Re: "News before the hour" (Was Re: WITS)

["'A. Joseph Ross'" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On Tue, 23 Jun 1998, Martin J. Waters wrote:

>         Another icon shattered, perhaps. You're telling me that the NBC
> news on the hour, back when it was a real network, wasn't even live? Are
> you sure they didn't do multiple versions? I'm a little skeptical that NBC
> was feeding a recorded newscast on the hour back in the '60s or '70s.
 
Oh, I believe it.  I've told this story before around here, but since it's
such a disgustingly blatant example of fraudulent news coverage, I never
tire of repeating it. 

In January 1979, on the day Ed King was inaugurated governor, I was among
the well-wishers lining the State House steps as Michael Dukakis made the
traditional walk down the stairs of an outgoing governor.  I had a small
transistor radio with an earpiece, tuned to WEEI.  At noon, WEEI cut away
for the CBS news.  During the CBS news, Governor Dukakis came walking down
the stairs.  The crowd was largely dispursed when WEEI, having returned
from the network news, said, "Outgoing Governor Michael Dukakis is about
to make his walk down the front stairs of the State House."  Then they
pretended to cover it live.

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 A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                                         617.367.0468
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