Stealing the Coins from their eyes
There was a thread in August/September, I think in NOTES & Qs on John Edward. Here is more just in time for sweeps.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53372-2001Oct25.html
Medium Crosses The Line: WTC Segment Canned
By Lisa de Moraes
Friday, October 26, 2001; Page C01
John Edward, the medium who hosts the chat-with-the-dead show "Crossing Over," has taped segments in which he purports to contact victims of the World Trade Center attacks. But America may never get to hear what they have to say because yesterday afternoon production house Studios USA axed the whole idea after reporters and station execs -- the two least queasy segments of society -- actually cringed. Studios USA Domestic Television President Steve Rosenberg says they scrapped the idea after getting a whiff of the negative reaction.
"This is too good a show to do what might offend the audience," he told The TV Column. "If in any way it gave offense to the audience, it's just a mistake."
Yesterday morning, however, a publicist representing the program confirmed that Edward had taped segments featuring family members of WTC attack victims as Edward contacted their slain loved ones. The segments were for possible use during the November sweeps ratings derby, which starts next week.
The rep told The TV Column that the "readings," as Edward calls them, would definitely appear on the syndicated version of the series and might also run on the cable version on the Sci-Fi channel. (In the Washington area, the show is seen in syndication on WDCA, Channel 20.) "We don't have a date yet, but we're moving forward with the shows," she said, adding that officials hoped to get them out "as soon as we can." According to the spokeswoman, New York-based Edward has been swamped with requests for readings from victims' families.
"At first we thought, we don't want to get into this; John started seeing people privately," the show rep said. When some family members actually pressed to have their contacts with the departed televised, the mother of all November sweeps stunts was born.
Great story.
But then things started happening.
Trade weekly Broadcasting & Cable slapped a story, " 'Psychic' plans WTC victims show," on the daily fax that it fired off to various news media and to station execs. The story included an interview with Rosenberg in which he promised that the segments "will be done tastefully . . . and won't be exploitative." He also noted that after Edward was contacted by so many family members, "it seemed wrong not to do it."
By midday the story had hit Drudgereport.com, which put a big picture of Barry Diller at the top of its home page, over the headline: "BARRY DILLER NETWORK TO AIR SEANCE FOR VICTIMS OF SEPT. 11." (Diller controls 74 percent of the voting power of Studios USA parent USA Networks.)
By then, Studios USA publicists were being swamped with calls from reporters. And, according to one source, the company also started hearing from some station execs that carry the show ("What the [expletive] are you thinking of?!" is how one station suit said he planned to put it).
Not long after, a spokeswoman for "Crossing Over" called The TV Column to say Rosenberg "is now saying the show isn't put together" and he's "not sure when" the segments will air; it may be "later this year or next year."
A few hours later, the whole thing was scrubbed.
But if Edward has indeed contacted deceased victims of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, how can the producers withhold from the American public the information they've obtained?
Rosenberg replied, "Our position now . . . is that these readings will probably continue to be done privately with John, and that these readings . . . will not air as part of 'Crossing Over.'
Will there be a time when it makes sense to revisit this over the course of events? Time will tell."
