Olbermann Back at ESPN, Can't Talk Politics

Keith Olbermann has landed back at ESPN, as expected. The sports network is expected to announce today that the former SportsCenter host will return as host of a nightly one-hour program on ESPN2 later in the year, three execs tell the New York Times. Olbermann's return, 16 years after leaving ESPN, came about after more than a year of talks with the network and its parent company, Disney; some within the network weren't so sure about the move, considering Olbermann's difficult exit in the first place, plus his polarizing nature. Speaking of which, he'll be allowed to discuss more than just sports—the Times gives pop culture and current events as examples—but Mediaite reports that his two-year contract specifically forbids him from mentioning politics on the show. (More Keith Olbermann stories.)