How did NBC get beat on its own "Access Hollywood" tape of Trump and Billy Bush? What does this tell us about the blurring of lines between news and entertainment?; Desert Trip aka Oldchella's opening weekend is full of music, politics and high-end food; "The Birth of a Nation" underwhelms at the box office; A Nation Engaged: Playwright Jon Robin Baitz
Why NBC sat on the 'Access Hollywood' Trump tape
The Washington Post’s release of the tape with former “Access Hollywood” reporter Billy Bush, in which Donald Trump makes graphic boasts about women – tantamount to sexual assault – raises two big questions.
First, NBC had this tape at the beginning of last week, so how and why did the network get scooped on material it owned and controlled? And second, will we ever see or hear what could be equally damning tape that is said to exist from Trump’s years as host on “The Apprentice”?
On NBC's delay in releasing the tape:
GUTHRIE: Well, they're saying that the delay was out of legal concerns. They became aware of the tape on Monday after an "Access Hollywood" producer had unearthed it in the archives and they had to take it up to legal because Trump was inside a bus. He may not have known he was mic'ed. California is a two party consent state. So, they got clearance from legal on Thursday. They didn't air a piece on Thursday obviously, and by Friday morning, the Washington post had come in possession of it. It was leaked -- NBC sources have confirmed -- from NBC. They were working on a piece, and so the video or the audio would have been available on internal servers. They say they're not looking for the leaker, so that is how they explained the delay.
SEAGER: Four days does seem a little long to me, but in California we have a law that makes it [so] you can be sued civilly or criminally prosecuted for taping someone without their consent, so I think that was their main concern. But they may have been looking at contracts, talking to people who were on the bus to see whether Trump knew he was mic'ed or not, but it seems pretty incredible to me that Trump didn't know he was mic'ed. I think he had to know he was mic'ed and the mic was on.
On the Washington Post's quick turnaround:
SEAGER: It was an easy call for the Post because they weren't worried about being sued for taping Donald improperly, so they had no legal worries about that whatsoever. So they're back to 'Did we legally get this? Was it given to us lawfully? And is it a matter of public concern?' That's they're sort of two-step analysis. And is this tape real? And they were able to verify it was real, so that was easy for them.
On the possibility that 'far worse' Trump tapes exist:
HORN: Over the weekend, Bill Pruitt, who was a producer on 'The Apprentice' in its early years tweeted:
As a producer on seasons 1 & 2 of
I assure you: when it comes to the
there are far worse.
— Bill Pruitt (@billpruitt)
As a producer on seasons 1 & 2 of #theapprentice I assure you: when it comes to the #trumptapes there are far worse. #justthebegininng
— Bill Pruitt (@billpruitt) October 8, 2016
HORN: What is the standard contract between a broadcast network and a company like Mark Burnett's that produced 'The Apprentice,' that makes and owns the show? Who controls those outtakes? Is it really Mark Burnett's decision?
GUTHRIE: Well, he's said publicly that he is, and I think that's probably what his contract says. He's very powerful, very successful, so he probably had a contract that said he retained the right to those outtakes.
Update: In a statement released to Variety Monday afternoon, Burnett and MGM clarified that MGM, not Burnett, has the power to release outtake footage from "The Apprentice" and that legal requirements "restrict MGM's ability to do so."
A Nation Engaged: playwright Jon Robin Baitz
KPCC and other NPR Member stations are participating in a national conversation called "A Nation Engaged." This week at The Frame, we're asking creators who work in arts and entertainment to weigh in on our nation's state of affairs.
We start with the playwright and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz. He wrote the 2015 film, "Stonewall," and is currently on the faculty at The School of Drama at The New School. Baitz’s new play, “Vicuña,” opens Oct. 30 at the Kirk Douglas Theater. The satire focuses on a blustering real estate tycoon and reality television star who’s also a presidential candidate.
Here are the questions we posed to Baitz:
What does it mean to be an American?
I think it means to be part of a dialogue and to question it, to question your place in the culture and to divest yourself of all of the easy assumptions and to look at the ways in which your privilege impacts the world around you and others.
What could the next President do to advance your vision?
I would hope taking care of the weakest — taking in refugees, taking in people from places that are very, very dangerous, giving people the opportunity to start a life here. There should not be starvation in America. There should not be kids going hungry in America. I think that we need a compassionate, strong president to concentrate on those issues. All issues of equality make for a better citizenry. All issues of education and health care. I believe those are really sacred American principles.
Series: A Nation Engaged
America is changing. The crosscurrents of demographic and cultural change are upending traditional voting patterns and altering the face of the American political parties in significant ways. As part of our collaborative project with NPR called "A Nation Engaged," this week we're asking: What does it mean to you to be an American?
Read more in this series and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on Facebook.
Dispatch from 'Oldchella': Baby boomers, politics and fine dining
The first-ever Desert Trip music fest took place in Indio California this past weekend, drawing fans from near and far to see veteran acts like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and The Who.
The average age of the performers was 72 and the audience 51, which has earned the music festival the nickname "Oldchella."
Unreal. Neil Young on stage with Paul McCartney to help sing "A Day In The Life" at
— The Frame (@theframe)
Unreal. Neil Young on stage with Paul McCartney to help sing "A Day In The Life" at #DesertTrip pic.twitter.com/RYJDJa95xO
— The Frame (@theframe) October 9, 2016
The Frame's James Kim spent the weekend reporting from the festival, and he files this report on the music, the politics and the high-end food of Desert Trip.
Not your usual music festival crowd
I've never been to a music festival or even a concert with people on so many walkers, that was eye-opening. But at the same time, there were also a lot of families in attendance. I talked with one family who came from Los Angeles, and specifically the mom, Rosemary Johnston. She came with her husband [Joe Johnston] and two daughters:
ROSEMARY JOHNSTON: When I heard this concert was coming up, I said, 'You know, what. We have to go. We have to make this happen for as many of us that are around as possible.' And so, I got everybody excited about it. Even the most cynical.
JOE JOHNSTON: You know, I'm not hearing all your questions. That's because I probably listened to too much Stones. Too loud.
Politics at center stage
I tweeted a photo — from Roger Waters' set — of a flying pig balloon. On the side of the pig it's a picture of Donald Trump and then it says right next to him "ignorant, lying, racist, sexist pig," and then on the other side it says "f--- Trump and his wall."
Well we know how Roger Waters feels about Donald Trump
— The Frame (@theframe)
Well we know how Roger Waters feels about Donald Trump #DesertTrip pic.twitter.com/n6Br9E1FYM
— The Frame (@theframe) October 10, 2016
But I talked with one music fan, her name was Jen Rose, from Colorado, and I asked her how she felt about the politics at the festival.
ROSE: I have very mixed feelings about it. I'm here to kind of escape from some of that, so to have all of that kind of thrown right back in my face again is... It just takes some of the fun out of it.
Luxury suites and gourmet dining options galore
It was kind of a shock stepping in, seeing the massive stadium. They even had an elevator you could take to the top of the stadium they had built around the stage. And they had this thing called the "culinary experience" - it cost $179 per person, but you get free food. You get free booze and it's unlimited...It's gated off. There's fountains. There's roses... Like you're on a country club all of a sudden.
On the music itself:
This was a master class in terms of performance, in terms of music. Roger Waters — I was never a fan of Pink Floyd — and that performance just blew me away. It was surround sound. It wasn't because of the pig. It wasn't because of the visual spectacle. Just the sound in general was incredible.
And this is how Roger Waters took the stage at
— The Frame (@theframe)
And this is how Roger Waters took the stage at #DesertTrip pic.twitter.com/LROu9axY1M
— The Frame (@theframe) October 10, 2016
The second and final weekend of Desert Trip is Fri. October 14 - Sun. October 16.