2002–2006: Launch After the
2000 U.S. presidential election, Gore and Hyatt wanted to start a conventional cable news network. The plan evolved into making a viewer-generated channel aimed at an audience demographic age 18–34. On May 4, 2004, INdTV Holdings, a company co-founded by Gore and Hyatt in 2002, purchased Canada-based cable news channel
NewsWorld International (NWI) from
NBCUniversal for the express purpose of launching their new network with the space on some
digital cable lineups (and
DirecTV) that NWI had. The new network would not have political leanings, Gore said, but would serve as an "independent voice" for a target audience of people between 18 and 34 "who want to learn about the world in a voice they recognize and a view they recognize as their own." Other reports said that Gore hoped that the channel would help change the tide of "consolidation and conglomeratization" of the media by leading the change to "democratization." The news network was said to be a combination between
CNN,
MTV, and
blipverts. In the summer of 2004, Gore and Hyatt announced their new network, named INdTV, with a series of public recruitment events. The first of these events was held at the Bambuddha Lounge in San Francisco's
Tenderloin, on August 25, 2004. On April 4, 2005, the former vice president with business partner Hyatt announced that they had changed the name of the network from "INdTV" to "Current TV". The new television network launched in the United States at midnight
EDT on the morning of August 1, 2005. The first person heard on the channel was
Conor Knighton, a staple during the early years of the channel introducing the channel with the show Google Current.
2006–2008: Expansion and Yahoo! partnership On September 20, 2006, Current TV started a short-lived partnership with
Yahoo! to supply topic-specific "channels" to the Yahoo Video website. Called the Yahoo! Current Network, the first four channels, "Current Buzz", "Current Traveler", "Current Action" (about action sports), and "Current Driver" quickly became the most popular videos on the Yahoo Video web site. There were Yahoo branded segments on Current TV, similar to the Google Current segments. Additional web channels were planned. However, on December 6, 2006, Yahoo and Current TV announced the end of their relationship.
Madeline Smithberg co-creator of
The Daily Show, was the Executive Producer for this project. On October 6, 2006, a deal was announced with
BSkyB to create a localized UK and Ireland version of Current TV for its
Sky satellite service. This version went live on March 12, 2007, on Sky channel 229 (later moving to 183) and Virgin Media channel 155. The first documentary aired on the launch was 'Tracking William, a Night With a Paparazzo' from director
Daniel Florencio, a prolific contributor of the channel. In 2007, Current TV started
video-on-demand service on Virgin Media. Current TV was also added to the Freewire IPTV network on channel 178. The channel closed on March 11, 2012, following BSkyB's withdrawal of support and a failed rescue attempt from Current TV. On January 31, 2007, Current TV launched on
Dish Network. On September 16, 2007, Current TV won an Emmy award for Best Interactive Television Service at the
59th Primetime Emmy Awards. This was the first year in which this Emmy was presented during the primetime broadcast. The award was presented by
Masi Oka of
Heroes fame and
MySpace founder
Tom Anderson (through their own computers), and Al Gore and Joel Hyatt accepted the award on their behalf. On February 8, 2008, it was announced that the network would also be available on the Italian
Sky Italia satellite digital platform on channel 130. According to the official website, broadcasts started on May 8, 2008. On June 6, 2008, it was announced that the network would also be available on the Italian
3 DVB-H mobile operator, free of charge. The channel closed on July 31, 2011, following failed distribution renegotiations with Sky Italia. Current TV partnered with
Twitter for the 2008 Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates, allowing viewers who watched the Current TV version of the debates to post live on Twitter and have their opinions shown on screen, live.
2009–2010: Financial troubles and IPO plans On January 28, 2009, Current Media Inc. announced that it intended to launch an
initial public offering on the
NASDAQ to raise US$100 million. However, it announced in early April that it was scrapping the plan due to "current market conditions" and that no securities had been sold, and all activity regarding the proposed IPO had been discontinued. 2008 In June 2009, Current TV received approval from the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to establish a Canadian version of the channel, which would be a joint venture of Current TV and the CBC, with the CBC taking 80 percent ownership. The channel would be required to feature at least 35%
Canadian content. The new service was planned to begin in Fall 2009, pending approval by the Treasury Board, but those plans were put on hold later that year. In July 2009, Current TV made a series of changes due to financial reasons and the failed IPO. CEO Joel Hyatt resigned to a new vice president position and was replaced by Mark Rosenthal, the former COO and president of
MTV Networks, with a plan to reform Current TV to more traditional programing. Lisa Derrick of
The Huffington Post predicted that Current TV would undergo a transformation similar to MTV's transformation during Mark Rosenthal's 1990s tenure at MTV, from MTV's multi-minute music video format to longer 30 minute/1 hour
reality television programing. Ultimately its assorted pod format was discontinued in lieu of traditional 30-minute block programing. Some elements of the pod format survived inside the themed 30-minute programing. In July 2009, 80 in-house staff were laid off, about 25% of Current's staff, and plans were announced to air licensed TV series and films and other content that was not produced by Current in-house or by the VC2 system. Andrew Wallenstein of
The Hollywood Reporter predicted Current would make its targeted demographic a decade older from early 20s to early 30s, and add more less-serious entertainment programing to its then mostly news and reality/documentary format. In late 2009, after the announcement of the Comcast-NBC Universal merger,
Comcast Corporation submitted a filing to the
US Securities and Exchange Commission that revealed it owned a ten percent stake of Current Media LLC. Current received three Emmy nominations in the news and documentary category in 2009. In mid-2010, Current's Vanguard journalism program's piece,
Oxycontin Express, received a Peabody Award, a first for both
Mariana van Zeller, the journalist behind the story, and Current TV. Current also received a Headliner award. Around this time, a report by
Reuters on the network's ongoing problems suggested that it could have blossomed into something akin to
YouTube's video-sharing platform,
MSNBC's role as a left-leaning news outlet, or even the
Oprah Winfrey Network. "In retrospect", the report concluded, "what's distinctive about Current's troubles was that Gore's vision had so much potential. It's uncanny how close he was to capitalizing on several key trends that transformed the media world, only to watch others do so." On March 30, 2009, North Korean state media reported that preparations were under way for indictments and a trial, saying, "The illegal entry of US reporters into the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and their suspected hostile acts have been confirmed by evidence and their statements." The two faced trial on June 4. On June 8, Reuters reported that the two reporters were found guilty of illegal entry and committing "hostile acts against the
DPRK" and subsequently sentenced to twelve years of hard labor. On August 4,
BBC News reported that Lee and Ling were pardoned amidst a visit by former U.S. president
Bill Clinton to North Korea.
2011 major format changes 2005–2011 Beginning early in 2011, Current TV started implementing major changes in programming and personnel, beginning with the hiring of
Keith Olbermann. To signify these changes, Current unveiled new imaging and a new logo in May 2011, designed by branding firm
Wolff Olins and Loyalkaspar. On February 8, 2011,
Keith Olbermann announced that he had been hired to host a new primetime show on Current TV and was named Chief News Officer with an equity stake in the network. In April 2011, Olbermann announced that his nightly program would retain the same title from his time at
MSNBC. On June 20, 2011,
Countdown with Keith Olbermann relaunched on Current TV. The program aired Mondays through Fridays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and was based out of New York City. Olbermann stated on
The Colbert Report that Current TV was planning to make a nightly news segment consisting of his show and others that would launch later on Current TV. In August 2011, Current announced that it had hired former CNN Bureau Chief and SVP of Programming
David Bohrman as the network's new president. Bohrman later announced that after filling out its prime-time lineup, Current would also gradually begin shifting towards "a full daytime, morning schedule of news, information, analysis, conversation, context – all based on the events of the day" from an independent, progressive perspective. On September 15, 2011, Current also announced that it had hired Shelley Lewis, former CNN and PBS executive producer, as executive vice president of programming. On September 20, 2011, the network announced that
Cenk Uygur of the internet-based TYT Network would be launching a TV edition of the internet news program
The Young Turks in the fourth quarter of 2011. The program was broadcast from Los Angeles and aired weekdays at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The program premiered on December 5, 2011. On September 21, 2011, network president
David Bohrman named Jason Odell as executive vice president of technology. Odell had an extensive career at both
CNN and
NBC, and was most recently known for creating (along with David Bohrman) and implementing CNN's "holographic" technology during election coverage. On October 12, 2011, the network announced that it had hired former
Michigan governor
Jennifer Granholm to host her own weekday prime-time program
The War Room with Jennifer Granholm. The program launched on January 30, 2012, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
2012 major format changes On March 5, 2012, Current announced an upcoming weekday morning block of programming with TV-friendly simulcasts of
The Stephanie Miller Show (under the name
Talking Liberally: The Stephanie Miller Show) and
The Bill Press Show (under the name
Full Court Press: The Bill Press Show). This was interpreted by
Mediaite's Political Editor and White House Correspondent Tommy Christopher as an attempt to compete against MSNBC's
Morning Joe (which aired from 6am to 9am). This morning block moved to
Free Speech TV after Current TV folded and became Al Jazeera America. On March 30, 2012, Current announced that
Keith Olbermann had been fired and would no longer host a show on their network. A statement released by network founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt explained how the network's "values are no longer reflected" in Current's relationship with Olbermann, and that former
New York Governor
Eliot Spitzer would begin hosting
Viewpoint effective immediately in the time slot previously occupied by Olbermann. On April 18, 2012, Current announced that
California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom would host a show titled
The Gavin Newsom Show, while concurrently serving as lieutenant governor. In June 2012, it was formally announced that
Joy Behar would be getting another talk show,
Joy Behar: Say Anything!, on the Current TV network. Its content was expected to be in line with her previous
HLN series
The Joy Behar Show. Before the new show's launch, Behar began acting as fill-in host for
Eliot Spitzer's Current TV talk show,
Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer, starting on July 18, 2012.
2013: Acquisition by Al Jazeera On January 2, 2013,
Al Jazeera Media Network announced that it had purchased Current Media, LLC and would be closing down the Current TV channel while launching and integrating the remains of Current into a new American news channel titled
Al Jazeera America using its distribution network. Prior to the sale, it was believed that Al Gore and Joel Hyatt each owned approximately twenty percent of Current Media,
business magnate Ronald Burkle owned about twenty-five percent, and
Comcast and
DirecTV each owned more than five percent. The terms of the deal were undisclosed. According to
Forbes and
The New York Times, the purchase was about US$500 million. The purchase by Al Jazeera occurred after an attempt by
TheBlaze to purchase the media company was rejected in 2012. Immediately after the announcement,
Time Warner Cable and
Bright House Networks, which both broadcast Current TV to nine million American homes, announced they would be dropping the channel, but said they would consider airing Al Jazeera America. It was previously reported in April 2012 that TWC and Bright House were considering to drop the channel due to low ratings. In a news release, Al Jazeera Director General Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani said, : "By acquiring Current TV, Al Jazeera will significantly expand our existing distribution footprint in the U.S., as well as increase our newsgathering and reporting efforts in America [...] We look forward to working together with our new cable and satellite partners to serve our new audiences across the U.S." Later, after the end of Current, in a
Los Angeles Times interview, Uygur remarked about the loss of the television show that he felt "relieved" that he could move on and focus on his web show and site and that he "was exhausted from doing the two shows at once;" also that "The future is overwhelmingly online" and he was excited to turn his energies there. It was also mentioned that after the acquisition of Current, he had brief talks with Al Jazeera America about whether there would be a place for him and the show, but both sides agreed that Uygur, known for political rants, would not fit well with the company's plans to build a news source with a more neutral tone. That same day,
Jennifer Granholm, host of
The War Room with Jennifer Granholm, announced that she would leave the channel as a result of the acquisition, as did
Gavin Newsom, host of
The Gavin Newsom Show, who was reported to have planned on leaving the network earlier. On Sunday, January 6,
Eliot Spitzer announced that he had left the network and his weekday show
Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer. It was announced in an article in Politico at the time of the purchase that Bill Press didn't expect to continue his show with Al Jazeera once the change officially took place. Press also didn't expect Stephanie Miller to continue her show on Al Jazeera. Press said he would look for TV coverage to replace Current but expected having trouble finding a replacement. On August 1, 2013, Press announced that his show's simulcast would move to
Free Speech TV on September 3, 2013.
Stephanie Miller announced later after a hiatus from television syndaication that her show would also move to Free Speech TV in January 2014. In a January 22, 2014, article in Politico Al Jazeera spokesman Stan Collender said the network's launch would be pushed back to within six months, and would create "multiple hundreds of new jobs" and new bureaus around the country. They announced the hiring of 105 total jobs for the new network, with 98 in New York and seven in Washington, D.C. On July 3, 2013,
Ali Velshi announced on his Twitter account that the network would replace Current on August 20, 2013. The last live show on Current was
Viewpoint with
John Fugelsang, ending on August 15, 2013.
Al Jazeera America launched and replaced Current on August 20, 2013, at 3:00pm
EDT. In September
Al Jazeera Media Network launched a lawsuit against
Al Gore. Al Jazeera America shut down on April 12, 2016, citing the "economic landscape and the highly competitive nature of the American media market" as reasons to shut down the channel. After use by three networks since 1994, the channel space folded after Al Jazeera failed to sell it to another network. ==Remains==