At this Current moment, perhaps we all need to discuss everyone's mistakes, right Mr. Hyatt?

[Samantha]

Last edited Mon Apr 2, 2012, 01:30 AM - Edit history (2)

By Current's own admission, it is Joel Hyatt who "guides" the network's development, production and programming content:

"Joel Hyatt, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Current Media, has guided the network's development since its inception, achieving recognition for the company's innovative approach to producing and programming content by and for its audience. Under Hyatt's leadership, Current TV has grown to 70 million subscriber households, expanded internationally, received two Emmy® Awards, the youngest network ever to win an Emmy, and won virtually every other journalistic award for outstanding investigative journalism."

http://current.com/s/management.htm

The following is a link to the Cain story as reported by The New York Times and referenced by Keith Olbermann with regard to recent events:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/13/us/law-bar-lawyer-with-aids-wins-legal-victory-gives-his-employer-some-unwelcome.html

The article is very telling regarding the ethics of Joel Hyatt. Read it closely to see if you can spot plays in his approach to labor problem solving issues. Of special note is the Judge's remark that Hyatt had mounted a "corrupt assault on the defendant's dignity."

Additionally, here is the Internet address of The National Report article referencing Joel Hyatt's apology to Cain, saying he had made a mistake. A "mistake" -- that was his word? Think about this for a moment -- a corrupt assault on the dignity of a man dying of AIDS is referenced by Hyatt in his apology as a "mistake." That was a tragedy of almost incomprehensible cruelty, but his apology only came after the judge hearing the case found in favor of Mr. Cain. The opinion was extremely rapidly issued since by that moment, Cain's passing was imminent.

http://books.google.com/books?id=usADAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=National+Report+Philadelphia+Story+similar+Cain&source=bl&ots=aRtC6oNEbT&sig=wjDprpv-1ivVy6OLA1BkKZVE23I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Hpd3T7nAC-P40gGEsIGwDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=National%20Report%20Philadelphia%20Story%20similar%20Cain&f=false

Hyatt, himself an attorney, apparently does remember the playbook for discarding employees he finds too expensive to keep.

It seems only fair if negative comments about Keith Olbermann's relationships with his co-workers are going to come into the wash of his departure from Current, we must take a look at everyone's dirty laundry who is connected to this matter. Keith Olbermann called his decision to join Current a mistake, but his mistake compared to the admitted mistake in Joel Hyatt's history with regard to the late Mr. Cain is infinitesimal. Hyatt's will be remembered as long as the movie Philadelphia remains imprinted on the brains of those who have watched this movie.

I have nothing but the highest regard for Al Gore. He is a national treasure. I have followed him since he was in Congress and give him my greatest respect. Additionally, I treasure Keith Olbermann. During the Bush* years, Keith Olbermann helped me retain my sanity by publicly holding Bush* accountable for his appalling conduct in the Oval Office. Olbermann did this knowing he was putting his job at risk, but that didn't stop him. To Keith Olbermann, his credibility as a journalist was more important than his career. That is indeed a rarity in journalists.

As is often said, reasonable people can disagree on issues. I see absolutely no reason not to keep that thought in mind as the mudslinging against Keith Olbermann erupts into the public domain.

Sam

[obey]

1. Divide

and conquer.

[Laurian]

2. Thank you.

I've been a little dismayed by the negative DU reactions to Keith's dismissal fom Current. I may be naive, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt until I know more about what happened. What many describe as ego, I tend to see as self confidence and an unwillingness to do the less principled "go along to get along" routine practiced by many mainstream journalists.

I seem to be in the minority here, but remembering Keith's determination to report the shenanigans of the Bush Administration and his staunch support for the Occupy movement, I think he's earned at least the opportunity to have his side of the story considered.

[Samantha]

9. THANK YOU and there is also this

Last edited Sat Mar 31, 2012, 11:24 PM - Edit history (1)

How many times have we seen it said here he was fired by FOX, MSNBC and now CURRENT? Keith Olbermann was not fired by MSNBC. He quit. His attorneys had been in negotiation with their attorneys for months trying to find an amicable way to dissolve the contract. Olbermann wanted out because of the Comcast merger. He feared once that happened, things would change at the network and Comcast would attempt to muzzle him. The agreement was finally reached when Keith was on the air that Friday night and thus MSNBC simply told him he could not make a statement to his viewership about his departure. I think the suddenness with which he left had a stunning impact on his loyal fans and many believed the ensuing scuttlebutt. But Rachel Maddow herself confirmed on the air that Keith resigned, had not been fired, and that should be enough to convince people to quit making the statement he was terminated. But no.

Additionally, his attorneys were in negotiation with Current's attorneys to dissolve Keith's contract when the termination letter went out. This has been confirmed in the news before that letter. But Keith was hoping that he would not have to leave, and that his concerns about the technical malfunctions and bloopers would be addressed. They were embarrassing to him. I can understand that. I saw a lot of them. I think he has a lot of pride in his work, and he couldn't stand the humiliation. I think Current just didn't want to spend the money at that time since it was building its programming (read Hyatt didn't want to spend the money) and Keith couldn't take things as they were. As a labor lawyer, there is no question Hyatt had to have known that firing Keith for cause would save Current a lot of money over settling.

Keith was fired from FOX. I don't understand, as good of a sportscaster as he seems to be, how he stood to work there so long, but that's another conversation for another day. He sued, and was paid MILLIONS by Murdoch. That suggests probably it was FOX's fault, right?

But none of these facts change the disparaging remarks made about Olbermann personally. That to me is simply unfair.

Thanks for your response to my thread.

Sam

[ooglymoogly]

57. Thanx for the thread Sam.

I don't remember whether you covered this but Comcast owns a 10% stake in Current and is the only little known owner of Current other than the better known Gore and Hyatt.

My guess is, that would be third man on the totem and is very pertinent to this whole affair.

[Samantha]

58. ooglymoogly, I was totally unaware and can't thank you enough for sharing this info

Last edited Sun Apr 1, 2012, 08:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I was just reading another thread generally on this subject (the one about the letter from Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, "Why we fired Keith Olbermann" -- something like that and I just felt deeply saddened that Keith Olbermann is being given no benefit of the doubt by many people posting here. And despite the fact he was not fired from MSNBC, he quit (which you might note I reminded people Rachel Maddow herself on the air said "He quit!" There is no question in my mind she would have made this statement if it were not true).

Additionally, although he was fired from FOX, he sued and won a settlement in the many-millions of dollars, which should suggest to most level-headed persons FOX was in error in this matter.

And finally, it has been reported that Olbermann's representative had been negotiating with Current's representative for months regarding the terms of the contract not being met as far as commitments to the quality of the services available for the broadcasting of Countdown. Does it not occur to most people that there might be perhaps a chance that Current did breach the contract? I am not saying it did, I am simply saying where is the benefit of the doubt most reasonable people should be giving Keith Olbermann unless and until indisputable FACTS have been put forth as PROOF.

Something like 41 items to be corrected were listed by Olbermann's representative to Current (see the Daily Beast article referenced below) which were not all corrected as was agreed.

Olbermann left MSNBC right before the Comcast merger because he feared Comcast would attempt to muzzle him and would also tilt the station into another direction. I believe Keith has been vindicated already in thinking this because all one has to do most days is turn on the station and see many more Republicans participating one never saw there before. And the worst part for me personally is that Michael Steele is one of them. I have held this man in contempt since he was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (where I live) and the last thing I expected was to see him pop up as an MSNBC contributor. If I wanted to listen to the likes of Michael Steele, I would turn on FOX News. I thought MSNBC was my political refuge from this type of political disinformation. I can't help but wonder if Keith Olbermann knew Comcast owned 10% of Current before he signed the original contract.

Okay, I guess we will have to stay tuned, but thanks again for stepping out with this new information and for greatly contributing to this thread.

Sam

[Tansy_Gold]

3. You might want to edit your essay

The Philadelphia Story is a romantic comedy starring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and James Stewart.


I believe the film you're referring to is Philadelphia.

[bleever]

4. Yes.

I can hear Jimmy Stewart shouting out, "oh C.K. Dexter Havens!".

Still, a good OP.

[Tansy_Gold]

5. Yes, well, maybe

When something is engraved on someone's brain incorrectly. . . . .

[Samantha]

12. I have always remembered the movie years later after watching it

but saw it referenced incorrectly. What is ingrained on my brain is the story told, not the title.

Sam

[Samantha]

20. I worked on this thread so long this evening and edited it many times in that process

I saw the movie incorrectly referenced as The Philadelphia Story in one of the things I read. I saw this movie years ago, and I cannot watch it again. I was just so disturbed by it. So I made the mistake of inaccurately posting that name, but that's okay. We all make mistakes as suggested by the thread's title, right?

Thanks for your response and nice words.

Sam

[Samantha]

10. I think you are right -- Thank You

[Snake Alchemist]

6. Joel Hyatt and Al Gore have gotten Keith fired from 4 networks so far.

Will their treachery never end?

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Did you read the links? Forget Gore, he's money. Hyatt is the operating partner and

he's a well known so and so. Also I always side with the employee in disputes against notorious employers. Yes I do. Feel free to call the Pinkertons.

[Samantha]

15. I think it might work like this (no facts, just opinion)

When Al Gore left the Office of the Vice Presidency and then had the 2000 Election stolen from him, he made a remark that he decided to make some money. As a public servant for years, he had not focused on earning money for his family, and he was going to try to make that up to them. Al Gore at that time was one of the most least wealthy people in political life.

I think Hyatt and he were friends, and Hyatt wanted to start a cable news station and he could think of no better partner, public relations-wise than Al Gore. I would have to agree with that. I think Hyatt, as an attorney, a businessman, and a person who ran and lost the office he sought, went into business with Gore for the Gore name, and it is Hyatt that literally does the work. I wonder how much expertise Gore actually had in that area -- politics, yes, running a cable channel, I don't think so.

But what better scapegoat can be put forth than the beloved face of Al Gore? And that is what I believe is going on here. That's why I took the time to write this thread.

Thank you for responding.

Sam

[Snake Alchemist]

31. Keith specifically listed Al Gore's greed and lack of ethics in his statement

You can choose to believe him or you can choose to believe.....EVERYONE else.

[Samantha]

37. The sentence I read had a compound subject and it referenced both Al Gore and Joel Hyatt

I remember it well.

Sam

[Samantha]

40. Here is Olbermann's response (note I do quote from the article)

"He has vowed to take the matter to court and questioned the ethics of Gore and Hyatt."

Link:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/01/keith-olbermann-s-angry-e-mail-trail-traces-breakup-with-current-tv.html

In other articles, I have read direct Olbermann quotes, and that is what I read. I have never seen anything that suggested Olbermann holds Gore singularly responsible.

In fact, in another paragraph, the article states:

"What is clear from the correspondence is that the relationship was dissolving amid a flurry of mutual recriminations. Gore had welcomed Olbermann as the new face of a little-watched network, anointing him chief news officer and giving him an equity stake in the operation. Gore had dealt with big egos in politics, but he and Hyatt told colleagues they had never dealt with anyone quite like Olbermann. On the few occasions when Olbermann wrote to Gore, the onetime presidential candidate sent back polite but vague notes that essentially referred the questions to Hyatt."

Sam

[pacalo]

41. I believe Keith Olbermann 100%.

[ooglymoogly]

55. And you would be 100% right in doing so.

The histories of all involved will now come out in the minutest detail and will be placed on the marquee of the world and like you, I trust in the integrity of Keith far above everyone else involved. Keith has given no one any reason to disrespect his integrity, a thing many of us flocked to buy a cable tier we otherwise would not have invested in (an account now forever closed).

footnote, Comcast owns 10% of Currant.

Currant TV has been in so many failed marriages it would take pages to chronicle; yahoo, one of the biggest and most scurrilous gossips of this affair, was one of them.

[Bluenorthwest]

53. So the thing is, and you can sue me if you'd like, I lost some respect for Al when he

hitched up with Joel. The history of his company, most particularly the late 80's and early 90's, that company was detested among my peers. Detested. Two decades ago. So that's that. Hard for me to hold an opinion of a man lower than the one I hold of Joel, his company's actions and his words in reaction were not only wrong, they were part of a huge tide of wrongness that needed to end. Thankfully a judge came down hard and strong against their termination of a man for getting sick. Early days of AIDS, they were top 10 on the Wrong List. Along with Reagan and the entire Insurance industry.
So I'm sorry if I can not forget that history and focus on just one side of this story for you. Al Gore decided to hook up with a man with a long, deep history of unfair terminations. That's on Al.
At Current, they fired many, many people prior to Keith, including the mass terminations when they changed the format and attempted to go 24 hour news. So they sacked entire shows and staffs and talents. And did they then hire journalists and send reporters out to gather news stories? Oh, no. They hired commentators from radio and former politicians.
And again, I stand always with talent and workers in disputes with management and producers. Feel free to do as you see fit as well.

[ooglymoogly]

56. Truly. nt

[pacalo]

24. Fired from 4 networks? Please read Samantha's post #9.

[Snake Alchemist]

33. And read my post 31. nt

[pacalo]

42. And my post #41.

[Spazito]

8. Holy crap, this law case must have initiated the movie "Philadelphia" with Tom Hanks...

It sure reads like it is. The case was in 1990, the movie in 1993. Whether it is or is not, Mr. Hyatt deserves all the scorn one might heap upon him, imo.

With the lack of ethics displayed by Mr. Hyatt in this case, I am wondering even more what the truth behind the conflict between Olbermann and Current really is.

Edited to correct poor phrasing.

Edited again to note I see "The Philadelphia Story", I hadn't read that far down before clicking on the NYT article. The movie was called, "Philadelphia", "The Philadelphia Story" was a movie with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. I mix up the two quite often.

[Samantha]

13. That is exactly the point I was trying to make

Last edited Sun Apr 1, 2012, 01:50 AM - Edit history (1)

I have seen this playbook before.

I do want to say as a precautionary note, this is simply my opinion. I have no personal knowledge of the facts in this situation but I have gathered these thoughts as a result of articles I have read on the Internet, mostly from very reputable sources, but anyone of which could have contained an error.

Thank you for your response.

Sam

[tammywammy]

14. The movie "Philadelphia" was inspired by Geoffrey Bowers' lawsuit. n/t

[Samantha]

17. Here is a direct quote from The New York Times article above

"Hyatt Legal Services Inc. provides more legal advice to more Americans than any other law firm. But if the company's behavior in a recent AIDS discrimination case is any indication, Hyatt's own legal judgment isn't always so sound.

In an opinion issued here earlier in April, Federal District Judge Raymond J. Broderick ruled that Hyatt, a pioneer in low-cost legal clinics, had illegally removed the head of its Philadelphia office, Clarence B. Cain, after learning he had AIDS."

Sam

[tammywammy]

38. Yes, I read the article.

I'm not contradicting that he was fired because he had AIDS. The fact is that the movie "Philadelphia" was based off of Geoffrey Bowers' lawsuit after being fired for having AIDS.

Bowers' case inspired the film Philadelphia, in which the following message appears at the end credits:

This motion picture was inspired in part by Geoffrey Bowers' AIDS discrimination lawsuit, the courage and love of the Angius family and the struggles of the many others who, along with their loved ones, have experienced discrimination because of AIDS.
http://gaycelebrities.wikia.com/wiki/Geoffrey_Bowers

[Samantha]

44. Another article I read but did not cite said nine different cases influenced this movie

So I went out and took another look and found this:

"Clarence B. Cain was a standout student at the University of Virginia Law School in the 1970s. He is credited with touching the lives of hundreds of students by serving as a mentor before mentorship was popular. After graduation, Cain rose in the ranks at Hyatt Legal Services to a regional directorship until he was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and fired. Though successful in a law suit against his employer, Cain did not live to see the verdict or the movie, Philadelphia, largely based on his life. Professor Burris, noted scholar on HIV/AIDS issues and a consultant on the movie, will talk about the Cain case and bring the issues still faced based on HIV/AIDS status to the present with Ronda B. Goldfein, Executive Director of the AIDS Law Project of Philadelphia." (emphasis added)

The link:

http://aall11.sched.org/event/38421def9865e084ebde6546b884e2cb

This is a legal seminar discussing the case (the AALL). Note that Professor Burris was a consultant on the movie. My best guess is that many cases influenced the movie, but not all were credited. I do see the words "largely based on his life" -- referencing Cain. I am thinking the other cases and other victims did as well....

Sam

PS on edit: I went back into the third cited reference in the original thread and read towards the bottom. That article says "a dozen" cases inspired the movie.

[Spazito]

19. Thanks for this, it is striking...

in it's similarity to the case referenced in the OP; the time frame 1987 versus 1990, some of the details related to both victims.

[Samantha]

21. It is a very common approach in the legal field

demonize the victim. Also pretty common in the political arena, right? But most of all, prevalent in the business world, right. What describes Joel Hyatt? Attorney, former political candidate and involved in politics, and a businessman. Dollars to doughnuts cancelling Keith Olbermann's contract went pretty far in paying the combined contracts for Bill Press (who I tremendously admire), Stephanie Miller (a radio personality) and Elliot Spitzer, who I tremendously like but a person who was having difficulty holding a job in the political commentator field after his resignation from office who probably agreed to work for peanuts for Current.

ISN'T IT QUITE THE COINCIDENCE THOSE THREE NEWLY HIRED APPEARED ON CURRENT THE WEEK KEITH OLBERMANN'S CONTRACT WAS TERMINATED?

I think not. I believe it was what Hyatt considered to be a smart business move. Nothing personal, Keith. Yeah, right.

Sam

[Spazito]

25. Olbermann's appearance on the David Letterman show Monday...

should be very interesting. I don't usually stay up that late but I think I may well make an exception for this. You make an interesting point regarding the recent 'hires' in relation to the recent termination. Three for the price of one?

I am on the fence as to what has happened and who is more at fault, I hope we do get to know the full facts around this but that might only happen if there is a court case about it.

[Samantha]

35. Wouldn't you love to see the math?

I really like Bill Press. I used to watch his show The Spin Room, which aired after the theft of the 2000 election. He would not let up on that subject. Did you ever see this show, co-hosted by the Republican Tucker Carlson? It was cancelled suddenly, and I just was outraged. I feel the Bush* administration must have pressured the network about comments Press was making on the election issue. Bill Press has not had his own show since that happened (to my knowledge) except in radio. He's a very astute commentator, but I am thinking he took this opportunity to break back into cable even if it meant getting paid a discount rate.

Stephanie Miller is someone I personally have never heard of but is in fact another radio show host.

Imagine what the two of them must have contracted for with Current, take a guess at what Spitzer was offered after CNN cancelled him, and then think about the 50 million dollar contact Keith Olbermann had. Then think about the fact these three personalities emerged on Current then very same week Olbermann was terminated.

As I said in another post on this thread, quite a coincidence, right? Personally, it appears to me to be another Inconvenient Truth. Apologies to Al Gore, who I tremendously admire, for that crack.... I personally think this has Hyatt's fingerprints on it....

Sam

[Samantha]

60. I can't wait to see Olbermann on Letterman either, Spazito

It should be titillating. He has probably been advised by his attorney not to discuss details of the lawsuit to be filed, but he might make some general remarks to reassure the audience this is not a frivolous suit.

Sam

[pacalo]

26. Thanks so much for your OP & for the ensuing information you've provided, Samantha.

This is very eye-opening.

Btw, the movie "Philadelphia" is one of my favorite movies -- I could watch it over & over.

[Samantha]

18. PS See my response #17 below for confirmation

and I corrected the title in my thread. Thank you.

Sam

[nobodyspecial]

11. So, does Keith have a fatal illness?

Does he need a transplant? What are these huge medical bills he's running up?

[Samantha]

16. He tweeted about those

He first had a bad cold. He had bronchitis. It was hard to treat. He eventually had to take steroids. If you are familiar with the side effects of steroids, it is easy to understand how one could not do Keith Olbermann's job while he was being treated in that manner. He kept his viewership posted and often apologized.

Thank you for your response.

Sam

[nobodyspecial]

47. A cold and bronchitis hardly rises to the level you are citing

"Hyatt, himself an attorney, apparently does remember the playbook for discarding employees he finds too expensive to keep."

So, he missed a few days of work and had to take some meds. Hardly a long-term expense.

[Samantha]

49. Apparently Keith Olbermann found it extremely threatening to the health of his voice

"From Olbermann’s perspective, this was a period when he was battling a throat infection, and he was concerned that being on the air March 5 might cause him to lose his voice during three hours of live coverage the next evening. In fact, he was so concerned about his voice that he all but stopped speaking when he wasn’t on the air, forcing those around him to communicate with him by email."

From the Kurtz article on The Daily Beast previously cited in this thread at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/01/keith-olbermann-s-angry-e-mail-trail-traces-breakup-with-current-tv.html.

Sam

[nobodyspecial]

50. I'm not saying he wasn't legitimately sick and concerned

but you are comparing this incident to a man with AIDS. My point is that the analogy simply doesn't hold up.

[Samantha]

51. I don't think so -- I compared Olbermann's apology to one Hyatt made

The main theme of this thread is that we all make mistakes. Sometimes when we do, we apologize. I then used examples in Olbermann's professional life and one in Hyatt's professional life.

Sam

[pacalo]

22. "Olbermann (held Bush accountable) knowing he was putting his job at risk, but that didn't stop him.

To Keith Olbermann, his credibility as a journalist was more important than his career. That is indeed a rarity in journalists."


Everyone loved Keith when he was being "difficult" by telling the unvarnished facts. Now, some are turning their backs on him & siding with the network executives?


I won't forget what Keith has done for me, period. Through good times & bad, I stand by Keith.

[Samantha]

27. Thank you indeed so much for your response

Keith Olbermann deserves much better treatment than he is currently being given (pun intended).

Sam

[pacalo]

28. Thank *you* for your masterful comments. I'm in awe & I've bookmarked this thread.

[Samantha]

30. Wow, pacalo

I wrote this thread in my fatigue and never dreamed it would have this type of reaction (just people flaming me instead). I had started a much longer thread after a rough week, and lost it. It took a different direction. Then I started over and this one came out. Ironically, it makes a much better point. I saw a minute ago this thread is now on the Home Page under Trending, and it is amazing that people now coming here are actually posting complimentary comments about Keith Olbermann. This is an amazing difference on the earlier threads at this site.

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Sam

[pacalo]

34. ...

or, more fitting...

[midnight]

23. The silencing of our journalist comes in all different ways... I listened to what may have been

Olbermann's last special comments. It was a barn burner... He let the specialness of the special congress and the White House have it...

He explained by both Dems and Repubs working together to create more austerity for the vulnerable in this country that they were equally to blame... He explained that the austerity harshness doesn't work, and shows how inept congress and the white house is for allowing this insanity to continue.... And he is right.....

I for one applaud this journalist, and now we know why the other hair does keep their jobs....

[Samantha]

29. What a wonderful response

Perhaps some small miracle might occur and Keith Olbermann might learn some of us "lesser" people are standing up for him and his reputation. You did a magnificent job. Thank you for your response.

Sam

[The Wizard]

32. Kieth was the first

to shine the light on the bush cartel's crimes, coverups and propaganda. the civilized world owes him big time for having the nuts to stand up to arch criminals.

[Samantha]

36. And that is it in a nutshell

Thank you for your response.

Sam

[Bette Noir]

39. Thanks for sticking up for Keith.

I could hardly believe the nastiness I saw in some threads about his dismissal yesterday. You'd have thought this was Free Republic, the way people were badmouthing my progressive hero.

Keith's the best; I expect him to land on his feet. I'll be watching his next show, wherever it is. HBO? Bill Maher could use a lead-in.

[pacalo]

43. Since my cable provider doesn't carry Current-TV, HBO would be a huge win for me.

Crossing my fingers!

[Samantha]

46. I don't have HBO but I would sign up to see Keith Olbermann on it if the rumors turn out to be true

It doesn't make a difference to me where I see and hear him; it does matter that he keeps commenting and those who chose to do so can enjoy listening to him.

By the way, I want to thank you for all your wonderful contributions to my thread. It was great "meeting" you here.

Sam

[pacalo]

61. Aw, thanks, Samantha!

It was great "meeting" you, too! Your OP was greatly needed with all the negativity going around.

I came back to get the link for your OP after seeing the "Al Gore: Why We Fired Keith Olbermann" thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002503697.

Having read your OP about Joel Hyatt's business-above-humanity values, it's hard to keep from gagging when Gore mentioned the words "respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers".

[Samantha]

62. Thanks pacalo

Looks like we still have a lot of work to do in convincing posters here to keep an open mind until the facts come out. In the meantime, I can't seem to bring myself to turn on Current. I am just so disappointed at the apathy by management along a PR line to factor into its decision how harmful its actions might be to some of the viewership it cultivated by hiring Keith Olbermann. I look forward to Keith Olbermann finding his next "home", but in the meantime I am back to CSPAN. I am sure I will "see" you again on threads here at DU and look forward to talking to you again. Keep up your good work!

Sam

[Samantha]

45. I just couldn't take reading all those disparaging comments any more, especially at DU

Thank you for your comments. I totally agree with you -- Keith Olbermann is the best.

Sam

[fasttense]

48. Thank You Sam for saying what I was thinking.

Some DUers yesterday were quick to see similarities in Keith leaving MSNBC and this situation with Current TV. But the similarities in Joel Hyatt's treatment of employees never seemed to dawn on them. I think Mr. Hyatt counted on the fact that people would blame Keith because of his past difficulties with MSNBC.

As bush's appointment by the Supreme Court finished up, his approval rating plummeted and congress became more Democratic. I think Keith had a lot to with that. We need to thank him for his journalistic integrity.

[Samantha]

52. Thank you Fasttense for "listening" and responding to this thread

Recs are nice but supportive remarks on a thread seem to me nicer. I am encouraged to see more people coming out and making positive remarks about Keith Olbermann's contributions to our political dialog over time. He is an important person who deserves a little more respect that some have given him.

You however also said one thing I had been thinking:

"I think Mr. Hyatt counted on the fact that people would blame Keith because of his past difficulties with MSNBC."

I too thought from the beginning that Current thought this might quickly become just another Keith Olbermann being dismissed episode and public opinion would side with them. In a month or so, it would all be behind them and the cable company would have 3 new shows filling its daily needs while one expensive commentator was unceremoniously dumped to offset the costs of those three. I have no facts to support this thinking; it is just my own conclusion.

Sam

[Bluenorthwest]

54. Of course, those citing his exit from MSNBC are saying Comcast was correct...

and then they are saying that Hyatt is correct.
Taking a stand with the MSM powers and other producers is not something I do.

[Samantha]

59. It is very disappointing that we who should be independent thinkers are taking as fact

only suppositions that have been asserted. I personally have no facts as to who breached this contract, but I do agree it is an open question until proof has been put before us. That might not happen until the lawsuit is filed and settled, but until then, I want to avoid coming to any conclusions. I hope others might think about this as well.

Thank you for your participation on this thread, Bluenorthwest.

Sam