
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:56pmThis issue is far too important for the courts, the only solution:
Celebrity Death Match: Olbermann vs Gore
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 10:30pmOlbie vs. Manbearpig
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 10:49amCONSTRUCTIONIST, I would definitely pay to see that.
Report Post »tolstoyx
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:48pmI think they should sue each other into oblivion.
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:01pmYeah … I hope the lawyers bleed them both dry
Report Post »PeteHDO
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 6:36pmWouldn’t it be great if this lawsuit drags on for years costing both parties dearly.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 8:40pmIn the words of Ralph Cramdon, “Oh, how sweet it is!”
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 6:41amThe case will not drag on for years, Time Warner Cable has already said that they are dropping Current TV for a lack of viewers. This is their biggest cable contact, others will follow. No Current TV – no lawsuit.
Hope it takes some of Al Bores money when it goes under.
OMG 2012
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:48pmSometimes the enemy of my enemy is NOT my friend … sometimes ya gotta just make some popcorn … kick your feet up … and enjoy the show … ha ha ha ha ha … win/win
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 8:35pmOddly enough, that was exactly my thought!
BTW, to any prospective employer, hire K.O. and this could be you, too!!!!!
Report Post »Carborendum
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:45pmLet’s see…
In the green corner, we have an individual who has made his living propagating a lie so bad that he is among the world’s worst perpetrators of the evil he eschews (at least in word) while expecting the entire country (and arguably the entire world) to make sacrifices that he considers beneath himself.
In the yellow corner, we have an individual who has made a career out of lambasting political opponents of minor offenses for which he praises his political allies who are even more guilty of those same (or worse) offenses, all the while congratulating himself on his ability to read the teleprompter that men far more clever than himself have filled with meaningless drivel dressed up as learned verbiage.
I’d vote for the yellow corner. At least he’s consistent in his “us vs. them” mentality. The green corner is completely without any principle.
Report Post »IndyGuy
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:43pmLet’s see…..Olbermann or Gore….Hmmmmmmm……Neither,they’re both crap…
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:43pmI hope Olbermann’s case falls flat in the courts; hopefully the progressives Current TV will become history as well.
Report Post »Seagal45
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:35pmGood luck on that one, what a cry baby.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:34pmSeems like staged buffoonery.
Report Post »Lotus503
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:30pmCurrent TV should sue Olbermann for slamming their ratings…
Report Post »bassist237
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:30pmThis is awesome..
Report Post »wigg
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:36pmI agree. Lets watch as the Dems eat each other!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »lynda1276
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:26pmthey are both losers..
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:23pmThose 12 viewers are going to be mad when current goes bankrupt.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:29pmWow, that’s 9 more than I thought they had…..
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:32pmAl’s wallet is in the balance
Report Post »JQCitizen
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:23pmSounds like a CAT-FIGHT.
Now, Now Ladies….
Report Post »CatB
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:28pmLOL .. don’t get me going on that remark .. I love it
Progressive fighting progressives .. over MONEY .. I thought they were SO above that … Well actually no I didn’t .. I am reading the book “Hollywood Hypocites” and ALGORE is in it a lot.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:23pmGotta love it! A douche bag suing douche bags!
Report Post »VRW Conspirator
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:23pmPerfect…the idiot Olberdork and the “creator of the internet” Al Snore can beat each other senseless for all I care…oh wait…neither has any sense…hmm…beat the crap out of each other…no…that would take till the end of time, they are both so full of it…hmm…oh…dang.. WHO REALLY CARES anyway??
Report Post »hatchetjob
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:22pmNever a dull moment with the “bathtub boy”.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:21pmLOL, Sort of torn here. Just who do you root for in silly **** like this?
Report Post »auzerais
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 11:45pmIt’s like trying to decide who to root for, either the tarantula or the scorpion.
Report Post »ZAP
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:20pmThem libs fighting will cause global warming
Report Post »HKS
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:15pmGo Keith, Just love it when Liberals eat each other.
Report Post »KarenKat
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:13pmGood… This may bring them all down (-:
Report Post »eretsim
Posted on April 5, 2012 at 5:30pmExactly, nothing but good can come out of this.
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