Keith Olbermann: Joining Current TV?

Keith Olbermann announced today that he'd be revealing a major career development tomorrow. Word is leaking out tonight that he's joining Al Gore's Current TV.

This was about as unexpected as it gets, and yet it makes a lot of sense for both Olbermann and the network. Olbermann is reportedly set to take a stake in the channel as well, which could make this more than just a typical TV talent deal. It could be more akin to the kind of pact Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications struck for her new cable network, OWN. That said, the extent of Olbermann’s involvement on-air is not yet known; he could simply recreate his own MSNBC show for an hour every weeknight or try something more ambitious like Winfrey did, molding the entire channel’s sensibility in her own image. Being an owner instead of an employee is also best for Olbermann and someone of his, shall we say, temperament, or risk chafing yet again under the reins of another corporate overlord (see MSNBC, Fox Sports, ESPN etc.). That said, we can all look forward to the inevitable headlines of Olbermann and Gore duking it out.