With Focus on Progressive Talk, Current TV Cuts ‘Vanguard’ News Staff

By Alex Weprin 

With Current TV continuing to pivot its format toward progressive news and opinion, the company’s news unit is paying the price. Brian Stelter at the New York Times writes that “Vanguard,” the critically-acclaimed if under-watched documentary series on the channel saw its staff cut last week.

David Bohrman, the president of Current TV, said in a statement that production of the show was not being canceled completely. “But given the network’s new focus on political news and analysis, we have chosen to change the present in-house production model for ‘Vanguard,’” he said.

Most of the “in-house production staff” is “being offered the opportunity to work on other Current shows,” he added.

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Current will still produce new episodes of “Vanguard,” but they will focus on issues relevant to progressive politics, and will be produced by outside production teams.

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