NBC fires employee for posting viral What Is the Internet, Anyway Today show video to YouTube

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Run time: 01:29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUs7iG1mNjI   Posted on YouTube: January 29, 2011 By YouTube Member: VortexTech Views on YouTube: 249743   Posted on DU: February 05, 2011 By DU Member: Amerigo Vespucci Views on DU: 605

 

Friday, Feb 4, 2011 12:05 ET
NBC fires employee for posting viral "Today" show video to YouTube
NBC's temper tantrum over leaked video exposes the network's thin skin



http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/nbc/index.html?story=/news/feature/2011/02/04/nbc_fires_over_internet_video

Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel were just two of many people who didn’t understand the World Wide Web back in 1994. We know because of a video circulating across that once ill-defined Internet, showing the two -- then hosts of the "Today" show -- struggling with the complexities of the technology. Gumbel pondered its function ("What, do you write to it like mail?"). Couric turned to an expert, a producer offscreen ("Can you explain what Internet is?"). Neither of them had any idea what the hell that weird letter-A thing was ("@").

The clip caught fire yesterday. Then suddenly the original poster took it down from YouTube (though others would later repost it). Turns out the guy who originally posted the video was an NBC employee. The network promptly fired him.

Now, NBC hasn't really been one to roll with the punches lately (see: the "Tonight Show" debacle). Even still, you would expect a modicum of good humor. You would expect that even a notoriously thin-skinned network would be able to discern the distinction between "laughing with" and "laughing at."

This video very clearly falls into the former category. Of course they didn’t know what the Internet was back then. Few did. The video serves as a reminder of just how far the world has come in the last 16 years. The Internet -- barely a blip in the public consciousness back in 1994 -- has since inverted business models, toppled dictatorships, inexplicably rocketed Justin Bieber to fame and fortune. But nobody understood its implications back then. And no one in their right mind would begrudge another for expressing ignorance about the Web way back then, as TechDirt points out.

[Uben]

1. Great, taking a man's livlihood because be posted a video?

That's real classy NBC. They should fire the exec who made that decision. He is the real worthless piece of shit that deserves to lose his job. Send his ass to FOX NEWS where he can lick Glen Beck's ass.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. You don't understand. Thousands of lives could be at risk.

Thousands of covert NBC operatives and "assets" around the world will have their over blown and be at the mercy of their enemies.

Sensitive negotiations and important information that was being communicated with the understanding that it would be kept secret will now.... blah blah blah, yada, yada, yada.

[forty6]

3. Let's get this guy his job back !

And fire the people who fired him!

I am sick of corporations ruining a life for having revealed reality!

[underpants]

4. That is sad and amazing.

NBC needs to get a grip.

[alp227]

5. Reflects poorly on Comcast, I guess, to let it known that noobs worked for NBC. n/t