Did Keith Olbermann Just Make a Huge Mistake?

[NYCGirl]

Only time will tell.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/keith-olbermann-huge-mistake-97465

Keith Olbermann knows a lot about history. And media. And comebacks. So no doubt he’s familiar with the last time a big name anchor had an acrimonious fall out with his employer, only to turn up on a tiny cable channel, preaching the joys of freedom to do whatever he wanted.

That man was Dan Rather. And he’s at HDNet.

If your first reaction to that was, “Dan Rather’s still alive?” Or, “HDWhat?,” then, well, Olbermann might have some issues ahead of him as he goes over to Current TV, aka Al Gore’s Channel That Nobody Watches. Frankly, this whole thing would have been loads more fun had Olbermann gone to Fox News or ran for senator or relocated to the UK so he could mock American politics – three of 15 wishes/guesses I had for him that didn’t pan out.

-snipped-

It will be, in many ways, very successful for Olbermann. I’ve known and liked him for a lot of years and if there’s one thing you can say about the man, it’s that he’s a force to be reckoned with. He is beyond a cult of personality. He’s a kind of mesmerizing magnet. When his loyal fans run into him, the adoration is scary. Besides, Olbermann is a big dude. It’s not a meek kind of meeting. I’ve seen celebrities roll down their windows and tell him he’s doing God’s work. His ability to eviscerate his enemies with intelligence, humor and fury is the kind of thing that flummoxes the Bill O’Reilly’s of the world.

MUCH MORE SNIPPED. FULL ARTICLE AT LINK ABOVE

[NV Whino]

1. The difference is...

People liked Dan Rather, but Olberman has fans. Never underestimate fanpower.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. When Dan went to HDnet I was the only person

in my area or who I knew that had an HD TV.
I had one of the first ones and it wasn't a flat screen.
There were only two channels out of 100s that did HD
and that was HDnet and HBO and maybe some over the air
channels you could get.

Dans programs were really good but you needed a special TV to see him let alone the channel. Current TV wasn't even alive until years later.

Current TV has been growing for years, HD net not so much.

I think Keith made the right choice

[SidDithers]

13. HDNet is great...

I love the Sunday night concerts.

Sid

[whathehell]

3. i think not...Current TV has sixty million viewers...What does HDnet have?

Also...Moving to UK?...That would have done Americans good..uh..how?

This is one fan who WILL be watching Keith O.

[NYCGirl]

5. Well, 60 million potential viewers, but only about 23,000

watching now.

As far as moving to the UK, I think the author said that just as a lark.

[Statistical]

11. Current TV doesn't have 60 million viewers.

60 million homes receive current TV and 60 (or some other huge number) homes receive HDnet. Most cable packages have hundreds of channels.

The 60 million number comes from the total subscribers of all the cable networks, DirecTV, Dish, and other providers who carry Current TV as a channel.

A much smaller number of people actually watch Current TV.

[whathehell]

18. Do you have a link for that?

[NYCGirl]

19. It's in the article I posted and here's another source:

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133616096/the-nation-olbermanns-star-can-save-current-tv

Edited to add the second source

[KeepItReal]

4. Time Warner Cable in Los Angeles... no HDNET available at any price

At least I have Current TV.

I watched Current when it launched and haven't payed much attention since.

K.O. is giving me a reason to set the TiVo to record on that channel now.

[Papagoose]

6. HDWhat now?

Big difference, at least for me.

When Rather went to HDNet, I had never heard of it. Today, the only thing I know about it is that Rather went there. I've never watched it, don't even know if I get it.

I have been a Current viewer for as long as it's been on and watch it at home in my living room, on my laptop while I'm out and on my work computer (don't tell my very Republican boss!).

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Rather speaks in the language of the Dinosaurs

Keith made a deal that is very shiny and far better than Dan, great as he is, can even understand. The HDNet thing was and is daft. There is no comparison to Current at all.
Current has more sets than MSNBC did when Countdown started. Larger market penetration. They also have a 'brand' which might not be as well known as it will be, but is well defined. Not as in HD, but as in Current has a voice as a whole, MSNBC does not.
I spent most of my working life in TV. Current is the only company that interests me in the entire industry at this time. I think Keith is smart, his agents even smarter. I see huge wisdom. This is what I would do if I were him, or what I would suggest if I were his rep.
And people such as Rather who stress about audience size do not understand the power of talent to draw an audience, which is surprising considering that is where their own millions came from. Current has never had a 'star name' to pull people in. Current needs Keith, and he needs them, and that is synergy, that is a future in the making.

[otohara]

8. KO Appeals to Younger Demo

Dan...not so much.


Support Current TV Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Current-TV/108236952537575

[elocs]

9. KO mostly preaches to the choir which gets orgasmic and shouts AMEN! and Preach it Brother!

Unfortunately the people who really need to hear the message are not the choir. KO could broadcast from a hole in the ground and his every word would be reported here. Whether his new gig will be better or worse is yet to be seen.

[Chimichurri]

10. I think he did. NYC metro area will not get him on Cablevision nor does

it carry HDnet. And it is the only cable company available.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. You are in NYC and you do not understand how star power

alters the box office dynamic? Ask around some of the theater community. They will tell you. Cable line ups are very competitive, and that which is demanded is that which is supplied. You will have Current by the time KO hits the air. You should of course be asking for it, but in NY so many others will that I will not bother to urge you to join them. Just sit back and wait.

[Chimichurri]

21. I already asked, no need to urge. I hope you're right because regarding

theater in NY, unless it's on Broadway, plays struggle. I would consider Current TV off-Broadway. Sorry but that's just reality.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/06/theater/06critic.html

[edhopper]

12. The difference is

http://current.com/

Welcome to the age of the internet.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

20. +1

[ecstatic]

14. Does anyone in ATL area know what channel that is on comcast?

I have a billion channels but only watch a select few.

[Bluenorthwest]

16. In most Comcast markets Current is 107

At this time. Their website will tell you for certain. It is one of my top watched channels. Has been for some time.

[SoCalDem]

27. We'll see how vindictive Comcast is, if they drop Current from their line up

[sufrommich]

28. Comcast owns 10% of Current. nt

[SoCalDem]

29. 10% is not that great of a stake.. they could sell it once Current's stock goes up

take a profit on the sale..and then drop it from their line up.. Big-money guys are vindictive and they play hardball..

I have Dish, so I think I'll have access for a long time..at least I hope so.

[ecstatic]

35. That's it! Thanks! nt

[whathehell]

22. Don't know, but for all Chicago area folks...It's on channel 175. n/t

[SkyDaddy7]

17. I love HDNet!!!

And Dan Rather does do some very good reporting on some important issues.

[RockaFowler]

26. I love Dan Rather Reports

He did a great story on the Lionfish a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea how many there actually were out there

[SkyDaddy7]

36. Yes, I saw that!

When I was in the military a friend of mine got stung by one & got very sick.

[ClassWarrior]

23. Dan Rather doesn't have a "following." KO does.

:shrug:

NGU.

[fishwax]

24. the two situations aren't really comparable

Rather was in his 70s, resigned under pressure after a controversial story that undermined his ethics, left the most important (though not the most-watched) network news position with 7 million viewers, and wound up doing a weekly news magazine at a channel that was only available to cable subscribers with HD TVs (which was a minority of the public at the time).

Olbermann's situation is not particularly similar.

[SoCalDem]

25. Right now he has few choices. He wants/needs to be ON-air

how else does he manage that with the monopolies that currently exist?
He has money, but not nearly enough to BUY MSNBComcast/CNN and Fox is not for sale for ANY price.

I had hoped that CBS might revamp their dashed plans to compete in the 24-7 cable arena, but then they were also the ones who dumped Dan Rather for a lot less, so.......

[Dappleganger]

30. Yes, he's taken a gamble...

on the FUTURE of news and opinion journalism. Only time will tell us if it was a mistake, but IMO there aren't any real mistakes just wrong turns when it comes to these kinds of choices. The wrong turns can quite often become right turns because of what you learn along the way.

Is it really about how many people you have following you which makes you a successful journalist, or is it how you get out your message and are you affecting CHANGE because of that message??

[Akoto]

31. MSNBC was similarly unknown before Keith came along.

Besides, he may not care about the fame or the profits. He was clearly unhappy with MSNBC and what they were demanding of him. Now, he'll be somewhere where he can speak his mind to those who will listen, however many people that may be. Good for him.

[NYCGirl]

32. Unless you count Phil Donahue, etc. as unknowns,

MSNBC was not similar. It was not high rated, but it was no CURRENT.

[GoCubsGo]

33. Dan Rather didn't have a quarter of a million people siging a petition...

...to bring him back after he was suspended like Keith did. Don't think for a minute that the vast majority of those people aren't going to follow him no matter where he goes.

[jp11]

34. As with just about anything we have to see, I doubt he has made a mistake

but when Current names him the chief news officer saying "...Olbermann would provide editorial guidance for all of our political news, commentary and current events programming."

So if he takes advantage of that and does more than just bring his show back to the air on another channel but works with current and helps build/guide a brand he can surpass his work on MSNBC, hopefully with a network that shares his view and isn't just hitching on it for an identity.

Now does he want to be 'the boss', can he be 'the responsible boss', will current back him fully and financially to build the channel, I don't know, being the boss might not be Keith's preferred choice but he could do a lot more in my opinion if he stepped back a bit and orchestrated something 'more'. As a fan I'd love to see his show come back but where/how could he do more? Doing his show 'again' or bringing his 'vision' to/with Current helping them build a better 'news/information/learning' channel as they seem to want to become offers him the chance to do more. I hope he can find a way to do both bring his presence and views to the air and help current build themselves up.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110208/ap_on_en_tv/us_tv_olbermann_current