About “Countdown with Keith Olbermann”
“Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” is a week-nightly commentary show featuring one of journalism’s most provocative and outspoken voices. Regular contributors include Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi; John Dean, Former White House counsel to President Richard Nixon; comedian and activist Maysoon Zayid; Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones energy and investigative journalist and author Jeremy Scahill, among others.
Find which channels carry Current where you live by plugging your zip code into the channel-finder at the top of this page. Here’s Keith explaining the process.
About Countdown Online
The “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” website is the show’s 24/7 interactive home, presenting the most compelling show clips as well as Web-exclusive videos. It will also share Olbermann’s moment-by-moment thoughts through tweets and blog posts, and inspire audiences with empowering interactive features and lively community forums. Follow “Countdown” on Facebook and Twitter as well.
About Keith Olbermann
After receiving broadcasting honors that include three Edward R. Murrow Awards (including one for his coverage of 9/11), the Cable Ace for national sportscaster of the year, and co-host of “Entertainment Weekly”’s selection as the 67th greatest television program of all time, Keith Olbermann now joins Current TV as its Chief News Officer as well as Executive Producer and host of its centerpiece nightly news and commentary program.
Olbermann won his third Murrow award during the last of his eight seasons as Managing Editor and host of the same program on MSNBC. As host of “Countdown,” Olbermann attracted a large and devoted audience, his outspoken commentary, rhetorical virtuosity, and undeniable passion making the show the highest–rated program on MSNBC as well as lightning rod for controversy.
A sports and news broadcaster since he was in high school, Olbermann began his professional career as a United Press International stringer at the age of 17. At 20, he joined UPI’s national radio network as an anchor, reporter, and commentator, covering his first Olympics and World Series at the age of 21. A year later he broke into television with the fledgling CNN, and after successful stops anchoring sports at local stations in Boston and Los Angeles, he came to national prominence co-hosting ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
His work on “SportsCenter” from 1992 to 1997, distinguished by his provocative blending of pop culture and sports, launched a new era of sportscasting. While at ESPN, Olbermann was chosen to launch the ESPN Radio Network and ESPN2. He also co-authored the critically acclaimed book “The Big Show” about his experiences working on “SportsCenter.” After being offered a joint position with NBC News and NBC Sports, Olbermann left ESPN in 1997. In addition to hosting the World Series and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, and contributing to pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl, he anchored two nightly primetime news programs on MSNBC, “The Big Show,” and “White House In Crisis,” and served as a substitute anchor on weekend editions of NBC Nightly News.
The following year, in a transaction unique in broadcasting history, NBC sold Olbermann’s contract to Fox Sports for $1 million. At Fox, Olbermann became host of the network’s Emmy-winning Baseball Game of the Week Pre-Game Show as well as of its All-Star Game and World Series coverage. He also anchored and served as Senior Correspondent for Fox’s attempt to compete with “SportsCenter,” “Fox Sports News.”
Olbermann rejoined CNN in 2001 as a correspondent for “NewsNight” and substitute anchor for other network news programs. He also covered 9/11 and its aftermath for KFWB Radio in Los Angeles and the ABC Radio Network. Late that year, he was asked by ABC to revive the “Speaking of Sports” and “Speaking of Everything” daily radio franchises begun by Howard Cosell, and also served for the following 18 months as the official substitute for the legendary Paul Harvey.
By February of 2003, Olbermann had returned to NBC to anchor the same 8 PM news hour he had left more than four years earlier (which MSNBC had struggled to fill in his absence, turning to 17 different programs and formats in the interim). In 2005, Olbermann reunited with his “SportsCenter” co-host Dan Patrick for a daily program on ESPN Radio, and in 2006 he joined NBC’s “Football Night In America” as co-host.
Olbermann has written for dozens of publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Time, Sports Illustrated and Playboy, and maintains an official Major League Baseball blog for MLB.com. The first of his five books, “The Major League Coaches,” was published when he was 14, and the subsequent four each made The New York Times best-sellers list. Olbermann received a bachelor’s of science degree in communications arts from Cornell University. He was born, and lives, in New York City.
About Current Media
Current Media, the Peabody-and Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, engages viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming –stories that no one else is telling in ways that no one else is telling them. Current’s programming shines a light where others won’t dare and boldly explores important subjects — opening minds, sparking conversations and forming deep connections with its viewers. Programs include the Peabody Award-winning investigative series “Vanguard.”
The channel’s audience is comprised of affluent, curious, social and connected adults who crave the kind of entertaining, enlightening, witty and informative programming found on Current’s TV and online properties. Current is now available via cable and satellite TV in 75 million households worldwide – 60 million households in the US – through distribution partners Comcast (Channel 107); Time Warner ; DirecTV (Channel 358 nationwide); Dish Network (Channel 196 nationwide); Verizon and AT&T. In the UK and Ireland, Current is available on BSkyB (Channel 183) and Virgin Media (Channel 155). Viewers can also find Current online at www.current.com. Find which channels carry Current where you live.
