CBS Cuts Off Bush's Address (Rather Pre-empted again)

RatherBiased.com ^ | 2003-12-14

[RatherBiased.com]

2003-12-14 12:19:16 ET

• Football Cuts Into Rather's Coverage. Rather had another bizarre moment after a break

  in CBS's coverage of the speech of President Bush on the capture of Saddam Hussein.

  In the middle of speaking, the president's words were cut off.

  He was interrupted by a live shot of the St. Louis Rams football field, which ran for six seconds. The game had yet to start, and the stadium was only partially filled. Background noise could be heard, and through it all, the bottom of the screen said: "CBS News Special Report: Saddam Hussein Captured."

  When it became clear after six seconds that something was wrong, the feed went back to Rather. Before he spoke, two news women behind the scenes exclaimed--half-whispering, half-shouting--in cross talk where only one could be understood, "We lost it!"

  The flustered Rather told viewers, "Unfortunately, we have lost the audio and video from."

  Interrupting Rather was Bush, as someone decided to bring back the White House feed.

  "--congratulate."

  But Rather had to finish his sentence: ".from the White House. We pick it up now."

  At the end of the presidential address, the anchor was embarrassed: "We do apologize for the technical difficulty, uh, that we had."

  He ended the coverage, as he was forced to make room for football:

  "This has been CBS News continuing live coverage of the capture of Saddam Hussein. Dan Rather in New York. Right now we're turning things over to our friends at CBS Sports for NFL Today. But we'll be back with updates throughout the afternoon."

  What made the whole television event even more peculiar was that the CBS feed switched to the St. Louis Rams, an NFC team. The Rams were scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks, another NFC opponent. But CBS Sports is not allowed to carry games featuring two NFC opponents, only AFC. The game was set for the Fox network. What CBS was doing with a Fox game is not clear.

  But one thing is clear: Rather was dogged by the sports division yet again, in one of the most news-making events of the year. On September 11, 1987--yes, September 11--he walked off the set after a tennis match ran late and cut into the start of his 6:30 program. The CBS screen went black for six minutes as minions frantically searched for the anchor, who finally made his way back to the chair.

  Rather didn't walk out today, but this time he most likely let out his anger at clumsy technicians.

2003-12-14 08:58:52 ET

• CBS Reporter Worries About Falling Gunfire. Long known as one of CBS's most negative reporters in Iraq, correspondent Kimberly Dozier continued her behavior, worrying that Iraqis may be killed by ammunition fired by ecstatic Iraqis:

  "I imagine tonight across Baghdad that we might see a lot more of this celebratory gunfire when the sons of Saddam were killed, Ouday and Qusay, several people were injured and killed by falling gunfire when celebrations broke out throughout the city. So we'll wait, watch and listen."

[Paleo Conservative]

Dan would have been pleased to personally pick the lice from Saddam's scummy head.

He'd probably eat them.

[AmericanMade1776]

[ALOHA RONNIE]

NEVER FORGET

It was CBS 'Nightly News' Producer DON HEWITT and TV Anchorman WALTER CRONKITE that so badly and purposely mis-reported the Vietnam War that fooled us into leaving the Free of South Vietnam behind to their fate at the hands of invading Communist Bullies from North Vietnam.

...The Blood of many just drips from the Sleeves of these two Friends of HILLARY.


NEVER FORGET

[mvpel]

And when you're cracking skulls of dissidents, you really need to lean into it, get your whole upper body behind the swing.

[Rebelbase]

CBS nighly news just said Bush chose to cancel attending church today so as "Not to offend Muslims".

This newscast is showing Iraqis celebrating, Detroit Muslims celbrating, 4th ID famlies celebrating, yet Rather has an almost funeral like tone in his news reading tonight.

[SAJ]

Flied lice, eh?

[Pukin Dog]

I watched some of Dan today, and the only time where he seemed anything but sad about today's news, was when the reporterette mentioned that Saddam was no longer in Iraq. He sat up in his chair and seem very concerned. Probably because he knew at that moment that he would not get a chance for another kneepad interview with Saddam himself.

I would bet that tomorrow, the media will be clamoring for access to Saddam. They also want to make sure that Saddam is tried for International Crimes, before the Iraqis get their hands on him. They want him put away for another 20 years of anti-american interviews, instead of hanging from a rope in the center of Baghdad.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

As you know Dan Rather went to school here in Huntsville.
Sam Houston State University SHSU, of course the school
was then known as "Sam Houston Institute of Technology".

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

Rather didn't walk out today, but this time he most likely let out his anger at clumsy technicians.

More likely congratulated them.

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

Rather: "Oh Sadam, how I wish you could have met my dear frined Adolph. You and he have so much in common, you remind me so much of him it brings tears to my eyes. Since he died, I just don't know what I would have done if it were not fro friends like you, Castro and Hillery."
saddam: "I know Danny, it's alright, don't crynow, you have me, castro and hillery to take care of you and tell you how to think, you may kneel and kiss my *&^( now."

[Williams]

A lot of folks complain about ABC, but CBS is the absolute worst. I am sure this was no accident.

[smokeyb]

He'd probably eat them.

I feel sorry for the lice !

[RatherBiased.com]

Photo gallery of today's live broadcast:

http://ratherbiased.com/photos/saddam_capture/

[Flux Capacitor]

----"We lost it!"----

They may have been referring to CBS's audience.

-Dan

[zarf]

FOX was an embaraassment this morning. They were at least 30 minutes behind CNN and MSNBC.

That fat, late night anchor chick was babbling on about Michael the Pedophile while this historic news was breaking.

[kcar]

Well you must get up early. After a friend emailed me the news, and my wife read it and woke me up, what I saw at FoxNews was hours of commercial-free coverage, which I noticed MessNBC didn't have. Couldn't confirm the same at CNN, due to an ulcer problem which stems from the 2000 Election, before I had access to FoxNews.
CNN is like France. No redemption is ever possible.

[TXBubba]

Hubby said Danny Boy looked really tired this morning. He called the local affiliate here and left a message saying he didn't know what he was enjoying more, the fact we got Saddam or watching Dan try to put a communist spin to the story.

[zarf]

I got in from a trip around 3:15am central and was scanning FR when it broke. I immediately turned the cable on....FOX was AWOL.

[RatherBiased.com]

Pic of Rather's immediate reaction:

[bonesmccoy]

that's pretty funny! BA HA HAHA