Brian Williams brought the "NBC Nightly News" to Beale Street Thursday night for up-close coverage of the Senate race between Harold Ford Jr. and Bob Corker.
Posted on 11/03/2006 7:42:23 AM PST by SmithL
It wasn't music but mudslinging that brought a national news team to Memphis Thursday to cover what "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams called one of the "hottest and dirtiest races of them all."
Williams broadcast live from Beale Street, entering the Senate showdown between Democrat Harold Ford and Republican Bob Corker only to get caught in the middle.
Advertisement Corker backers complained that the network was favoring the Democrat by broadcasting from what most consider Ford country.
"It's such a crucial race, and the emotions are running so high," said Williams.
"I just read an e-mail in the trailer that called me 'Briansama,' " said Williams after taping a brief segment at Alfred's on Beale. The broadcast included the text of the e-mail, which said the decision to broadcast from Memphis instead of "neutral territory" was the "lowest of the low."
The news anchor's 30-minute broadcast is the highest rated newscast in the nation with an estimated 10 million viewers.
Williams said he chose to cover the vitriolic Tennessee Senate race from Memphis because of the city's national prominence: "Its fame. Memphis is a great name and a great city. This is the home of Beale Street."
The 47-year-old anchor said he has visited Memphis twice in the past with his family, touring Beale Street and Graceland.
On the air, he said NBC chose Memphis not for political reasons, but as the "biggest city in the state" and as the home of Beale Street and the "birthplace of rock and roll."
In the segment taped at Alfred's, Williams interviewed Otis Sanford, managing editor of The Commercial Appeal. Sanford said the Senate race is especially ugly because polls show Ford and Corker running neck and neck in a crucial battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of the U.S. Senate.
Off the air, Williams said the Tennessee race is one of the "top three" ugliest contests he has seen nationally. On the air, NBC ran samples of the negative ads that have turned the race into a reality TV show rivaling the back-stabbing of prime time soap opera "Dallas" in the 1980s.
Ford's ads picture wealthy businessman Corker as a rich and selfish politico living in a mansion and chauffeured in a fleet of limousines. Ads for Corker portray Ford as part of a political machine with a Washington mentality and backing from the porno industry. In one ad, a blonde woman says she met "Harold" at a Playboy party and asks, seductively, for him to call her.
The campaign is bringing another national news team to the city today. Fox TV anchor Shepard Smith is planning a stopover in Germantown with Ford as a guest on Fox's Studio B, a lead-in to the "You Decide 2006" election coverage kicking off at 6 p.m. today. Corker will appear by satellite
Williams, who replaced longtime NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, said he will be seated between Brokaw and "Meet The Press" host Tim Russert on election night. "The way I have it figured, these are the two guys you would invite over to your den to watch election night returns," so, he said, he will feel at home as anchor.
Williams took no credit for his rise among the nation's elite news anchors. Katie Couric rose to No. 1 during her debut on the CBS-TV newscast, then sank to third in the ratings.
"This is the last big audience of habit in television. Old habits die hard, and I think that is what we're seeing," said Williams.
The news show closed with an aerial view of neon-lit Beale with a copter-cam slowly rising. As it did, the skyline came into view, fading out with a long shot of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge and the bright lights that form the big "M" in the bridge spans.
"It's such a crucial race, and the emotions are running so high," said Williams.
He forgot the :
"And we must do EVERYTHING we can to insure a Democrat Victory!" part....
Nashville would have been nuetral ground, of course that doesn't matter.
Fox has been helping Ford too.
Such arrogance. I just don't believe that the Dimwits are running away with some of these races or are that neck and neck.......I have to wonder if these races are really leaning right.....and the polling outlets/Networks are playing with the special sauce again.
Not really....if anything Nashville is more Democrat than Memphis...I grew up in Paris,TN which is situated about half way between Memphis and Nashville....it is the county seat of Henry County, which has voted Democrat in EVERY national election since the Civil War
Its already been reported on the Drudge Report that Samrt Cards for the voting machines have been stolen, the possession of which will allow a person to vote multiple times. Its Shelby County Memphis City where the theft has taken place. Dems are going to try steal this one. Hopefully this expose will stop it.
Damn shame he didn't fall off the top of the building last night while he was taping. My daughter called me to watch it, it only took about 2 minutes before I was ready to throw something at my TV.
Brian Williams si so pro Democrat its ridiculous. The media biase is now so blatant that they are in our face. Something has got to be done about biased media.
I think Williams stole the smartcards.
Brian Williams just wanted to have some ribs at the Blues City Cafe!!
NOt the first time half truths, lies and distortions have been told on Beale!
Well Iran has it and N Korea has it, --it isnt much of a secret is it?
And maybe Dan Rather can sit on one side of Katie and Walter Cronkite can sit on the other side. Imagine her ratings for election night--in the tank!!
It's giving them an excuse to scream fraud. Funny how NBO is about to air another "documentary"(liberal propoganda piece) entitled "Hacking Democracy" about voting machines.
Liberals are in full battle-mode right now.
NBO = HBO.
Remember, Mr. Williams was a White House Fellow in Jimmy Carter's White House.
My word, I wouldn't put THAT on my resume.
Brian Williams is still on TV?
I haven't watched the Tripartate of Treason (ABC, NBC OR CBS) in so long I have forgotten who these folks are and who is who.
O well. back to the real world.
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