NBC News Violating Its Own Rules?

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The New York Post is reporting today that NBC News is going to pay Paris Hilton $1 million for an interview for the "Today Show" after Paris emerges from jail.

This is what you call the cat jumping out of the bag.

Does NBC News pay for interviews? Officially no, but we don't live in an official world every single day of the week… so yes.

NBC donated $2.5 million to the charity behind the concert for Princess Diana coming up shortly and NBC's "Today Show" then got the biggest interview catch of the decade: Princes William and Harry.

And Harry made news in that interview by admitting he would always wonder about the circumstances surrounding the death of his mother.

So the dirty secret of the morning show booking wars is now out in the open: The network shows pay for guests if they are forced to and the official policy manual is ignored.

I don't know exactly what "GMA" has or hasn't done, but they are in a ratings war with the "Today Show," so I doubt very seriously they have clean hands either. And I have no doubt this news about NBC came from ABC after they lost the negotiations for Paris.

We want Ms. Starlet to come on our program. We know you've been accused of a crime and we know that everybody wants you. And we know you expect to be paid. We here at the Mega TV network's morning show don't pay for interviews, but what we can do is make certain that your lawyer is nearby to render advice for the interview and we'll pick up his legal fees.

Then the lawyer submits a huge bill to the network, keeps some for himself and gives his client the rest.

Voila: We don't pay for interviews, but people do get paid.

I know the NBC policy manual fairly well and I know it says NBC News does not pay for interviews.

So why is NBC News violating its own rules... again?

That's My Word.

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