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Eliot Spitzer Pulls Plug on Current TV Show After Sale of Network to Al Jazeera

Jan 7, 2013  •  Post A Comment

In the wake of news that progressive talk channel Current TV has been sold to Al Jazeera, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has wrapped up his show on Current, The New York Times reports.

Al Jazeera plans to turn the channel into an Americanized version of its international channel Al Jazeera English, the report notes.

“Mr. Spitzer said he had a ‘wonderful time’ at Current, but emphasized that his relationship was with Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, Current’s co-founders, not with Al Jazeera,” the piece reports. “’Moving forward, their mission will be different,’ he said — more international newscasts, less liberal talk about the news.”

Spitzer has been a fixture on the channel with his 8 p.m. program “Viewpoint.” A spokeswoman for Current confirmed Sunday that Spitzer “has chosen to step back from hosting ‘Viewpoint.’ Until further notice the show will be hosted by John Fugelsang.”

The report notes: “For Mr. Spitzer, the amicable separation is unsurprising. Last spring, nine months after his CNN talk show was canceled, Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt abruptly asked him to take over the 8 p.m. time slot on Current. The reason: the 8 p.m. host Keith Olbermann was about to be fired.

“Mr. Spitzer was, by his own account, “thrilled” to do it, but it was never a full-time job, nor a long-term one. His contract expired after the presidential election in November.”

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