Fox News Airs Suicide Following Car Chase. Shep Smith: ‘We really messed up.. and I am sorry’

TV Newser ^ | Sept. 28, 2012 | Alex Weprin

[Free ThinkerNY]

A man committed suicide live on Fox News a few minutes ago. FNC had been carrying a car chase in the Phoenix area and when the suspect pulled over, he ran down a dirt road, then stopped, put a gun to his head, and fell to the ground. You could hear Studio B crewmembers, who were watching a live feed of what was happening, gasp and Smith say, “Get off, get off, get off,” asking the control room to cut away. But they didn’t in time.

Fox then went to a commercial break. Upon returning, Smith said, “Well I’ve got some explaining to do.”

Smith explained that after the suspect excited the car, the network went into a five second delay, but that they failed to cut away.

“We really messed up, and we are all really sorry. That didn’t belong on TV. I personally apologize to you that that happened,” Smith added “That will not happen again on my watch, and I am sorry.”

[rightwingintelligentsia]

You’re thinking of the PA State Treasurer Budd Dwyer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Budd_Dwyer

[dfwgator]

No reason to show car chases to the whole country. Fox knew that inevitably one of them would end like this.

[trailhkr1]

youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZttwwbM-AU&feature=youtu.be

[dfwgator]

“Hey Man, Nice Shot.”

[Opinionated Blowhard]

horrible live suicide of a Pennsylvania state senator in the late 1980s

It was the state treasurer, Bud Dwyer. I remember seeing it on the news. And the big news was that people called in to to ask that it be replayed. People may claim to be disgusted, but many have a morbid fascination with this type of thing.

[GnL]

I don’t understand why car chases should be national news anyway. Who cares, unless you are in the way of one.

[RochesterNYconservative]

That’s right! Thanks for jogging my memory.

[MissMagnolia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifL13sOIxhY&feature=youtu.be

[discostu]

Maybe they’ll finally stop showing the stupid car chases. They’re not national, they’re not news, they’re not even good TV really, they fail on every level a national cable news network should care about.

[RochesterNYconservative]

His picture at the moment of shooting himself was made into a t shirt as well, and worn by a lot of shock punk groups.

[mrsmel]

I agree. Everything seems to conspire to desensitize each succeeding generation to violence. It has always existed, but mass media wasn't there to disseminate it globally, so that people could watch it as “entertainment” from their living rooms.

[lonestar]

I was watching it but turned the sound off and wasb't watching because I can't stand to listen to Sheppard Smith! I think he is the dumbest reporter on FOX news!

He's as bad as Soledad!

[GRANGER]

Not quite as bad as live coverage of airliners crashing into tall buildings....

[discostu]

He’s not the director, he’s just the talking head, he doesn’t cut between feeds. The nameless guy that makes those live edit probably is being fired right now.

[trailhkr1]

Another youtube..ganger..taken from police helicopter at night..dude blows his head off with a shotgun and you can see his head going every which way via infrared heat pattern..not gross. btw..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmD-yE6y5Kk

[bert]

——I don’t understand......-——

People watch them. Today was the big payoff, the jackpot. A wreck, death. History.

[dfwgator]

There is no reason to show car chases to the whole country, people are going to watch either to see a car crash, or in this case the perp blowing his brains out....no other purpose to watch them, unless you live in the vicinity.

[Doogle]

several

[dfwgator]

People watch them. Today was the big payoff, the jackpot. A wreck, death. History.

+1

[crosshairs]

Shep, the drama queen. This whole country is committing suicide, so what’s the big deal if one person is seen doing it.