NBC’s much vaunted news division struggled to cover the tragic Florida school shooting on Thursday and Friday, because its entire team of news stars was halfway around the world promoting NBC’s Olympics coverage.
The result -- star anchors talking about the shooting from South Korea -- was an embarrassing contrast to rival networks ABC and CBS, who both had their premier anchors on the ground in Parkland, Fla., by Thursday morning.
“Today” co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb opened Thursday's show from Pyonchang by noting that their “hearts are definitely back home” before tossing it to an obscure reporter, Gabe Gutierrez, who was in Parkland.
Meanwhile, ABC chief anchor George Stephanopoulos hosted “Good Morning America” from Parkland.
Thursday evening, ABC “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir hosted his broadcast from Parkland, as did “CBS Evening News” anchor Jeff Glor.
“NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt anchored from South Korea, where he had been sent to promote the Olympics. Relatively unknown reporter Catie Beck joined Gutierrez in South Florida in time to lead coverage for “Nightly News” on Thursday.
NBC insiders are now criticizing powerful news chairman Andy Lack for sending his top talent and producers overseas on a promotional jaunt, leaving NBC News dangerously ill-equipped in the event of breaking news.
“This is very embarrassing,” an NBC staffer told Fox News.
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