Al Gore's new media network fights to stay 'current'

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/113749891446040.xml&coll=2

Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bill Sloat
Plain Dealer Reporter

Cincinnati - As he reinvents himself as a businessman, Al Gore finds his fledgling cable and satellite TV network in the midst of a high-stakes legal shootout over use of a simple word. That word is "current."

Millions of dollars are riding on its seven letters.

Another company, the Mary land-based Internet business Current Broadband, says it has already trademarked the word. The former vice president and other Internet-savvy entrepreneurs intend to redefine it with hip, high-tech marketing sizzle.

Gore's company, on the air since August and in 20 million American homes, has fought for six months in Cincinnati's federal court to hang on to the network's name and Internet do main, Current.tv and Currentv.com...

[Newsjock]

1. Timing

Funny how this story -- which has virtually no "breaking news" element and merely recounts a months-long minor legal battle -- just happens to show up in the Plain Dealer on the day after Gore's speech.

Yeah, ha ha ha ha, I'm bustin' a gut here.

[Algorem]

4. hey,the Plain Dealer gave a whole paragraph to Gore's speech,on page

6,off to the side in middle of page.

Big headline across top of Page A2-

"Bush: Let's work for King's dream
We have more to do,' he urges"

Sunday they did this big "Analysis" about lying,starting on 1st page,they put picture of Clinton in center of 5 photos that went with it,no Republicans,and "Evidence of the forgiveness: Made a popular tour with George H.W. Bush to raise money and awareness of the 2004 tsunami." -

-(This must be a big GOP disinformation-point right now because on same day,in Prade Fishwrapper Magazine,famous CIA disinformationist Walter Scott writes- "...WORKING FOR CHARITIES WITH HIS PREDECESSOR HAS HELPED CLINTON REHABILITATE HIS IMAGE...")

also Sunday,in "What you should know about Abramoff case",they have photos of 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats,guess they couldn't even be so ridiculous as to make it 4 and 4.

Today's headline on top left of 1st page-

"Abramoff admission spurs call for reform- GOP HOUSE LEADERS MOVE TO TIGHTEN RULES"

[Rose Siding]

2. "reinvents himself"

Geeze :eyes:

Isn't it HILARIOUS that the word never comes up in articles about repubs caught in the swinging door of the public/private sectors?

[blm]

3. Yep - usually 'failed" or "losing" presidential candidate can be counted

on from the shills whenever they refer to Gore or Kerry.

Clinton is usually hung with "disgraced" or "impeached" in corporate media articles.

[Old Vet]

6. Well said- Gore as of now is a big,big target now-

But he wont get the air time to refute the vicious re-pugs.I better not hear one damn dem say thats his opinion bullshit talk.

[karynnj]

7. Actually - you may be seeing a slight when none exists

The phrase "reinventing himself" was used to describe the "new Nixon" at the time when he redefined himself and won in 1968 after losing to Kennedy. Gore is of course a good person, unlike Nixon - but the "new Gore" that really started to surface in late 2000 was described here as VERY DIFFERENT from the Gore of 2000.

[Rose Siding]

10. Possibly, but the term was an RNC talking point in 2000

gleefully picked up and overused by the press:

RNC PRESS RELEASE, 6/2/00:
Bush for President: Al Gore Reinvents Himself ... Again
The Bush for President campaign today released a chronology of the six different versions of Al Gore’s attempts to reinvent himself during the 2000 presidential campaign. “In his ongoing effort to reinvent who he is and what he believes in, Al Gore is once again showing his beliefs and convictions are easily subject to change,” said Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer. “Since Al Gore will say anything to get elected, it will be interesting to see how long the latest version of Al Gore lasts.”

Al Gore Version 6.0: A “thinking man with a heart” ... June, 2000

“Gore’s handlers are plotting yet another rollout of their candidate, this one a massive ad campaign based on the notion that he’s not so much an alpha male as a thinking man with a heart.”

—Al Gore’s Next Makeover, Newsweek, June 5, 2000, By Howard Fineman

Al Gore Version 5.0: Negative Al ... April, 2000

http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh121603.shtml

[davidwparker]

9. my thought exactly. I knew this was going to be a biased piece when

I read "reinvents" since this was used by the MSM in a derogatory way during the 2000 campaign.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[merwin]

5. I could understand if Current Broadband had a television station... but

they are two completely seperate things. One is a broadband internet provider and the other is a television station.

It's like having ABC plumbing and ABC construction and crap like that. ABC television couldn't very well sue them for having that name.

[Algorem]

13. maybe Carlyle Group owns Current Broadband.

[stellanoir]

8. He could save a lot of dough and just call it

"au courant" (French for "aquainted with matters") and send the freepers off the frigging map with their heads exploding.

[On the Road]

11. Personally, I Would Like it

if Al called it "au contraire" TV. At least if the content warranted it.

:smoke:

[stellanoir]

14. LOL

judging from his speech yesterday, it probably could be both "au courant et contraire. . ."

[napi21]

12. Let's see how this plays out. Gore is NOT stupid!

I'm positive he had attorney's do a trademark search on the name! I know this will go to court. Let's see what happens!

[geiger]

15. Keep us posted

I'm just so thankful that I get to listen to The Al Franken Show on Air America Radio (I think there is more than one Air America, too, oooooo); Franken saves my sanity because after a Canadian friend pointed out how conservative NPR has become, I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. Gore is more long-winded than Franken, which has its place and is needed acutally in this case, and the original reason I admired his erudite presentations on the Senate floor. Al Gore continues to serve his country....

[zbdent]

16. So, is Current Broadband going to start charging people other than

Al Gore?

Schoolteachers - for mentioning "Current Events"

How about "Current Affair"?

Other uses of the word current? Wonder if Fox will be charged for mentioning the word Current?

:wtf:

I want to copyright the word Circle . . .

[Ian David]

17. Current is a shitty name for the channel anyway. n/t