| Powell cut off during interview { May 17 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/international/17TV.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/17/international/17TV.html
May 17, 2004 Powell's Interview Is Cut Off By COURTNEY C. RADSCH WASHINGTON, May 16 — Secretary of State Colin L. Powell was abruptly cut off during an interview on Sunday on the NBC News program "Meet the Press" when one of his aides decided the interview had gone on long enough.
As Tim Russert, the program's host, began to ask his final question, the camera unexpectedly panned away from Mr. Powell, who was being interviewed in Jordan via a satellite link from Washington. In the confusion, Mr. Powell could be heard saying, "He's still asking me questions," to which a woman's voice answered, "No, he's not."
Mr. Powell, still off camera, said, "Tim, I'm sorry, I lost you," and added, "Emily, get out of the way." Mr. Russert, slightly irate, responded: "I think that was one of your staff, Mr. Secretary. I don't think that's appropriate." After a few seconds the camera returned to Mr. Powell and he finished the interview.
Betsy Fischer, the show's executive producer, identified the staff member as Emily Miller, deputy press secretary to Mr. Powell, and said Ms. Miller "pulled the plug" without warning. Although the interview was taped in advance, she said such interviews were usually run without being edited. Mr. Russert called it a case of "press management gone berserk."
"I've been doing this program for 13 years and nothing like that has ever happened," he said in a telephone interview. "I remember sometimes in countries around the world this happens, but not in America. This is a free press, and political figures can always say `I don't want to answer.' " He said he did not know if it was the content of the question that caused Ms. Miller's reaction or simply that the interview had gone over its allotted time.
Julie Reside, a State Department spokeswoman, said the interview had gone on considerably longer than scheduled, and that the personnel there "made every attempt to get NBC to finish up."
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
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