NBC Concert Offers No Relief

There was no relief to be found from the criticism of how the Bush administration has handled the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.

As if Brian Williams, Andrea Mitchell, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and the rest of the NBC crew haven't relentlessly bashed Bush enough this week, the network's Concert for Hurricane Relief turned into a propaganda fest as well.

Matt Lauer hosted the LIVE concert. Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. were first to perform. In between the musical performances there were taped segments detailing the story of Hurricane Katrina.

Celebrities also appeared to make appeals for donations. It was reminiscent of the 9/11 concert, "America-A Tribute to Heroes," and the tsunami telethon.

I wasn't giving the program my full attention.

It was a commercial-free broadcast, but at the bottom of the hour, our NBC affiliate took a break to do a local segment. Since yesterday, they have had a phone bank, raising money for hurricane relief. I'm not sure if all the NBC stations did that because upon returning, Lauer was in mid-sentence. Either our affiliate rejoined the broadcast late or it may have chosen to do the cutaway because of the local fund-raising drive.

After the break, in the second half hour of the hour broadcast, I continued to half-listen.

I heard Mike Myers and saw that he was paired on camera with some guy I didn't know. It turned out to be hip-hop artist, Kanye West.

Myers had finished speaking, making an appeal, when West started going off about Bush and black people and white people and the looting.

He said that when black families took goods it was called looting and when white families did it, they were looking for food.

West then said something about our soldiers. He said that they should be here helping rather than being in Iraq. He went on to say that the ones who are here are shooting black people.

It was very strange because West delivered his comments in a very unemotional fashion. It was one of those "did he just say what I think he said" moments.

When he was through, Myers followed up with another appeal for donations, as if nothing unexpected had happened.

Then, they cut to Chris Tucker asking people to do all they could to help.

More musical performances followed. Governor Pataki and a woman from the Red Cross were also on the show for a presentation of some sort.

Lauer's final lines were something to the effect that our country was about speaking your mind and the week had brought criticism regarding relief efforts. Lauer said that we heard some of that tonight.

Yes, we did.

NBC has a webcast of the concert at 8PM PT.

I wonder if they plan on doing a little editing before they run the concert on the West coast.
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Update:

On the webcast, West's comments were shown almost in their entirety.

NBC clipped the "Bush doesn't care about black people" part.

He started off by saying, "I hate the way they portray us."

He said, "It took five days [for aid to arrive] because most of the people are black."

West continued, "America is set up to help the poor, the less well off, as slow as possible."

He said that those who could help are at war and those that are helping have "permission to go down and shoot us."

Lauer's closing comments spoke of the American family. He said, "Emotions in our country right now are running very high" and sometimes that leads to inspiration and sometimes it leads to criticism.

I honestly thought NBC would edit the program. I think it was incredibly irresponsible of the network to air statements that were so racially charged and unfair.

Does NBC agree that aid didn't arrive quickly because many of the people affected by Katrina are black?

Politics did not belong in a broadcast intended to raise money for the Red Cross to assist hurricane victims. It's a humanitarian mission. The program should not have been a platform to be divisive and accuse the government of racism.

The fact that NBC did not edit out West's inflammatory remarks indicates to me that the network condones them.


NEW YORK (AP) -- In a statement, NBC said, "Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him, and his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks.

"It would be most unfortunate," the statement continued, "if the efforts of the artists who participated tonight and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person's opinion."

I think it's most unfortunate that NBC chose to leave West's "departure" from the script in their broadcast when it aired in the western time zones. When West ad-libbed on live TV, there wasn't much they could do. However, when the network had the chance to reclaim the program after West hijacked it, NBC declined.

NBC's agenda is clear and it's not pretty.

Was this supposed to be about helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina or about dividing the country?

Both, I guess.