CBS News Executives "Aggravated" By Letterman's Use Of Internal News Feed

[Phred42]

CBS News Executives "Aggravated" By Letterman's Use Of Internal News Feed: Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/26/cbs-news-executives-aggra_n_129531.html

David Letterman vaulted himself into the headlines this week by mocking John McCain for canceling an appearance on his show only to show up on the CBS "Evening News" with Katie Couric. And in a classic stunt, Letterman showed the internal CBS News feed on his show to demonstrate McCain's hypocrisy.

WATCH THE VIDEO

The New York Post's Don Kaplan reports that trick didn't go over so well with CBS News executives:

Asked if CBS officials had a problem with Letterman using the internal news feed, a spokeswoman for "The Evening News" refused to address the issue.

But several CBS News executives - who asked not to be identified - said that the stunt did not go down well within the news division.

[Curtland1015]

1. Translation: Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!

What a bunch of preening babies.

[ErinBerin84]

2. haha....screw them. Of course the NY post would "report" on this.

[JenniferJuniper]

14. That's okay....

the more reporting on McCain's shenanigans after dissing David the better.

[ErinBerin84]

23. it's not really like the American people care about the CBS executives anyway, haha.

[trueblue2007]

56. I love this story!!! MAD ABOUT LETTERMAN ~~MCCAIN VIDEO 'JACKED FROM KATIE

read the whole article http://www.nypost.com/seven/09262008/tv/mad_about_letterman_130739.htm





By DON KAPLAN


September 26, 2008
Posted: 12:41 am
September 26, 2008

CBS News executives were red- faced yesterday trying to explain how David Letterman used unaired news footage of Sen. John McCain with Katie Couric to embarrass the Republican presidential candidate.

McCain canceled his appearance on Letterman's show late Wednesday, several hours before he was due to appear - claiming he had to return to Washington to deal with the financial crisis.

But when Letterman discovered the Senator sitting down with Couric at the same time he was supposed to be taping "Late Night," he unloaded on McCain.

"I'm more than a little disappointed by this behavior," Letterman told viewers. "This doesn't smell right."

"This is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil," he said.

Later in the show, Letterman showed an internal, live video of McCain being tended to by a make-up artist before the Couric interview. Both Couric and Letterman are on CBS.

Letterman said on the air that McCain had called him personally to apologize and said he was racing to the airport.

"He doesn't seem to be racing to the airport, does he?" Letterman told viewers.

"I feel like we've caught him getting a manicure," Letterman quipped, as a make-up woman dabbed at McCain's face.

Asked if CBS officials had a problem with Letterman using the internal news feed, a spokeswoman for "The Evening News" refused to address the issue.

But several CBS News executives - who asked not to be identified - said that the stunt did not go down well within the news division.

"If we had done something like that to him, someone around here would end up getting fired," one said.

News officials found out Letterman was using the internal feed shortly after it showed up on an internal CBS feed carrying the "Late Show" taping.

"They were pretty aggravated," a CBS News source told The Post.

"But they were not about to start a fight with Letterman," the source said. "We're in the middle of a heavy, heavy news cycle and Letterman is Letterman.

"He does whatever he wants and always has."

[1corona4u]

3. Oh well, tough shit.

If they retaliate, Dave can go to another network very easily.

[hisownpetard]

4. That's ok. They'll be ok with it when they get a report of their ratings spike.

[Renew Deal]

5. Too bad

It was worth the laugh.

[babylonsister]

6. They should be thrilled; I'll bet their ratings were through the roof.

Best TV all week.

[OhioChick]

7. Tough shit. n/t

[ellie]

8. Oh well.

I thought CBS didn't have a news division anymore?

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Dan Rather would've seen the humor in this.

[Warren Stupidity]

Letterman caught McCain in a bald faced lie

CBS News, also in possession of the facts, did nothing with the information they had. I'd Rather get my news from Letterman, pun intended.

[bunnies]

10. Tough shit. They need to stop whining... as camp mccain would say. nt

[firedupdem]

11. So what! He's going to keep roasting McCain's ass nightly

and I love it!

[Phred42]

12. I suppose they could FIRE Letterman

:rofl:


:popcorn:

[NatBurner]

29. right?

[Eyes_wide_ open]

45. hmm ... if I remember correctly NBC tried that once

and the next week his show was on CBS! My memory could be faulty though, it was a long time ago. Anyone else remember?

[Mark E. Smith]

13. Like anybody at CBS cares about their opinions

[seabeyond]

15. tough shit. the people liked it. how many hit the youtube. n/t

[Essene]

16. that's just funny.... hey, as long as the NY Post wants to run the story... fine! lol

[truthisfreedom]

17. Well that's predictable! These people have agreements with interviewees that NOTHING from the prep

time will go out on broadcast. Dave did break a cardinal rule, BUT... there will be no repercussions because McCain is a public figure and can't do SHIT about his image being used on TV.

[Marsala]

33. No official repercussions, perhaps.

However, CBS must now be on the very top of the McCain campaign's Shit List.

[wildflower]

65. Why do they videotape the prep time at all? n/t

[Mabus]

18. The news division didn't like but the entertainment division is very happy

And guess which one makes money?

[Phred42]

20. The 'news' division IS the Entertainment division

[Phred42]

27. UPDATE: Video

Letterman Knocks McCain Day 2: "I Feel Like An Ugly Date"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/25/letterman-attacks-mccain_n_129467.html

[Mabus]

30. No. No. No. The news division only thinks it is the entertainment division

and that's why they hire a lot of clowns. But, that isn't what they're supposed to be doing.

[Phred42]

37. Entertainment Division Wantabe - LOL

:rofl:

[Mabus]

43. I haven't forgotten that Katie's first "opinion guest"

was that well-known granddaddy of RW clowns, Rush Limbaugh.

If she wanted us to take the news seriously, why did she choose a self-admitted entertainer (and well-known junkie pedophile) as the first person to give his opinion on her "news" show?

[ShortnFiery]

22. Point, Set, and Match. eom

[HughMoran]

19. HaHa!

Good for Letterman

[TwilightGardener]

21. What's so holy and sacred about an internal news feed? Jesus, what crybabies.

[grantcart]

24. but they loved the ratings lol

[Bread and Circus]

25. David Letterman is an icon and and institution. He can do whatever the fuck he wants...

and I love that he's from the Midwest.

[Kajsa]

26. That's just too damn bad,CBS News executives!

Exposing McCain for his lying and deception trumps
any outrage by the big dudes in the CBS newsroom.

The US voters need to see EXACTLY WHO they are voting for!

:(

[jberryhill]

28. I wondered why Olberman had a nervous look on his face

You know WHY they knew where McCain was, right?

Olberman was called up to go on Letterman, and had to have crossed paths with the McCain entourage.

It's something of a diplomatic problem to go on someone else's network and participate in a shitstorm - "How much trouble do I want to cause here?" - or whatever it was he said.

[fifthoffive]

68. I don't think Keith had anything to do with it.

The CBS News live feed was probably on a monitor in the Letterman control booth where it could be spotted by any number of people working for the Letterman show.

[bkcc]

31. Dave really appeared to take this personally.

He rarely talks politics, but when this happened, the gloves came off.
I haven't seen him this riled up in years.

[ailsagirl]

36. I loved it-- he just couldn't let go of it... and it was funny as hell

[bkcc]

55. Agreed. Very funny stuff.

It was also very unusual. Dave (as he learned from his mentor Johnny Carson) doesn't talk about his politics on his show' he's an entertainer. The fact that Dave has hammered away at McCain for so long shows just how pissed off he really is.

[tridim]

57. Actually he's been talking politics much more frequently since his son was born.

[bkcc]

59. I did not realize that.

I haven't been watching Dave much over the past few years. I used to watch all the time, but only occasionally of late.

[CreekDog]

32. Dave reported "news", I guess CBS news is against that now

I happen to think it is news if a candidate says they are cancelling to suspend their campaign only to show up on news shows immediately.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

40. Right! The 'news' division got scooped by Letterman!

[FLyellowdog]

34. Another case of national networks wanting to censure what's really happening.

[ailsagirl]

35. Too late now!! Glad Dave did it-- don't mess with him!!

[Neshanic]

48. CBS messes with Dave at their own risk. No wonder the sources are not named.

[ailsagirl]

66. It all comes down to $$$ and they'd never kill the goose that lays those golden eggs

[Gidney N Cloyd]

38. Which division does Julie The Boss's Wife work for?

Sometimes she's doing news and other times she's hosting some lame reality game show.

CBS News long ago pissed away their journalistic cred.

[Phred42]

39. SeeBS

[Gidney N Cloyd]

42. SeeBS run. Run, BS, run!

[FloridaGrl]

41. Who cares?

McCain's little stunt was exposed and they are whining.

[Arugula Latte]

44. Dave pulled back the curtain to expose the little fraud of a man.

The news division can't handle the truth, and to quote Ross Perot, well, that's just saaaad.

[kenny blankenship]

46. They should be glad it was GREAT publicity for their other performer Katie Couric

If Letterman hadn't gone off the deep end on that, would that interview have generated half as much buzz?
I can't remember the last time someone said "there's this thing on CBS that you just HAVE to see!"
Letterman did them a huge favor.

Unless of course they just want to protect McCain and Palin and that's more important to them than their news business.

[Neshanic]

47. If they were smart, they would shut up now. Letterman will crucify them in a barrage of jokes.

He takes great joy in twisting the nose and arms of CBS.

[merh]

49. Money talks and bullshit walks

Lettermen makes it possible for the news division to survive - they have had the worst ratings of any news division for years now (neo-con trashing).

[Neecy]

50. CBS wouldn't know 'news' if it bit them in the ass

The real news here is that McCain told Letterman a bald-faced lie - said he was going right back to DC - and Dave exposed yet another McCain LIE.

The constant lying IS news, but CBS News Division is fretting that Dave exposed the lie? Speaks volumes, doesn't it?

[JimGinPA]

51. Unfortunately For Them, The News Division Doesn't Make Any Money, Whereas Letterman Makes Millions

For CBS. They should just STFU.

[City Lights]

52. Poor babies.

:rofl:

[mountainvue]

53. Tough shit. Dave probably got them more viewers

with that clip than Katie Couric ever has.

[Beausoir]

54. Ratings trump everything. Tempest in a teapot.

[EnviroBat]

58. Fuck the execs. Letterman owns that network!

[terrya]

60. Which division of CBS generates the most revenue?

I'm guessing it's not the news division.

[Phred42]

61. News is not about generating Revenue

Or it wasn't before the Fascists took over

[Bigleaf]

63. My first thought too. What the Fuck are they going to do about it? Nothing. Thanks Dave!

[intheflow]

62. Oh, CBS!

You used to have some journalistic integrity. Now you're just another mouthpiece for the Bush adminsitration. So here's what I have to say to YOU, CBS News Executives:

:nopity:

[frylock]

64. nobody cares about your shitty network..

if not for Letterman, nobody would watch.

[Fleshdancer]

67. BULLSH*T

CBS is just saying this to stop McCain staffers and supporters from sending hate mail.

CBS is receiving massive amounts of free advertising for both Letterman and Couric right now. Clips are running on other networks and all over the internet and I bet their ratings are higher because of it.

I'm sure these execs are "aggravated" all the way to the bank (that hasn't been seized yet by the FDIC).