Charlie Gibson's Producer: No Issue Off The Table In Palin Interview

NEW YORK — Charles Gibson's producer says no issue is off the table for Sarah Palin's first TV interview as a vice presidential candidate, which ABC is hoping it can air in part on Thursday.

Gibson will travel to Alaska and will probably speak to Palin at least twice. The challenge for ABC will be making excerpts available in time for "World News" Thursday, which Gibson must broadcast live from that state at 2:30 p.m. local time, said Jon Banner, the broadcast's executive producer.

Gibson was a no-show Monday at a news conference called by ABC to tout its effort to report election stories from all 50 states because executives said he was starting to prepare for the interview.

The ABC anchor interviewed GOP presidential candidate John McCain at the Republican convention last week. He said he thought hard about it, but decided not to ask questions then about Palin's family, including her 17-year-old pregnant daughter.

That doesn't necessarily mean the issue won't come up with Palin, Banner said.

"I don't think there is any doubt that this is a big interview for him and for us," he said.

Even though Palin's handlers chose Gibson over CBS' Katie Couric and "60 Minutes," there was some talk in news circles about whether MSNBC's opinionated programming was hurting NBC News' ability to book such an interview. MSNBC executives decided over the weekend to replace Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as anchors of their political coverage with David Gregory.

"All I know is I was delighted they chose us over someone else," said ABC News President David Westin.

Westin said he believed there were advantages for ABC in trying to play it straight with its coverage.

"There is still an audience that comes to us because they believe we're going to tell them the truth, as opposed to `let's garner all the evidence we can for what position we like,'" he said.

He said NBC News faces a challenge in deciding how it works with MSNBC, or whether it tries to keep some degree of separation.

Comments

[jdenham]

Charlie dont forget to ask about your tax cut.

[thinkworklivelove]

Taped Interview? If she was not ready to take questions from the press on DAY ONE, then she is not ready. She is not qualified - NO national Security Experience. NO International Experience. NO Foreign Policy Experience. McSame Ticket = Celebrity version of the Bush Administration!

[tef59]

I don't give a flying fig what he will ask her. This will not be an interview, it will be a celebrity expose and he will gush all over her. It will be scripted AND I WON'T WATCH. She is over! She is a blip on the Wizard of Oz screen.

EVERYONE BOYCOTT CHARLIE GIBSON TOMORROW!!!! IF YOU SUPPORT OBAMA, DON'T WATCH!

[lady49]

The best thing we can do is "CHANGE THE CHANNEL ON THE NIGHT OF THE INTERVIEW"!
Don't watch this manufactured nonsense!

[riggedelection]

They choose ABC and Mr. Gibson because they are both GOP ass lickers.

[MadJeffersonian]

Just because it is "on the table" doesn't mean it will be used.

[TrueIndy08]

"There is still an audience that comes to us because they believe we're going to tell them the truth, as opposed to `let's garner all the evidence we can for what position we like,'" he said.

hahahaha..­.. probably the funniest thing I have heard in a very very long time!!!! If you are a right wing fascist you will believe this interview is all about the truth....

every other level headed person in this country understands how this works.... GIBSON is in the as s hole of McStain...­. so he will play tee ball with Gov. Mooseknuckle

Its all a sham... she has the questions right now with LIE BERMAN in her ear making her remember her taking points...

completel waste of time folks... move on, nothing to see here!

[curocat]

Question, with ABC will it be an Interview or Recital, will I watch? maybe , but if I think it's a Dog and Pony show I cut it off.

[dp54]

They can say what they want, BUT they will definitely give Palin/Palin handlers the questions ahead of time. No way could she even survive otherwise.

[GV97]

Believe you me she will get the questions !
Like that phony Church Forum a while back.

[dbawden]

Charlie has some thing to prove on this one. Is he just another hack or a journalist. We'll see.

[JennyA]

If this isn't handled like a news organization should, I will NEVER support anything on ABC. They need to be careful and make sure Gibson doesn't "sell out." This could end up being ABC News' Dan Rather blunder...­loose credibility in an instant.

[Dr. Sam]

This may turn out to be an eye wash. It is not just a matter of which questions are asked, but how they are asked and whether Gobson will have appropraite follow up questions that insist upon full, relevant and focused (as opposed to diversionary) answers. Why did the McCain campaign choose ABC's Gibson? We will find out by the success or failure of the interview. If the interview turns out to be a solf cushion for Palin, enabling the McCain camp to claim that she answered all of our immediate concerns, then it is a failure. Given many of the scandals qualling around Palin, questions about her qualification for the office she is seeking and could occupy,and evidence of contradictions and lies in her projected life story, the interview should be hardnosed, direct and investigative.

[totaldisbelief]

Charlie couldn't ask a difficult question if you threatened to waterboard his family if he didn't.
If Chuck was a shoe salesman ,you'd leave the store with 6 pairs of shoes for the price of one by pretending to cry.

[JimMichie]

I would trust Charlie Gibson and his "producer" on anything they claim. Here's what I think Charlie and his "producer" agreed to in getting the two days of interview with the Mayor of Wasilla: Either the questions or the issue areas of Charlie's "interview" were shared with the Mayor's handlers; and/or Charlie and his "producer" will allow the Mayor and her handlers after the "interview" on the first day to decide whether to redo--reshoot--on the second day of the "interview" the answer to a questiion Charlie wants to air. In other words, I think the Mayor and her handlers will be given editing rights on the interview and anything they don't like in the interview will hit the cutting floor. Now how's that for surmising how Disney's ABC "News" got the mayor to sit down for "interview" on two consecutive days. Now wouldn't you think that a news interview would be done in a single day? Not Disney's ABC "News." It's all about theatre and fantasy and accommodation! So much for Disney's ABC "News"!

[Swerinjer]

ABC will leap at the chance to lick repug ***hole. It will be blatantly deferential so that ABC won't be targetted.

Why doesn't the left attack media outlets like this??? You Obama cultists sure were vicious against Hillary...­what happened to your balls since then?