Thursday, October 15, 2020

NBC - hypocritical management

 

NBC’s Biggest Stars Sign Open Letter Demanding Network Move Trump Town Hall

More than 100 Hollywood writers and stars—including cast members from NBC hits like Law & Order: SVU and This Is Us—have urged the network to change its mind about hosting a town hall-style debate with the president that will air in direct opposition to a similar event on ABC with Joe Biden.

BY CHRISTOPHER ROSEN

 

OCTOBER 15, 2020

 

Law & Order franchise stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher MeloniThis Is Us actors Sterling K. BrownMandy Moore, and Milo Ventimiglia, and former prominent NBC performers like Debra MessingAllison Janney, and Aubrey Plaza are among the more than 100 celebrities who have signed a letter to NBCUniversal brass urging the company to change its broadcast plans for a town hall-style debate with President Donald Trump.

In a letter addressed to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, NBCUniversal chairman Jeff Shell, and NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, the roster of Hollywood luminaries—many of whom either worked for NBCUniversal at some point or currently do so—said they were “devastated” to learn of NBC’s decision to broadcast the Trump event at 8 p.m. ET, the exact same time ABC will host its own town hall with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

“This is not a partisan issue. This is about the political health of our democracy,” read the letter, which was released to the Hollywood trades as part of a coordinated break.

As noted in the letter, the second presidential debate was originally scheduled for Thursday. But after Trump tested positive for coronavirus, the Commission on Presidential Debates shifted the format from an in-person affair to a virtual one. At that point, Trump balked and withdrew entirely.

After Trump refused to participate, the Biden campaign scheduled a town hall with ABC to replace the debate. Trump’s campaign staff, meanwhile, sought to bully the Commission on Presidential Debates into shifting the second debate to October 22 and the third debate to October 29—to no avail. While Trump had floated the idea of doing a rally on Thursday night instead of any planned debate, NBC on Thursday confirmed it would air its own town hall with the president during the same time slot.

The decision was widely condemned, with everyone from former NBC staffers to broadcast journalists inside the network to even ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel expressing discomfort about the choice. The letter released Thursday, however, included some of the biggest names yet to express outrage. In addition to the aforementioned NBC stars and alum, other prominent figures signing the plea include Ava DuVernayJ.J. AbramsRyan MurphyKenya BarrisGreg BerlantiDamon Lindelof, and Adam McKay.

“We believe this kind of indifference to the norms and rules of our democracy are what have brought our country to this perilous state,” the letter read. Rather than push to completely cancel the Trump town hall, the signees requested it shift time slots. “We are simply asking that NBC air the President’s town hall either before or after Vice President Biden’s so that American voters can have the opportunity to watch both,” read the note. “We understand the necessities of business, especially in this difficult time. But we believe there are larger issues of civic responsibility at stake here.”

 

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