Community | May 19, 2011 | 127 comments

Current TV Italia Off The Air Due to Murdoch's Fear Of Olbermann

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tverdell
Former US vice-president Al Gore has hit out at Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, accusing it of "an abuse of power" by forcing his liberal TV station off air in Italy because it did not fit in with the media giant's "ideological agenda".

In an interview with the Guardian, Gore said the Current TV news and documentary channel was told unexpectedly three weeks ago that it could no longer be carried by Sky Italia because of its decision to hire a US left-leaning commentator often critical of Murdoch's company.

He added that the decision reflected how News Corporation operated worldwide. "News Corporation is an international conglomerate with an ideological agenda. It seeks political power in every nation they operate. They wield that power to shut down voices that disagree with the agenda of Rupert Murdoch," Gore said.

The decision, he added, was "a complete shock" but Current TV executives were told "off the record that the decision was taken on News Corp instructions from New York". The primary reason, he said, was "because Current is launching Keith Olbermann next month".

Olbermann – who styles himself as a leftwing alternative to the rightwing shock jock journalism of Fox News – worked at rival cable news network MSNBC until he left abruptly in January. This came after he was briefly suspended by MSNBC in November for making donations to three Democratic candidates in the midterm elections without seeking prior approval, in breach of company rules. "Olbermann has often been critical of News Corporation," Gore added.

...

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127 comments // Current TV Italia Off The Air Due to Murdoch's Fear Of Olbermann

  • Redpalaceskyeaglebullbluesox
    • 0
      Redpalaceskyeaglebullbluesox  
    • I'm surprised that Sky ever carried Current given Al Gore's involvement. The Murdoch gang are absolutely paranoid about KO since he left Fox Sports. Just mentioning KO's name on O'Reilly ges you not only tossed from his show but threats from something called "Fox Security." I wouldn't be surprised if Keith has been the target of Murdoch's spies.

    • 1 year ago
  • coldsweat
  • MotivatedInOhio
  • JanforGore
    • +4
      JanforGore  
    • http://progressivesforgore.blogspot.com/2011/05/murdochs-newscorp-drops-current-...

      How much more obvious could they be? It is so wrong that the media is controlled by a wealthy few who with their money get to decide what content you see. This is the reason why Americans have become so dumbed down, distracted and made so apathetic. It is not real news you see through that box of lights and signals, it is a perception of the world as told to you by those with the cash who get to control what you see.

      And it not only happens in America. Which is why expanding the horizons of people globally is an endeavor worthy of notice and why Current TV in Italy must stay. It is the voices of the people and their journalistic efforts at the source of the news that brings forth the truth we all need to see in order to be better citizens regardless of where we live.

      This is an egregious stab at democracy and there is no excuse for it. NewsCorp can try to cover it up by saying it is about money, but with all of Murdoch's millions and the timing of this I'm sorry, it just doesn't fly. They have shown very clearly that they care not for citizen journalism, truth nor real news. What they do care about however, is keeping the masses ignorant and distracted and spoonfeeding them the propaganda that will keep it that way.

      Current TV is a threat to them on that score, and the addition of Keith Olbermann has now scared them into taking this action to keep truthful commentary out of the homes of those who would become empowered by it. But you have a say in this. You can express your outrage with the continued manipulation of content based solely on ideology and the corporate monopolization of your life.

      Contact Sky Italia and tell them how you feel. Tell them Current TV is the antithesis needed to the usual fare that only seeks to entertain and not inform. Murdoch may have his millions, but there is no price that can be put on education and truth, and they are worth fighting for.

      Sky Italia
      via Salaria 1021
      Rome, RM 00138
      Italy

    • 1 year ago
  • jubal
    • +4
      jubal  
    • Hurray for Olbermand and Gore. Murdoch is a megalomaniac and he needs to be put out to pasture. He is narcissistic.

    • 1 year ago
  • gatormouth
  • gump
    • +3
      gump  
    • Murdoch has sold his soul and become low life demon scum . Why do so many Americans revere him or think that liberals are envieous of this child of the devil ? Our population needs education!!! HISTORY PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • stelladargento
  • asocial
  • Earl_Dixon
  • Emucratic
  • Milieu
  • dalistuff
  • vixxxen618
  • littlwarrior
  • freecrack
  • littlwarrior
    • +13
      littlwarrior  
    • Is anyone surprised that Murdoch is trying to manipulate the world with his money and power? I mean really what the fuck is Fox other than a political machine built to raise money and claim voters? respectable journalism was long ago made the victim of greed and ratings, this nation has long forgotten what a journalist with integrity sounds like. Though if you would like reminding of what news should sound like, watch vanguard, I have a considerable amount of respect for all of those journalists and how objective they remain even in the most trying of stories.

    • 2 years ago
  • vixxxen618
  • littlwarrior
  • August_K
    • +7
      August_K  
    • We need to spread this new development to the news in Canada.
      They already have a great dislike for the types of trash tabloid stuff Murdoch
      pushes.

      He's still in the middle of the big email spying scandal in the UK and our friends up north wouldn't let him change their laws so he could "legally" lie on his programs up there.

    • 2 years ago
  • Stoneyroad
  • Leen61
  • tlbuffin
  • Leen61
  • jennilamb007
  • SIBob
    • +9
      SIBob  
    • Image
    • The days of media mind control are on the wane, as long as the internet remains accessible to all. (Let’s hope it stays that way.) Taking advantage of this great medium will entail more than social networking though. I’m afraid that most users are not interested in information gathering or enlightenment, (not that I am a source of either).
      The main thing that the internet has going for it is the spreading of information, fast. It will be very hard to suppress the truth when so many are on top of the situation. Murdoch can kiss my butt, there is nothing he is selling that I have the least interest in. The billionaire class does not impress me and I don’t care what they or their stooges think. To me it is as simple as turning to another channel or another website. I do love to rip them up though. It’s so easy.
      http://sibob.org/wordpress/

    • 2 years ago
  • Leen61
  • SIBob
  • Leen61
  • savvy7
  • gorde709
    • +7
      gorde709  
    • murdoch is a disgrace and so are his networks,even though Keith will be in english,most Itlia in this day in age speak or undestand english they just don't get murdoch and his band of idiots. He is a coward like and most of his on air talent is brain dead (O'Reilly). I can't wait for My Keith to get back in his chair and tell it like it is. I have missed him so much, since the repubs have started to implod. His comment right now would be incredible. Go get the bastard Al and watch him cower. Hurry up Keith.

    • 2 years ago
  • artemis6
    • +6
      artemis6  
    • An underhanded strike AGAINST freedom ! OUTRAGEOUS ! On the other hand , if an individual is to be credited by their enemies , then , WELL DONE CURRENT AND OLBERMAN !

    • 2 years ago
  • Milieu
    • +6
      Milieu  
    • RE: Mr. _Merrill

      "The decision, he added, was "a complete shock" but Current TV executives were told "off the record that the decision was taken on News Corp instructions from New York". The primary reason, he said, was "because Current is launching Keith Olbermann next month".

      I believe this is written in English, you might want to double-check me, however.

    • 2 years ago
  • Straighttalker
    • +4
      Straighttalker  
    • Murdoch's want to suppress the truth. His actions are in line with trying to avoid having to address true facts. If he prevent their voices from being heard, he won't have to address any issues expressed by them.

    • 2 years ago
  • Warren_Merrill
    • -18
      Warren_Merrill  
    • It'a amusing people on this site even mention Fox distorts the news. Look at the title of this news story. "Current TV Italia Off The Air Due to Murdoch's Fear Of Olbermann" like it's a statement of fact. All that has actually occurred is Al Gore has made an accusation. The proper fact is Al Gore made an accusation. The title is a left wing slanted distoration of the news trying to turn opinion into fact because it's suits your poltical needs. Try looking in the mirror once in a while.

    • 2 years ago
  • budsnews
  • vixxxen618
  • Almibry
  • Almibry
  • vixxxen618
  • vixxxen618
  • Almibry
    • -2
      Almibry  
    • vixxxen618:

      20th? Really? Prove it. I've posted one comment on one article to you outside of that thread and sent 2 private messages in response to the one you sent me, so if you're going to lie outrageously, say 50k or something.
      BTW it isn't an attack, it's fact.
      You claimed to know what it was that caused certain women to be raped while others weren't: Their clothing; and when I asked for your help in deciding on whether or not I was rape bait, you chickened out.
      You claimed I couldn't counter any of your arguments and said I was trying to guilt you into submission when I clearly did counter all of your arguments (while generously requiring you to counter only one of mine: why not give an equal amount of advice to men?) and you already said you didn't give a damn about me, so why should I expect you to feel bad over the fact that I was raped? That doesn't even make sense!
      Then you proceeded to congratulate people who insisted I was an attention whore when it should be obvious that this issue is serious enough to take drastic measures: Most women would fight to their deaths rather than be raped, so really, what's so drastic about a few pics?
      You think you were respectful? Go back to that thread and count how many of your responses to me were removed compared to the number of my responses to you that were removed. Notice anything?
      We've covered all this ground months ago and I'm just sick and tired of the dance you and people like you do to avoid facing up to the facts: MEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RAPE. Then I'm insulted/attacked/belittled/dismissed for insisting you tell them what THEY can do to prevent rape as though the fact that I'm a rape survivor makes my opinion irrelevant.
      This isn't desperation, it's dedication and I'm dedicated to you Vix. You could be so much more than what you are now and it hurts me to see you waste your potential.

      You consistently dodge every opportunity to make a real statement by insulting my mental stability and you wonder why I am not more pleasant.

    • 2 years ago
  • Almibry
    • -2
      Almibry  
    • vixxxen618:

      OK. I am truly sorry for accusing you of voting me down and if there is any way I can make up for any damage I may have caused by posting that comment without any proof that it was indeed you who voted on it, feel free to come here and make your demands:

      http://current.com/news/93232212_sluts-dont-cause-rape-rapists-do-why-slutwalks-...

      I will meet them to the best of my ability.

      And for whoever it was who did vote me down, I am sorry. I wasn't thinking. The news of one TV station being removed from the network of a foreign country is, by far, more important then defending the trillions of women, dead and alive, who were blamed for their own rape on the basis that they were dressed like/were literally sluts.

      Again, I am sorry. If I haven't blocked you feel free to send me a private message telling me how I can make it up to you. If you are blocked follow the instructions I gave to Vixxen, and I promise, I'll do my best.

    • 2 years ago
  • gump
  • Warren_Merrill
  • Warren_Merrill
  • Almibry
  • KB723
  • Almibry
  • Almibry
  • gump
  • Warren_Merrill
    • 0
      Warren_Merrill  
    • gump:

      Your post would be a great insult if you were a 5th grader. But since you're not it's a typical liberal turning to vulgarities and insults due to the inability to intelligently atticulate your thoughts. Then again, I imagine you're finding it difficult to be articulate without intelligent thoughts.

    • 1 year ago
  • Leen61
    • +16
      Leen61  
    • Isn't it amazing that a supposed media giant like Murdoch would do something so extreme to stifle free speech? It just goes to show that Newscorp isn't a media conglomerate, it's a crime syndicate. This move was right out of the Mafia playbook. I think this will make Keith stronger just like when Radio Free Europe fought against the censorship brought on by the Iron Curtain. It will only make people try harder to get his message.

    • 2 years ago
  • Milieu
    • +10
      Milieu  
    • Leen61:

      "Isn't it amazing that a supposed media giant like Murdoch would do something so extreme to stifle free speech?"

      BUt that's what Republic Syndicate and their Masters do "Bestest"

    • 2 years ago
  • Leen61
  • PoliticalAmazon
  • Leen61
  • samthesixth
  • scooter3282
    • +12
      scooter3282  
    • samthesixth:

      Maybe not, but what it does show is that Murdoch is a very petty man which most ultra rich right wing assholes are. But Murdoch doesn't have to protect his integrity anymore, that horse has left the barn years ago and we all know he's a dick already. He does what the Kochs, Devos, Bradleys and all the other corporate tyrants do, squash freedom.

    • 2 years ago
  • Warren_Merrill
  • Milieu
    • +12
      Milieu  
    • Warren_Merrill:

      And the answer to your question is: He shouldn't be, so why is he?
      From: Profile of the Sociopath

      # Manipulative and Conning
      They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

      # Grandiose Sense of Self
      Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

      Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
      Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

      http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html

    • 2 years ago
  • budsnews
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • +2
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • samthesixth:

      I think Murdoch's reaction to Olbermann being on Current indicate he is afraid of something. It seems logical that the "something" has to do with what Olbermann does that Murdoch feels threatened by.

      For Murdoch to debase himself by using his huge power as a media mogul to force one of his clients to break a contract with Current (I assume there was a contract), over one pundit's being back on the air...I think Murdoch is very much threatened by someone he perceives he cannot control.

      Perhaps Murdoch was behind Obama having to be shoved off of MSNBC right before Comcast took possession, and doesn't like Obama being so persistent and tenacious that he lined up another gig with Current.

      Whatever...something's not right in Murdoch's reaction.

    • 2 years ago
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
  • August_K
  • Warren_Merrill
  • tverdell
  • Warren_Merrill
    • 0
      Warren_Merrill  
    • budsnews:

      Someday Current will have more viewers than YouTube's Hamster On a Piano. If Olbermann had bad ratings at MSNBC don't expect them to get better at Current. There may be some initial curiosity. But eventually his ratings will be worse than at MSNBC.

    • 1 year ago
  • Warren_Merrill
  • Milieu
  • Milieu
    • +10
      Milieu  
    • I truly don't understand. After watching how poorly Jon Stewart did on Bill Orly's show the other night, it's obvious there are nothing but intellectual Powerhouses on Faux News "Chanel."

      >> IN case you missed it, "This IS sarcasm."

    • 2 years ago
  • timetide
  • Wyley_Wombat
    • +12
      Wyley_Wombat  
    • Hooo, I think Murdock just handed Keith Olbermann a whole new agenda with this. Now Olbermann has a reason to attack News Corpse with renewed vitriol. This should indeed be interesting.

    • 2 years ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
  • savroD
  • robbie2622
    • +7
      robbie2622  
    • Rupert isn't afraid of anything, he's quite confident that he can squelch anything he doesn't agree with and he may well be right. I think he is in the top 5 of the most dangerous people in the world. He's proven what he can do with his propaganda machine aka News Corporation.

    • 2 years ago
  • Joeydee44
  • budsnews
  • oldpol2
    • +7
      oldpol2  
    • I would love to see Current TV stream this live and then place ads in all papers and magazines in Italy. If there is that great a fear of the truth I see it as a duty to make sure the lovely citizens of Italy get the truth!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • crystalman
    • -15
      crystalman  
    • What's all the whinging and whining? Murdoch and Sky don't share the same political perspective and ideology as Gore and Current. Live with it. Current has to find another carrier. Big deal. Gore and his sycophants are cry baby losers..just because they don't have the power of Murdoch's corporation. Sour grapes from the envious.

    • 2 years ago
  • oldpol2
    • +5
      oldpol2  
    • crystalman:

      Since you find one dominating point of view acceptable, One must ask....Would still feel that way if the only news was liberal? Would You? Honestly? Yeah, I thought not!

    • 2 years ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • +8
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • crystalman:

      QUOTE FROM CRYSTALMAN: "What's all the whinging and whining?"

      ---------

      I know. You would think Murdoch, with being rated by Forbes' as the 13th-most powerful person in the world, wouldn't show his cowardice about Olbermann-uncensored being shown on a small media outlet like Current.

    • 2 years ago
  • Milieu
  • gump
    • +1
      gump  
    • crystalman:

      Do you push crystal meth like the pissant republican trash bags in the Bush CIA ? You know every dispicable meth dealer I ever knew was a right wing F everybody punk that would feed his own grandmother to his dogs on a wym. Ya, republicans. Every one of them. The scourge of humanity. Thoughtless selfish dirt bags. Smell of rotting flesh and look pale as the angel of death. Close to hell with nothing left of soul to lose. But it would just be wringing and whineing to be concerned for them . There is just a differance of opinion and ideology that we should learn to live with. None of my business. I"m sure. Just as Murdock pushing his murderous poison kool aide is no body's business except his bosses who let him front for them. Who cares about various ideologies. They are just names of different things in one classification . Few people know the differance between one word or an other in America anyway. If a guy could talk them over toward the cliffs then thats just a job to do for some paper dollars. No one sould bear a grudge over it . Or hardly even notice any thing is going on. No one should notice whats in a name. Like "Crystal " man . What is a crystal man. Whats in the name. I'm asking you crystalman. What is in your name. What do you say with it . Are you saying you are a republican at heart. Are you saying you can trick your way through a pointless life that nobody should pay attention to unless you invite them. Or advertizeing. Like with a business name. Like ...crystalman ? I am watching a movie right now called THE DOMINO PEOPLE . You should watch it sometime. That is the kind of thing you are standing up for . Or laying down for as the case may be. Murdock's power that you defend is based on murder . You are defending murder . Murder begets money for these people . They have done so much murder over recent generations that they have more money available to them then they will ever need to continue thier domination of the world . Maybe you want to be on top of the world with them . But when you choose to be on thier side you just become one of thier suckers , a " shamo " , While your brain is thinking of ways to serve them they are sitting on your head with a chain around your neck . Thats not where freedom lives. You would be better off chooseing freedom right from the start rather then regreting when it is too late to effectively make that choice. But maybe thats all just ideology to you and maybe you are just going to bounce around like a ball in a pachinco till you fall for the lowest common denominator. If you push people to the cliffs for the bad guys because you are in awe of what they are doing with thier power and money remember while you do this that you will be at the edge of the cliffs yourself some day and some shamo working for your chosen bosses will be pushing you.

    • 2 years ago
  • Arizona_Huey
    • +11
      Arizona_Huey  
    • Ah, little itty bitty Rupert feels threatened by Current TV's open news policy since it most certainly collides with his ideology. For a man that is suppose to be so powerful and mighty, he appears to be just a little cowardly dick!

    • 2 years ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • +13
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • Image
    • BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!

      And here, all along, Murdoch had been playing it so laissez-fairey about Olbermann's challenging presence on cable broadcasting.

      Thanks a lot, Rupert (the man listed by Forbes' as the 13th-most-powerful person in the world) , for elevating Olbermann's power to the level of being such a dire threat to your empire the conservative agenda.

      Does that make Olbermann the 12th- or 14th-most-powerful person in the world?

      Pfffft! Murdoch is such a ball-less little whiner.

      Actualy, Olbermann could not wish for a better "opening-show" gift than Murdoch forcing a TV station to drop Current--the limited-presence channel with Olbermann in its line-up.

      Is Murdoch developing Alzheimer's? I ask because, strategically, it was such an open admission by Murdoch of his own cowardice.

      Murdoch's action in forcing a station to drop Current from its broadcasting lineup is a profound admission of the degree to which Murdoch fears the challenge from someone who cannot be bought.

      Murdoch might as well have added to the News Corporation's letterhead and websites "WE ARE COWARDS, AND AN UNCENSORED KEITH OLBERMANN MAKES US SOIL OUR UNDERDRAWERS."

    • 2 years ago
  • oldpol2
  • Wyley_Wombat
  • PoliticalAmazon
  • ArchDruid
  • budsnews
  • letsliveinpeace
  • Plue
  • dinm76
    • +9
      dinm76  
    • It's time to start listing the Fox business locations, the banks they do business with, the names of their employees (right down to the janitors), where they eat lunch and where they park their cars. The Fox business empire needs to be attacked in every way possible.
      How about a web site that post all this infomation on hourly updates. No Fox employee should ever be allowed to eat lunch in peace ever again. This is war people and it's about time we start fighting back!

    • 2 years ago
  • tverdell
    • +12
      tverdell  
    • Image
    • Here is an article about Current TV Italia earlier this year.

      ROME -- Al Gore's Current TV is feeding an Italian craving for serious news in the Silvio Berlusconi era and helping to redefine the founder's vision for an unconventional, unbiased, in-depth news channel.
      Just a few months after the localized Current Italia started beaming on Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia in 2008, the channel's general manager, Tommaso Tessarolo, was given the freedom to reboot it.

      He threw out the model that San Francisco-based Current TV had been using Stateside since its 2005 inception -- five-minute news pods, many of them user-generated, and replaced it with longform news pieces.

      "But we remain close to the original vision of Al Gore, who wants to democratize TV," Tessarolo says.

      Current CEO Mark Rosenthal, the ex-MTV exec who took over as topper in 2009, says Gore's original attempt to reinvent news journalism with video shorts tied closely to the Internet was unique. "But it didn't really work," he adds.

      Since then, Current Italia has been a beacon for the company in several ways, says Rosenthal, who also oversees Current's British incarnation, which was set up in 2007.

      Tessarolo has built the Italo channel around Current's signature "Vanguard" documentary series, which Rosenthal calls "the only boots-on-the-ground show on TV in the U.S." next to CBS' "60 Minutes."

      Independent information is hard to come by in Italy, where most media is influenced by political or business interests, or both.

      The Freedom House media index, an annual survey of media independence in 195 countries and territories, ranks Italy at 73, behind the West African country of Benin.

      No wonder then, that when the journos in the "Vanguard" team came to Italy's Perugia Intl. Journalism Festival, they were greeted like rock stars.

      Tessarolo began commissioning docus about lightly covered local news stories, which have included investigative pieces about the unresolved Naples garbage crisis and the country's Vatican-influenced in vitro fertilization legislation permits only three embryos to be fertilized per woman at a time and requires implantation of all that are viable.

      Current Italia beamed PBS documentary "Citizen Berlusconi," about the consequences of handing a media mogul political power, which had aired on all the main European pubcasters. "But nobody had even thought of airing it in Italy," Tessarolo says.

      Click on the article for more.

      http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118035767?refcatid=1064&printerfriendly=tr...

    • 2 years ago
  • Almibry
    • 0
      Almibry  
    • tverdell:

      I am familiar with the community guidelines and I'm curious, on what basis did you flag this?
      (Hint: "Because it makes me look like a stupid ass" is not a valid answer)

    • 1 year ago
  • crystalman
  • Almibry
  • letsliveinpeace
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