Shocked, I tell you..
Mr. Olbermann also was noticeably absent from two special reports that Current produced after Republican debates in mid-December. Those, too, were anchored by Mr. Uygur.
These absences suggest that there may be new tension between Mr. Olbermann and the managers at Current, who are trying to create a progressive-oriented cable news channel.
In the television industry, Mr. Olbermann is well known for fights with his bosses; stories abound about his refusal to speak to managers and executives. At Current, this behavior has continued, according to four people with knowledge of the situation, one of whom described Mr. Olbermann as “disgruntled.”
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because speaking publicly could jeopardize their jobs. Current’s president, David Bohrman, did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday, on what is traditionally a holiday week. A spokeswoman for Current said that Mr. Bohrman was traveling and was unavailable for comment.
On Thursday afternoon Mr. Olbermann suggested that Current’s published plans might not be accurate. When a reporter asked him via email why he was not participating in the Iowa caucus coverage, he answered, “That’s not my understanding. We’ve already prepared a ‘Best Of Countdown’ for Monday, and are planning a live Countdown on Tuesday.”
That’s the plan that Mr. Olbermann told his viewers about on Dec. 22, his last live program of the year. “We’ll be bringing you Best of ‘Countdown’ each night from tomorrow through Monday, Jan. 2, and then back — live, live, live — on Tuesday, Jan. 3,” he said. He added, “Congratulations on getting through another year of this crap. Good night and good luck.”
But Current is actually planning to pre-empt “Countdown” on Jan. 2 for a two-hour caucus preview hosted by Mr. Uygur, according to its TV schedule.
On Jan. 3, the channel is planning to have three hours of live prime time coverage of the caucus without Mr. Olbermann.
Next stop, his own cable access show?
