shame on you: CBS «sorry» for arafat newsflash
US tv network cbs apologised for interrupting crime drama csi: ny five minutes before it was due to end late wednesday evening for a newsflash announcing palestinan leader yasser arafat's death.in response to viewer complaints cbs said in a statement that it sincerely regretted the error and that «an overly-aggressive cbs news producer jumped the gun with a report that should have been offered to local stations for their late news» [that is, after the show]. (other networks waited until a gap in programming to break the news). cbs also announced the episode would be repeated in its entirety friday evening.
my friend sW forwarded this bit of news today and i share his outrage and dismay. regardless of one's feelings, knowledge or understanding about yasser arafat, his death was indeed important, consequential "breaking news" requiring immediate reporting. for anybody to be as xenophobic, prejudiced, ignorant and even racist as to complain to the television station for interrupting the show in progress was not only absurd but as shameful and reprehensible as it was for cbs to issue the disrespectful apology.
source: bbc news.
