News & Notes: Spitzer ’81 takes over television talk show for Keith Olbermann on Current TV

After losing his CNN show in July, former New York governor Eliot Spitzer ’81 returned to television on Friday night on Current TV as the replacement for Keith Olbermann, who was fired by the network. Current TV, led by former vice president Al Gore, will host Spitzer’s show, “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer” in Olbermann’s old 8 p.m. daily slot.

“Eliot Spitzer is a veteran public servant and an astute observer of the issues of the day,” Gore said in a statement announcing the change. “He has important opinions and insights. Eliot relishes the kind of constructive discourse that our viewers will appreciate this important election year.”

Spitzer’s CNN show premiered as “Parker Spitzer” in October 2010 but was dogged by off-air tension when co-hosted with conservative columnist Kathleen Parker. After Parker left the show in February and the show was rechristened “In the Arena,” the talk show continued to be poorly viewed.

A Wilson School major, Spitzer served as USG president while at the University. As president, he encouraged the University to divest from South Africa in response to its apartheid policy.

He resigned the governorship in 2008 after being implicated in involvement with a high-class escort service.