|
CNN admits paying for terror tapes
Wed Aug 21, 6:11 AM ET
Andrew Grossman
NEW YORK (The Hollywood Reporter) --- CNN confirmed Tuesday that
it paid cash for controversial tapes connected to al-Qaida, though
network officials said none of the money had gone to the terrorist
organization.
A spokesman said CNN paid "a modest sum" for the tapes, which
were telecast Monday and purport to show terrorist operatives
killing dogs in tests of chemical weapons. An initial report in the
New York Times quoted a network official saying CNN had not paid for
the tapes.
CNN correspondent Nic Robertson told the Miami Herald the tapes
were found in a house where Osama bin Laden ( news
- web
sites) stayed regularly. After al-Qaida officials deserted the
house last year, local Afghans recovered the tapes and buried them
in the desert, Robertson said he was told. He obtained the 61 tapes
two weeks ago in return for a payment of $30,000, the paper said.
The network did not pay a tipster that led them to the tapes,
though further checking revealed that the network did pay the person
or group that actually provided the tapes. The distinction
apparently led to early confusion within CNN about whether any
payment was made.
"We are certain that nobody involved is associated with al-Qaida
and Osama bin Laden in any way," the spokesman said, though the
network did not provide evidence to support the assertion.
CBS, which also aired such tapes, said it had bought them from
Magnum, a European video distribution company, which was not CNN's
supplier.
"Everyone does it," a spokeswoman said, referring to the practice
of paying for footage. TV networks pay "when footage becomes
available that you believe to be unique, when you can verify to best
of your ability its authenticity and its editorial importance. ...
It's much like how a newspaper and magazine might buy a unique
photo."
CNN officials, somewhat on the defensive from the media coverage,
said the tapes were not aired as a ratings-grabbing stunt. As it
happens, little ratings benefit seems to have emerged: CNN averaged
a 0.5 rating, with an average of 502,000 viewers watching Monday,
flat from the previous three weeks, according to figures from
Nielsen Media Research.
In primetime, CNN's household rating did rise by 12.5%, from a
0.8 to a 0.9, while its viewership inched up by 5%, to 892,000
viewers.
Meanwhile, CBS took a much more low-key approach to the tapes,
even as CNN continued to refer to its coverage as "exclusive." As of
Tuesday afternoon, CBS had no plans to report on the tapes beyond
its "Evening News" show Tuesday, meaning that it had given the tapes
four exposures: twice apiece on "The Early Show" and "Evening News."
A CNN spokesman said, "We continue to believe our material is
exclusive until we see (the CBS footage)."
More
entertainment industry news at The Hollywood Reporter
Online
 |
- Sign
Out 
My Yahoo!
