I wish they would FIRE the LIAR!
Posted on 11/14/2004 11:57:16 AM PST by Former Military Chick
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 13) - CBS News has fired the producer responsible for interrupting the last five minutes of a hit crime drama with a special report on the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, a network source said on Friday.
Word of the dismissal came a day after CBS apologized to viewers for breaking into "CSI: NY," one of its top-rated shows, on Wednesday night.
"An overly aggressive CBS News producer jumped the gun with a report that should have been offered to local stations for their late news. We sincerely regret the error," the network said in a statement on Thursday.
The network, owned by Viacom Inc., declined comment on a report of the dismissal posted on the Web site of trade publication Broadcasting & Cable.
But a network source told Reuters that CBS fired the producer who decided to break into "CSI" with a report from "Up to the Minute" anchor Melissa McDermott.
According to the source, the producer failed to follow standard procedures that require a senior CBS News executive to be consulted before interrupting regular programming.
The fact Arafat already had been reported near death for several days also figured in the network's decision.
The source said the producer disregarded explicit, advance instructions that breaking news of Arafat's death -- if it occurred during prime time -- was to be reported with a news "crawl" at the bottom of the screen.
"Arafat had been literally on his deathbed for a week. Everyone knew he was going to die. It was just a matter of when," the source said.
Neither of CBS' two biggest rivals -- NBC or ABC -- interrupted regular programming to report Arafat's death.
NBC said it ran a crawl for affiliates in the Western states and Rockies, while leaving the story for local news in eastern and central time zones. ABC said it ran a crawl on the West Coast.
CBS News has been under intense scrutiny since veteran anchor Dan Rather ran a controversial report on President Bush's military record based on documents whose authenticity came under fire.
11-13-04 07:25 EST
Fiction supercedes reality at SeeBS
It's okay, FMC. To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer. : )
Trust me on this one. I'm an expert at opening mouth, inserting foot, and echoing nationally. : )
You know, my beloved yelled that they broke into the last few minutes of the show, where they pull the entire show to together and he was miffed. I do not think he was miffed enough to fire the gal.
They are rebroadcasting the show I think tonight (maybe it was last night).
It is what makes their money. They got tons of angry mail, well I am guessing that is what happened otherwise why would they can the gal. But what is odd, they got TONS and TONS of angry mail about Dan and I bet if I turn on the TV tomorrow during the evening news I will see him glaring into my living room.
"Frankly I think they fired the producer to show that in their inaction of Dan Rather that they do care about their viewers and will take action. "
Yes, I think this is correct, but I think that CBS is mistaken. My sense is that they fired some goofy young producer over some minor incident, while they let the bias problem remain untouched. Scapegoating some low level producer will not solve their problem. If anything, it probably magnifies their problem. They still haven't fired Andy Heyward over ginned up fraudulent documents.
Well I am glad I am in such good company.
I will remember that excuse next time I err.
Thank you for your post.
Goodness, my spelling goes south when I am hopping mad.
Sorry!
I wish they would FIRE the LIAR!
CBS taking action and NOT against Rather **PING**
Perhaps this is showing their heavy handed take charge ability that they did not show with the Rather producer who allowed FRAUDULENT documents to air during the last weeks of the campaigns.
Poor kid, I think she is taking the fall for Dan.
Yet, I wonder does CBS think we are that stupid that we would not see through this act?
Yes, I think this is correct, but I think that CBS is mistaken. My sense is that they fired some goofy young producer over some minor incident, while they let the bias problem remain untouched. Scapegoating some low level producer will not solve their problem. If anything, it probably magnifies their problem. They still haven't fired Andy Heyward over ginned up fraudulent documents.
A most perfect synopsis IMO!
Kudos to the both of you.
This my FRiends will only keep cBS on the path of demise through their blatant bias.
Which network was it that cut off the critical final seconds of an NFL playoff game with "Heidi"?
.
DAVID SHAW: RATHER's work 'Shoddy, Slipshdt' not LIBERAL..?
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227809/posts
.
Whose authenticity came under fire? There isn't so much as one chance in a gazillion that those docs were genuine, yet Reuters will only say they "came under fire." Dolts.
Thanks, bump!
Good grief. Melissa McDermott.
I remember her from here in KS. Good reporter.
Good to see the producer get the axe though....obviously they should not have run a report so close to the evening news.
Yes, Melissa Beck, "Ole" Mike Oatman's daughter from KFDI. She changed her name to McDermott when they moved East. Too bad. Now are they saying she has been fired? Didn't know she was a producer.
Oh no....she was the ANCHOR.
She was not the producer. The producer has been fired, not her.
Yes, I see that now. She's a good anchor.
The whole culture of that company is rotten. The fish rots from the head. And they are a school of fish. In any other line of business that loses money and insults their customer base EVERY day..everyone would be fired.
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