Current TV to get some help from its friends

Remember how Al Gore was going to launch his own 24-hour news network? He did it. Back in August, actually. The network relies mostly on young documentary filmmakers to fill up its hours and hours of content time. But, 24 hours a day is a heck of a lot of time to fill and Current needs help. It already is seeking submissions from the viewing public, but now the network has produced a short film about how to produce a short film. That filmmaking guide, which can be viewed online, features big names like Sean Penn and Robert Redford, who give advice on storytelling and journalism. Current is soliciting more thought-provoking stories, rather than the mini-features that always seem to be playing.

Does anybody even watch Current? Is it news? Is it thought-provoking? Issue-oriented? I've only seen a little of it and, quite frankly, I think I'm too old for it. It kind-of seems like MTV for 20-somethings.