ITHACA -- Liberal lightning rod Keith Olbermann speaks tonight at his alma mater, Cornell University. Olbermann announced last month that he'll host a New York-based prime-time talk show on Current TV, the public affairs channel launched in 2005 by former Vice President Al Gore. 

Olbermann also is chief news officer at Current, which is available in 60 million homes in the U.S. That's a little more than half the nation's homes with television, but Current has few viewers.

Olbermann hosted Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC for eight years before quitting in January.

"Countdown" was MSNBC's most popular show, and the network built a left-leaning prime-time schedule from Olbermann's template and with his proteges.