"Our Network News Division Never Pays For Interviews" And Other Lies The Newsies Tell Us



Is it the astonioshingly competitive nature of Morning television that causes Executives looking after the show to engage in such, ehr, dodgy practices? Or is it just the proprietary rights to over $250 million (pre-4th hour) of profits that "Today" means to the sweet NBC-Uni bottom line? Remember a week ago when we did that post about NBC News and Larry Birkhead? Page Six reported then that NBC -- through a shady little shell game with the "Entertainment" division -- paid Larry Birkhead $1 million for exclusive interviews. Then, on the "Today" Show, which, we cannot fail to note, is a part of the News division, started getting exclusives.

Clever. If anyone were to ask if there was some financial deal between the News division and a sordid tabloid story, they could say: No. It was the "Entertainment" division that paid him. Classic Network Ass Coverage.

NBC is having another attack of the Ass Coverage Syndrome. Again, From those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"NBC News doesn't pay for news, but NBC does. Matt Lauer just interviewed British Princes William and Harry (the heir and the spare) after NBC paid $2.5 million for the 'rights' to the Diana tribute concert on July 1. Sources say the unwritten quid pro quo was that whichever network paid for the concert would get an exclusive interview with the royals. 'It's not like they would pay for the concert otherwise," said one source.
'It's a bunch of C-listers.'

"... 'The rep refused to comment on how much the company spent for the 'concert rights.'"

Nice. (PageSix)