CBS Producer Fired for Interrupting CSI with Breaking News

[Yaype]

http://us.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/15/tv.cbs.apology.ap/index.html

A CBS Producer was fired for interrupting CSI:NY to give a special report on Yasser Arafat's death. Apparently, there were so many complaints about the interruption (which was supposed to have been in the form of a news "crawl" on the bottom of the screen) that CBS felt it necessary to fire the producer for violating company policy.

I have always been quick to point out that America is not the only place with ignorant people, but this incident leaves me speechless. A major world event with the potential to lead to major changes in the world is less important to the watchers of CSI:NY. I do not understand how so many could be so upset about this.

Oh, and they replayed the episode two nights later, so those who really felt slighted by the interruption got to see the rest of the show.

Please, do not feel this is an invitation to flame anybody. I still feel compelled to say that America is not the only place with such ignorance--this is just so blatant.

 

[pawpaw]

he's lucky it was CSI NY, if he had interupted CSI LAS VEGAS they would of shot him !

 

[Plexus]

I don't agree. He was told to use a ticker at the bottom of the screen if the event had happened during the show, he didn't. It is also CBS policy to consult with the higher-ups when cutting away to breaking news, he didn't. It is a clear-cut case of not following protocol.

 

[Immortal]

This isnt an issue of politics at all, its an issue of organizational rules. He broke the rules of his organization and he was fired for it.

Ignore your boss' rules and you lose your job, seems like its a pretty cut-and-dry situation.

 

[MarineCorps]

People missed the last 3 minutes and they complain? Besides CSI:NY sucks.

 

[Fetus4188]

Well, a ticker probably would have been better. If people wanted to know about it they can change the channel. CSI: NY has nothing on the original

 

[stratego]

CSI? Cable Sex Industry? Maybe people don't like to be interupted with world news when they're enjoying their free time.

 

[viper275]

This is very ignorant. Being fired over not using a ticker? :shakehead

Yeah, CSI is definitely more important than important world news.

 

[Fetus4188]

This is very ignorant. Being fired over not using a ticker? :shakehead

Yeah, CSI is definitely more important than important world news.

I for one was annoyed because I already new the guy was dead meat and only needed a: Yassar died, back to your program. type message.

 

[Stile]

I agree he should have been fired. The last 3 minutes? This crud that everyone tries to be first to report an event is bad. First, you get the wrong result, such as in the Martha Stewart trial. And second it's not that important. I don't need to know he died immediately. A crawl is OK I guess, as long as it's transparent and doesn't shrink the screen. Something like this I can just hear on the radio in the morning and be content. Bottom line, CBS makes more money for their entertainment shows particularly CSI and Survivor, then for timeliness in reporting.

Plenty of Americans know that Arafat died. Just because they don't want to miss their show doesn't mean their ignorant. So what, if Frenchmen knew 5 or 10 minutes earlier.

 

[Hundegesicht]

I don't really care if he was fired or not, but why did he feel the need to interupt the program? I mean, they usually only do that for tornado warnings. Everyone knew that Yassar Arafat was going to die for several days, so he could've waited 3 minutes longer, or just used the ticker.

 

[Bamspeedy]

A major world event with the potential to lead to major changes in the world is less important to the watchers of CSI:NY. I do not understand how so many could be so upset about this.

The news of his death was irrelevent. Everybody knew a week or two earlier that he was on his deathbed. It would not make one bit of difference if viewers found out about it 3 minutes later.

Oh, and they replayed the episode two nights later, so those who really felt slighted by the interruption got to see the rest of the show.

Only because of all the complaints. And it doesn't help the people who had other plans on that night.

People missed the last 3 minutes and they complain?

The last 3 minutes most of the time (I didn't watch this episode) is the most important/dramatic part of the episode.

This vaguely reminds me of the 'Heidi Game'. http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20031117-123521-9150r.htm

I mean, they usually only do that for tornado warnings.

I really hate it when they interrupt the shows for 'severe thunderstorm warnings' and spend 5+ minutes showing the doppler radar (completely blocking out the show), etc, and they do this 3-4 times an hour!

 

[Marla_Singer]

No matter how irrelevant you can consider Arafat's death, Yaype is still right when he talks about it as a major worldwide event.

By the way, how a tornado in the middle of Kansas would deserve such an interruption and not Arafat's death ? Sincerly, no one lives in Kansas anyway...

People should be enough mature to understand that no matter what was written in the bureaucratic administrative rules of this channel, it wasn't totally irrational to adapt them to the situation. I don't ask people to agree, simply to understand.

 

[Bamspeedy]

No matter how irrelevant you can consider Arafat's death, Yaype is still right when he talks about it as a major worldwide event.

I understand the importance of his death. But why must people know immediately, when it had been expected for several days? If he died in a sudden accident, then I would understand the importance of getting out that information as quickly as possible.

Why the network couldn't just delay the show (still show that last 3 minutes of the show that same night, right after the announcement) I don't understand.

By the way, how a tornado in the middle of Kansas would deserve such an interruption and not Arafat's death ? Sincerly, no one lives in Kansas anyway...

A tornado is more deadly to the viewers of the TV station (it is only the local stations that interrupt for weather reports). How does anyone in Kansas get affected if they find out 5 minutes earlier that Arafat is dead?

 

[Chairman Meow]

I don't understand what the whole problem is about. It's just a TV show, who cares if it gets interrupted? If a TV show is so important to you that you get as angry as some people did over this, then you need to do something with your life...

There's more to life than TV...

 

[Bamspeedy]

I don't understand what the whole problem is about. It's just a TV show, who cares if it gets interrupted? If a TV show is so important to you that you get as angry as some people did over this, then you need to do something with your life...

There's more to life than TV...

If I spend an hour of my time watching a show, I want to know how it ends.

How would you like it if you were playing a game (like Civ) and at the most critical point in the later part of the game, the game crashes and you can not finish the game?

 

[Marla_Singer]

I understand the importance of his death. But why must people know immediately, when it had been expected for several days? If he died in a sudden accident, then I would understand the importance of getting out that information as quickly as possible.

Why the network couldn't just delay the show (still show that last 3 minutes of the show that same night, right after the announcement) I don't understand.

So the CEO deserved to get fired for this awful shame ?

 

[Chairman Meow]

If I spend an hour of my time watching a show, I want to know how it ends.

How would you like it if you were playing a game (like Civ) and at the most critical point in the later part of the game, the game crashes and you can not finish the game?

That's why you save the game often
Seriously, though... they eventually did show the last three minutes, so I still don't see how it's that big of a deal.

 

[Azadre]

I guess they shouldn't have covered Regan's death either...

 

[DBear]

Break in on CSI to announce Arafat's death--get fired.
Pass off fake Bush memos done in Microsoft Word as genuine--keep job.

Typical CBS--Complete Bull S***