• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 8, 2011

Current TV gave another indication Monday that it intends to take a news/public affairs analysis focus with the hiring of the former CNN Washington bureau chief to serve as president, not long after Mark Rosenthal exited as CEO. CNN veteran David Bohrman takes the role, and will work with Current's CEO Joel Hyatt.

The former CNN executive is taking a leading role at a network headlined by Keith Olbermann. His weeknight "Countdown" show is known for its left-wing bent.

Hyatt, who co-founded the network with Al Gore, was CEO and returned when Rosenthal left.

Gore stated that Current's role has included fueling debate and "speak(ing) truth to power" with a "progressive voice." Gore, who was somewhat of a centrist as a senator and vice president, has veered left since leaving politics.

"I very much admire David's excellent work, his integrity, his drive and his consistent track record of innovation," Gore stated.

Bohrman had been a senior vice president of programming at CNN and held the Washington bureau role for a decade before this May, when he became Chief Innovation Officer Worldwide. He will oversee programming, digital, technology and other operations at Current.

Bohrman stated: "Those of us inside the media business have a responsibility to anticipate what viewers want and need, and we must constantly reinvent the medium. Today, more than ever, I think audiences demand intelligent discourse instead of shouting."

Current started with a focus on user-generated content and short-form pieces, but under Rosenthal, increasingly moved into longer-form programming.

In earlier roles, Bohrman was part of the group that got MSNBC off the ground and at ABCNews, helped launch its Web operations.