Keith Olbermann, who last month abruptly left his MSNBC talk show, is headed to the Current TV public-affairs channel.
Current announced Tuesday that Olbermann will host a nightly prime-time news and commentary show. His program will begin later this year.
Olbermann will also serve as chief news officer and have an equity stake in Current Media, the network founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt in 2005. Media veteran Mark Rosenthal was named the company’s CEO in 2009.
The outspoken Olbermann had been at MSNBC since 2003, where his nightly “Countdown” was the top-rated program and helped mold that network as a left-leaning alternative to Fox News Channel. But his relationship with network bosses was stormy.
Current is now revamping its little-seen schedule. The addition of Olbermann could raise its profile among viewers.
“In Current Media, Al Gore and Joel Hyatt have created the model truth-seeking entity,” Olbermann said in a statement posted on Current’s website. “The opportunity to partner with Al, Joel and Mark Rosenthal makes this the most exciting venture in my career.”
(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBCUniversal, which is majority owned by Comcast. Comcast also owns a stake in Current’s parent company, Current Media.)