Keith Olbermann, the controversial, progressive commentator who abruptly left MSNBC in January, will return June 20 at his next home, Current TV. The new Countdown with Keith Olbermann will air weeknights at 8 p.m. on the relatively new Current channel, co-founded by former V.P. Al Gore. “The show will combine familiar and popular features with some new elements we can’t wait to unveil,” says Mark Rosenthal, Current TV CEO. MSNBC fired Keith Olbermann unexpectedly early this year, sparking outcry from fans (and some chuckles from critics) and questions of where he would land. As part of his new deal , he also becomes Current’s chief news officer, a position he said was still defined when his Current deal was announced in February. Love him or hate him, Olbermann earned big ratings for MSNBC and was credited with helping create a progressive alternative to conservative talk shows. The precise events that led to his sudden exit in January remain somewhat unclear, but it’ll be interesting to see what following he develops on Current.
