FOX NEWS PREEMPTS PALFREY INTERVIEW FOR OVER-COVERAGE OF JESSIE DAVIS BOMBSHELL

pre·empt [prE-'em(p)t]

Function: verb ...

Etymology: back-formation from preemption
[;] transitive verb

1 : to acquire (as land) by preemption
2 : to seize upon to the exclusion of others : take for oneself
3 : to replace with something considered to be of greater value or priority : take precedence over (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/preempt)

Fox News--You knew it just had to be too good to be true: Geraldo (Jerry Rivers, that guy who was fired from 20/20--not mad dog)was to do a segment with Deborah Jeane Palfrey at 8PM Eastern tonight, but there was a breakthrough in the case of the missing Jessie Davis. J-7 extends condolences to the Davis family and everyone affected in Canton, Ohio, this is a horrible day.

All that said, I knew when I learned of the piece that it could never run tonight (don't ask me how, but I do watch David Cronenberg films a lot)--and they must be breathing easier at Fox, I couldn't understand why they of all news networks would want to run an interview on a scandal that appears to be heavily-populated with members of the GOP. [Ed., 06.24.2007--I'm beginning to see the light on this--cover your ass, or "CYA"]

You know, people known to Roger Aisles. It wouldn't surprise me if he made the call to yank everything else. There wasn't even a mention during the program of what was preempted, which was interesting.

This is not to take away from the suffering, the confusion, the anger, or the sense-of-hopelessness that must be pervasive in Canton right now, this is a horrible event. But to run the same footage of her body being wheeled-out from its dumping-ground--over-and-over--after the family of Jessie Davis asked Fox News to stop running this specific imagery, is unconscionable.

It also throws-into-question their preempting of the Palfrey interview (with her civil attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley), and why they would schedule it at all. Then there's the people who ignore me--Rawstory. Here's part of what I got in the e-mail announcing the Fox broadcast that might yet drop:

Additionally, Mr. Sibley and I will be guests on “Geraldo”, Saturday, June 23rd. The interview will be my first in a nationwide setting, since the 20/20 piece aired on May 4th. I hope to discuss my displeasure with the ABC broadcast and why I believe the network held back names at the last moment. I hope to announce my decision to distribute the phone records (all years 1993 to 2006) to as many responsible media, press and bloggers as possible, once the current injunction prohibiting me from releasing the invoices is lifted [Ed.-my emphasis. This is where I think Rawstory's headline is misleading. 'If an eye offends thee...']– and my reasons for doing so. Furthermore, it is Mr. Sibley and my hope we will be able talk about the fact that the Government, with the intentioned/unintentional assistance of the Courts has been able to seize and hold my property for 9 months now, without a hearing on the matter.

Instead, we get a full 2hrs. of the same aspects of the murder of Jessie Davis in excruciating monotony, with the original program "thrown into the air." All for ratings. It's a sad statement on where American journalism is...or rather, where it isn't: where the real ones that have genuine national implications stories are. Oddly, Rawstory didn't include the article by myself that was enclosed by Jeane in the newsletter.

It's OK, I still recommend them and will continue to read their very informative journalism, and their great site. They're doing good work as far as I'm concerned. Nonetheless, they might check into some of the observations I made in the article here on Ed Norris, and it's just the beginning. Again, if anyone wants Postal Inspector Joe Clark's home phone number, it's here for-the-asking, laddies.

The motives were ratings, and that's fine if you're doing entertainment, but it becomes unseemly when you start chasing stories like the Davis ambulance to a point where it's just whiting-out everything else. Somehow, some way...I knew the interview couldn't run. I just hope it was taped and that Fox News can finally run it. If they never do, we know they may have never had any intentions, which is very curious. Oh yeah, a few-days-ago 17 American soldiers were killed in Iraq, then 7 just today, nothing special. Especially all the Afghani and Iraqis who have been killed by-the-dozens.

If only we had an Oracle of Delphi for our times...but missing white girls are all that matter, not runaways, prostitutes, Black women and children, Black men, the uninsured, Native Americans on the reservations, the unemployed, the homeless, our soldiers, our liberties, nada. Geraldo did have on a nice pin-striped suit, however, he looked sharp, even svelte. Where is the wisdom?

Rawstory's--those folks who like to ignore me--headline appeared a little misleading, as I also received the same e-mail they did, and I didn't notice much about the "DC madam says she may announce decision to distribute phone records." It makes you think that Jeane Palfrey would do it without an end to the injunction on her phone records, which isn't likely. To be fair and balanced, we'll just have to wait-and-see. Death to Videodrome, long live the new flesh.

Rawstory's take before the broadcast that didn't happen (watch them ignore me, it's amusing and at our mutual expense now! Hilarity ensues!): http://rawstory.com/news/2007/DC_madam_says_she_may_announce_0623.html

Addendum: I'm told by sources that the show's producers (of the segment, which also wasn't so exciting) will be airing it tomorrow, and that "I'm sorry this came from above so we will put the interview as is on our show tomorrow. Again I'm sorry this was beyond our control but it will air tomorrow night at 8pm." Goodnight Gracie.