Olbermann Fired From Current TV, Plans To Sue

Entertainment Tonight, Friday, March 30, 2012, 4:32pm (PDT)

Entertainment Tonight.

A little more than a year after leaving MSNBC under less-than-friendly terms, Keith Olbermann is taking his leave from former Vice President Al Gore's Current TV network with a similarly fiery fight.

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The network released the following press release this afternoon addressing Olbermann's firing: "Current was … founded on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers. Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and we have ended it."

While the switch-up came as a surprise to many, the broadcast journalist revealed in a responding statement posted to his Twitter that he'd been involved in a lengthy battle with the network's founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt.

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"I'd like to apologize to my viewers and my staff for the failure of Current TV," he began. "But for more than a year I have been imploring Al Gore and Joel Hyatt to resolve our issues internally, while I've been not publicizing my complaints, and keeping the show alive for the sake of its loyal viewers and even more loyal staff. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt, instead of abiding by their promises and obligations and investing in a quality news program, finally thought it was more economical to try to get out of my contract."

Olbermann goes on to say that he has decided to sue the network in regards to the wording used in Current TV's announcement of his firing.

"It goes almost without saying that the claims against me implied in Current's statement are untrue and will be proved so in the legal actions I will be filing against them presently," he wrote. "To understand Mr. Hyatt's 'values of respect, openness, collegiality and loyalty,' I encourage you to read of a previous occasion Mr. Hyatt found himself in court for having unjustly fired an employee. That employee's name was Clarence B. Cain."

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Current TV will replace Keith's show with a program hosted by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, entitled Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer.

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