Because a premium-tier cable channel that isn't even on all carriers is expected to pull with mainstream powerhouses like FNC and MSNBC. Not to mention that Current is still relatively fringe in comparison to mainstreamers like FNC, CNN and MSNBC.

"Because a premium-tier cable channel that isn't even on all carriers is expected to pull with mainstream powerhouses like FNC and MSNBC. Not to mention that Current is still relatively fringe in comparison to mainstreamers like FNC, CNN and MSNBC."

Now all of a sudden MKDAWUSS is pulling out the "He can't compete with the big boys," card.

Whatever happened to the "loyal and dedicated fanbase that will follow him anywhere?" Looks like some of them made a wrong turn.

Congratulations Carlos, you finally figured out Olbermann went from Rockefeller Plaza to the corner of No and Where.

To be fair I actually believe this number. It takes a lot to admit you came in 23rd place.

However, if Current plans to prove themselves as a reliable place for news it should provide the method used to explain these numbers.

As for Elliot Spitzer? Damn...

"Now all of a sudden MKDAWUSS is pulling out the "He can't compete with the big boys," card."

Where did I say that? For a fringe channel and an opening show, that isn't a bad number.

"Whatever happened to the "loyal and dedicated fanbase that will follow him anywhere?""

They're on his website. They're on his facebook page. They're on the Daily Kos. As mentioned, not all get Current on their TVs. If you read the comments on the Countdown website, you'd know that people want more clips online to compensate for this.

When Current tv was born , it was a place for the peoples opinion, in 30 minute pods, called it "viewer created content" even the commercials were done by viewers.

I remember they had some radical shows that really made the channel unique.

Now its just lost in a quagmire of crap

My apologies MKDAWUSS, you did refer to Current TV as a "backwater" site. Far be it for me to argue with you on that one. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I guess the score now is MKDAWUSS 1, The Flan a few dozen. That's what a man does when he's wrong he apologizes. You should try it sometime.

But, as one of the many, many things you have ignored, Olbermann averaged a million viewers six months ago. He doesn't have anywhere near that many fans on Facebook and if the fans were as rabidly loyal as you claim they are they would've dumped their provider if they didn't carry Current TV.

I'll admit if that number is true its relatively impressive. What will be more impressive is if he actually keeps it.

And I hope you'll join in the call to ask Current TV to explain how they got that number. You are a fan of "honest and reliable" journalism (allegedly). Transparency is key here.

"If you read the comments on the Countdown website, you'd know that people want more clips online to compensate for this."

You mean the ones that say "So glad you're back Keith!" every other post? Literally. And that man has the audacity to accuse conservatives of marching spambots.

And who the heck is Jane Velez-Mitchell?

I don't know a ton about the inner workings of TV business, but I would think that a show that had over a million viewers a night, ones that are really truly loyal fans, that have been absent of that host for over a month, would have a much better showing on the first night back. Also, I think the numbers would be inflated for the first night just out of people's curiosity.

HA - I just saw that Morning Joe is number 20 on this list. So Olbermann's show rated lower on its opening night than the show Markos insulted for having such low ratings.

perfect ... Current will not be able to justify Olby's paycheck. I would expect for some sort of big spectacle to come in a week or two in order to try to get ratings.

What could it be? Weiner as a guest? Probably too little too late? What else?

Wow. What were the total numbers, demo and every other demo ranging from the ages of birth to death? Is twitter also factored into the ratings? How about Youtube? How about everyone that read the article on Yahoo that was posted this morning saying that Countdung is a recycled package of democrat talking points? Is everyone that reads MARXos's pinko commie rag included in the ratings?

To quote Peter Noone from the old Herman's Hermits' song Henry VIII: Second verse, same as the first.

I also love that The New False Murrow thinks that he is the voice to rail against corporations, but still has the audacity to use advertisements from corporations on his show. Yet, he declares his show spills over into the 9pm hour?

The show right after the debut of Current Countdung, was a documentary called Gateway to Heroin. If there is one symbolic gesture of irony of the programming, watching Countdung with The False Murrow could send someone to the edge.

Also a shout out to JeffE, thanks for the compliment the other day.

So, how long will you give The False Murrow's tenure at this network before driving it into the ground (not that it isn't a media mecca of poignient debate between liberals and conservatives). His boss declares that what he says should be the law, end of point, case closed.

I also forgot.......are they counting all of the children that were changing the channels to get to The Cartoon Network of Boomerang in those ratings? I remember waaaay back when on DirecTV that this network was located somewhere in the 300s.

Jane Velez-Mitchell hosts the 7PM show on HLN--"Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell."

So, what happened on tonight's show?

Mike C. I'm glad to say I have no idea, and I predict 79K from the first show have no idea either.

Someone should tell Aaron Barnhart at the KC Star that Al Gore is not an Oscar winner.

"They also note that Current has forbade Nielsen from releasing the total viewership (all ages) numbers for Countdown, from which we can conclude that they suck."

lol.

179K is impressive, even for the opening night, but, it's a long season.

"There's some energy on opening night. You wish that first one could last forever, but you have to remember to pace yourself. Whether you win by 10 runs or lose by 10, tomorrow's another game. ... One game's not going to make or break you for the season."Rusty Harris

Like when you forget your wallet right before you buy three weeks of pork chops (thanks for covering me, Mom), it's the WPITW Abstract!

Bronze: Well, it's day two and we have our first OLBY DOUBLE DOWN!!!! Chris Wallace, for the same reason he was silver yesterday. Stewart plays word game with Wallace. Stewart also lies about the video 'secretly' being online (But if you ever watch Fox News Sunday, Wallace makes no bones about seeing the full UNEDITED video on the website for all interviews). Sorry guys (Keith and Jon), your crap doesn't pass the smell test.

Also more disgusting was the glee (or mock shock) about Wallace saying that the liberal media covers one side of the story and FNC covers the other. Stewart (and Olby) take that to mean that the MSM (and a second rate comic in Stewart) tell the truth and FNC tells lies. That's poor word selection by Chris. But we knew what he meant! The MSM goes in with a agenda in many stories, but FNC tries (and for the most part, succeeds) in telling a balaced story. But Jonny and Keithy doesn't see it that way. They think that their liberal bias reporting isn't just one way to report a story, it's the only possible way!

Silver: Stephine Moreland- for the sin of stealing a mink coat.

GOLD: David Flory- Arrest for being a pimp. Olby might have a point. But this isn't his best 'worsts'.

ANOTHER AWARD WINNING COUNTDOWN TO KEITHY MAKING UP ANOTHER RATINGS DEMOGRAPHIC!

What I thought was really strange on last night's show was they started out bashing Fox News, then they had a cut of a Fox News interview of a general that they used in a story on the troop cutback in Afghanistan. So which is it? On one hand, you say Fox tells nothing but lies and propoganda, but then you use a Fox interview to validate your view on another story. Don't quite get that.

Also noticed that Olberdork actually says "Fox News" now instead of "Fixed News". What's up with that? Actual respect?

Don't know if anyone else noticed, but after Olberdork's show, they had a "Doctors Without Borders" show that was about 10 times more meaningful than Olberdork could ever possibly be.

Nope, this is complete bullshit. TVNewser and the Huffington Post are taking these numbers as Gospel from the Current network, I don't believe any of it. This would suggest he had around 250K-300K total viewers his first night.

I'll believe it when I see it. I actually wish him the best, because we all know that a station promoting such liberal views (typically very cynical, absurd and elementary) can and will not succeed in the long haul. However, there's no way he got this many in his first night in the key demographic. This is either a combination of all shows from the evening, or, as we speculated yesterday, includes internet viewers, etc.

Something stinks here, and until they release where they got these actual figures, I doubt very highly there is much truth to it...

Why would I make such wild accusations of lies and misrepresentation? First, because I watch Countdown, second, Olbermann has lied about his most important statistic in the past (ratings), and the boss at Current has lied about his most important interest in the past as well (global warming). Who is there to trust here?

If there was any doubt where David Letterman stands politically, it was dropped last night when he allowed Krazy Keith to a self-promoting Top Ten list.
The list (my captions and editorials are in parentheses):
10. You'll want to treat yourself to a larger television to accommodate my giant head. ("Accommodate" was missing one "m." By OlbyLogic, I guess the "Late Show" graphics depart lacks intelligence.)
9. Now that Oprah is gone, I want to be your new best girlfriend. (Keith let out a giant grin after reading this one.)
8. (mock anger): It's the only show on television that's not a goddamn singing contest! (The g- part was blurred and bleeped out.)
7. Tomorrow night, Hugo Chavez stops by to make his famous jalapeno wowzers. (Another grin.)
6. We are neither fair *nor* balanced!
5. Special news commentary from my hand puppet, (Ed Sullivan voice): Topo Gigio.
4. What else are you going to do with your time, *read*?! (Or maybe watch "The O'Reilly Factor" on a channel available on most if not all providers.)
3. I just hired Paul Shaffer as my musical director--I'm sorry, Dave. (Dave and Paul feigned incredulity.)
2. Better watch now...because things could go wrong...in a hurry. (Oh, what are the odds of that happening?)
And the #1 reason to watch the new "Countdown with Keith Olbermann": Some lucky viewer gets tweets...of my penis! (He grinned and raised his thumb.)
DAVE: "There you go. Whoa. Wow! Wow! Wow! Keith Olbermann, ladies and gentlemen. Good luck, Keith! Thank you so very much!"

Dave was in heaven during that Top Ten. He gleefully laughed at nine of the jokes, except for #3 as noted.

Has Olbermann released a "ratings don't matter" declaration yet?

I remember when the False Murrow, in his WPITW right after Barack Milhous Nixon's inaugural, declared that Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and Rush Limbaugh were ALL irrelevent and no one cares about them anymore. Today, 2-1/2 years later, it is the same crap. Bush/Cheney are war criminals, and everyone that doesn't agree with his sick, twisted views are nothing but racist, homophobic Nazis. Nothing has changed. Al Gore, if you can put this guy on TV network you run, then you own this. It has your personal stamp of approval. Just wait until election night 2012.