Al Gore and Joel Hyatt Unveil Current ...

Set to Launch August 1, Independent Venture Will Be First National Television Network Created For, By and With an 18-34 Year-Old Audience; Google Zeitgeist Data Used to Produce News Feature, 'Google Current'

SAN FRANCISCO, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering a glimpse of the independent network first announced at last year's National Cable & Telecommunications Association convention, former Vice President Al Gore and entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, joined by executives and on-air talent, revealed this morning that the name of the new venture, formerly known as INdTV, will be Current.

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The first national network created by, for and with an 18-34 year-old audience, Current will offer 24 hours of programming in a unique, short-form content format when it premieres August 1.

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'The Internet opened a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV hasn't followed suit.' "The Internet opened a floodgate for young people whose passions are finally being heard, but TV hasn't followed suit. Young adults have a powerful voice, but you can't hear that voice on television ... yet," said Gore, who serves as the network's chairman of the board.

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Promising a slate of programming that's smart, fun and fearless (as a truly independent network), Current seeks to cater to the Internet generation's need for choice and control.

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Taking its cues from their media consumption habits, Current will offer short-form programming in the TV equivalent of an iPod shuffle. Its "pods" will be 15-second to five-minute segments...

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[Sigh.]

Where to start.

First, I can think of no Chairman of the Board less qualified to head a network than Al Gore.

Nor can I think of a Chairman of the Board less qualified to lead an endeavor with ambitions of being "smart," "fun," "fearless" or "independent" than Al Gore.

Nor can I think of a social trend more chilling than a generation incapable of being entertained in more than "15-second-to-five-minute segments".

But my expectation, frankly, is that this will flop. There's no doubt in my mind that the elevator pitch for this venture was "Get this: Sesame Street for twentysomethings. Teevee like an Ipod. How ssswingin' is that?" My bet: the condescension inherent in its premise will be a huge turnoff, as will be the whole notion of the bloated, pasty has-been that is Al Gore getting' jiggy with the youngsters.