PBS caught faking it...

[mvcg66b3r]

It appears that PBS was caught trying to fake it.

Last night the public broadcaster aired PBS’s “A Capitol Fourth,” which included Washington’s Fourth of July fireworks.

But it seems that PBS went with some stock footage and not the real fireworks from last night. The weather in Washington was cloudy and misty, making it quite difficult to view the fireworks. But on “A Capitol Fourth,” the annual concert special that airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, many of the fireworks (primarily in the second half of the display) looked glorious in a clear sky.

Another giveaway? On TV, you couldn’t see the construction scaffolding on the Capitol building, which has been there for many months.

Although they tried to pull the wool over the public's eyes, judging by Twitter, they were not very successful.

http://www.ftvlive.com/todays-news/2016/7/5/pbs-caught-faking-it

 

[TheBigA]

I sense they expected some fall out. At the end of the show, the host said "If you have any comments, go to PBS.org." I thought it curious he'd say that until I saw this.

 

[Prescott Joe]

http://www.ftvlive.com/todays-news/2016/7/5/pbs-caught-faking-it

I watched the entire show on "Arizona PBS" last night. It was terrific, as usual.
Why people need to make something of nothing, I'll never understand.
What would you rather watch, spectacular, clear fireworks from the recent past
or those obscured by clouds, fog and rain???? It is like watching a show
from an Eastern time zone which purports to be "LIVE." We know that often
times the show is delayed even though it clearly states it is "LIVE." I'm unclear
what PBS was "faking." They didn't state or intimate that all the fireworks
were live so why the problem????????

 

[TheBigA]

They didn't state or intimate that all the fireworks
were live so why the problem????????

And in the past, they have, which I noticed.

There were some curious things, because the real fireworks in fact started a little early, and they mentioned that during the show.

 

[Mr Tony]

people will complain about anything.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

John Garziglia says PBS may have broken an FCC rule:

On July 4, PBS-affiliated television stations nationwide purported to show live fireworks from the Mall in Washington, DC, without directly informing viewers that they were instead showing “a combination of the best fireworks from this year and previous years. It was the patriotic thing to do” (PBS twitter posting @July4thPBS – 9:28 PM – 4 Jul 2016). This is possibly a violation of Section 73.1208 of the FCC’s rules.

Section 73.1208 of the FCC’s rules requires that “[a]ny taped, filmed or recorded program material in which time is of special significance, or by which an affirmative attempt is made to create the impression that it is occurring simultaneously with the broadcast, shall be announced at the beginning as taped, filmed or recorded.”

The FCC rule goes on to caution that “[t]he language of the announcement shall be clear and in terms commonly understood by the public. For television stations, the announcement may be made visually or aurally.” The rule excludes “[t]aped, filmed, or recorded announcements which are of a commercial, promotional or public service nature [which] need not be identified as taped, filmed or recorded.”

PBS informed viewers through its twitter account in advance of the broadcast that its “36th annual broadcast, sponsored by Boeing, will air live on @PBS Monday, July 4, 2016 at 8 p.m. ET. (emphasis added).” Since re-broadcasting a previous year’s fireworks display is not a “live” broadcast, PBS had an apparent duty under the FCC’s rules to explain the non-live nature of the fireworks shown at the beginning of the broadcast.

While PBS may have tried to cast the issue of showing a previous year’s fireworks display as live in a better light by characterizing its decision as “the best possible television viewing experience” it was not, as PBS suggests, merely “confusing.” Rather, PBS apparently failed to give proper notice to the viewing public, and therefore its broadcast likely did not comport with FCC rules.

This is not the first time that a television station has apparently misled viewers with videos of fireworks. WBZ-TV in 2011 reportedly showed Boston fireworks over some of the city’s most famous monuments, including Fenway Park and Quincy Market, even though such location shots were a physical impossibility. WBZ-TV defended its broadcast by stating that the show was entertainment, not news, and no different than Boston Legal — a show filmed in Los Angeles — that showed footage of Boston scenes in every episode. A produced television series that is not promoted as “live” is fundamentally different, however, from a date-specific broadcast of a current event that is promoted as “live.”

http://radioink.com/2016/07/06/managers-sure-know-fcc-rules/

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Here's what PBS' ombudsman has to say:

The Mailbag: On Faking the Fourth
http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/blogs/ombudsman/2016/07/05/the-mailbag-on-faking-the-fourth/

 

[Prescott Joe]

Living in Arizona, where we do not observe Daylight Savings Time, many programs throughout
the day and evening indicate they are live, when in fact, they are not. Just last night, ABC's
World News Tonight: (David Muir) "As we go on the air tonight, we have tornadoes on the
ground..." The show was two hours delayed. Also last night, (announcer) "Welcome to
Big Brother, LIVE." Also two hours delayed. I can understand when something of material
importance is misrepresented. I cannot understand why the upset over trivia.....

 

[Mr Tony]

I cannot understand why the upset over trivia.....

because some people will complain over ANYTHING...no matter how trivial it is

 

[umfan]

It's PBS. Hardly anyone was watching anyway.

 

[crainbebo]

At least CBS has a "Western Edition" for their Evening News. ABC and NBC do not observe this practice, and frankly, they should.
Big Brother is always tape-delayed in the Pacific time zone, even though the Big Brother house is on a soundstage at CBS Television City, Hollywood. Even live evictions (w/ Julie Chen) are tape-delayed for PT/MT. All of the reality shows are tape-delayed even on season finales.
There are more viewers in the ET/CT time zones, thus the tape delays. This practice has gone on for decades.