Couric, Lauer Should Have Been Informed Of Balloon Accident

“If it was possible for NBC’s cable network, MSNBC, to report the [Macy's parade] accident — before NBC’s own parade coverage ended — then someone should have gotten a word” to Matt Lauer and Katie Couric, Richard Huff says.

“Instead, NBC left Lauer and Couric journalistically dangling and, as a result, risked their credibility with viewers.”

> Also: “Word from inside NBC was they stayed mum because no one told them what was going on. They just knew that the giant M&M’s balloon never made it to Herald Square…Couric didn’t learn about the accident until she was off the air, and Lauer apparently found out when he got home.”

> Update: 1:06pm: “What a load of hooey. Katie and Matt didn’t know,” an e-mailer says. “Why not? Because they were too busy reading from their scripts about the adventures of M&M’s? Anyone who knows television and live broadcasts knows perfectly well that the producers were watching the breaking news coverage — and surely explained to the anchors why Mr M&M wasn’t going to make it to the finish line…”

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.