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NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
Up until now, I always assumed the all important 6:30 PM network news was done mostly live to air. But now, I'm not so sure.
There was a huge and very rare glitch on the NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt on Friday. The teasers - which I'm pretty sure are always pre-taped - ran as normal. Then came Lester in studio, strolling as he does every evening toward the camera.
The lead story was about the end of mask wearing in the U.S. "Good evening, you may be wondering abo-man-ah," he began, booting the opening, before spitting out "Bah!" (Well at least he didn't swear!)
He rolled his eyes, stuck out his tongue (see below), took a few steps back and then the screen went to black for around 3 seconds and suddenly he was back, in the middle of the same intro in a different part of the set. The only way that could have happened was if they rolled the wrong tape and then cut to the right one. But it was obviously not live.
I've seen a few mistakes on the American networks over the years - the wrong tape being rolled, the guy being supered incorrectly, audio that doesn't work etc. But it's the first time I can recall ever seeing the anchor hung out to dry and obviously not doing it live.
I'm not sure why I'm surprised, except most newscasts fed to the East Coast down south should be done live. This one clearly wasn't. Did anyone else see this? 
- RadioActive
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
I think the countdown timer is on the affiliate's end, if they take the feed too soon. I'm not sure the network is to blame when that happens. But I've seen that too, as recently as last week on WGRZ.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
torontostan wrote:
Would love to see a clip of this!
I might have known someone would post this on YouTube and in record time! The show's only been off the air a few minutes! Note when they come back up and he's already in the middle of a throw to the lead story.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
I'm sure Lester is still in-studio ready to go with breaking news, etc, but why wouldn't you record your cast if the stories are as updated as they can be?
I agree; I don't see why national newscasts need to be live. It's way more impractical with no real benefit.
I still get it for local newscasts, where I think the weather person being shot in front of the same sunset you're seeing outside your window, or the crowd gathering at the stadium, or the live traffic cams add a certain "here & now" authenticity.
- mike marshall
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
Hopefully, this won't change the gist or direction of this thread. Going back to the early 1950s, I've
watched NBC's national evening newscast nightly.
In recent years, Val and I have been big Lester fans and I will occasionally say to Val, "I think they're
recording this thing in pieces."
One reason? It's almost as though Lester has a medical problem. He seems to run out of breath at
times. Not a major thing, but it's something that's noticeable (or I feel is happening) as I say,
occasionally.
Seeing this thread tonight doesn't surprise me, at all. I hope I'm wrong.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
I visited 30 Rock while on a trip to NYC in 2007 and got to visit the NBC Nightly News set - which at the time was in the midst of transition to HD - I had been there only about 2 weeks before the launch of HD.
Anyways, as I recall they mentioned that some segments of the newscast were pre-taped. In fact while I was there they had mentioned Brian Williams had just been on the set moments earlier for a segment.
Last edited by MJ Vancouver (May 15, 2021 1:06 pm)
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
This story made all that more impressive by the fact Brian mentioned just a few hours earlier he had come under heavy fire while in a helicopter in Iraq.
I visited 30 Rock while on a trip to NYC in 2007 and got to visit the NBC Nightly News set - which at the time was in the midst of transition to HD - I had been there only about 2 weeks before the launch of HD.
Anyways, as I recall they mentioned that some segments of the newscast were pre-taped. In fact while I was there they had mentioned Brian Williams had just been on the set moments earlier for a segment.
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
This story made all that more impressive by the fact Brian mentioned just a few hours earlier he had come under heavy fire while in a helicopter in Iraq.
I visited 30 Rock while on a trip to NYC in 2007 and got to visit the NBC Nightly News set - which at the time was in the midst of transition to HD - I had been there only about 2 weeks before the launch of HD.
Anyways, as I recall they mentioned that some segments of the newscast were pre-taped. In fact while I was there they had mentioned Brian Williams had just been on the set moments earlier for a segment.
Speaking of Brian Williams...
- taylor
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Re: NBC Nightly News: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
It is taped for the most part unless they are live remote.
You can watch it being taped if you have access to satellite SES-3 on KU band. There are four NBC muxes on that satellite and many scpc for live remotes, etc.
The countdown timer is for the affiliates.