California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Current TV are parting ways in the wake of the television production company's purchase by Al Jazeera, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.
Current TV confirmed in a statement today that it had been purchased by the controversial media company owned by the government of Qatar. So far Current TV, which is based in San Francisco, has not said what will become of its employees.
In its own statement on the acquisition, Al Jazeera said it will double its U.S. staff to 300, and that the headquarters of its new U.S. division will be New York. It does not mention a San Francisco office.
Newsom declined our request for an interview today, but the Bee reported this statement:
"The Gavin Newsom Show was a remarkable opportunity and a truly educational experience for which he is grateful," Peter Ragone, a spokesman for Newsom, said in a prepared statement. "But the Lt. Governor's original agreement with Current had recently concluded and he was already moving in a new direction."
The hourlong show premiered in May on the network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco, interviewed guests including cyclist Lance Armstrong, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and author Paul Ingrassia.
It was unclear when the final show will air. A new episode is scheduled to be televised Friday night, according to Current TV's online listings.
Newsom is not the only host who will no longer appear on Current TV. Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said she was dropping her show, according to the Detroit Free Press.