Billy Bush out at Today, NBC News

[brianhenke]

     LMAD 2003 host Billy Bush was fired by NBC News - and the Today show - today, after he was involved in the controversial hot mic tape with Donald Trump.


     Brian

[BrandonFG]

Our long national nightmare is over

[TLEberle]

I don't know about all y'all, but if my parents gave me ten million dollars to GTFO, I think I'd be OK with that. NBC is free to do what they like because it's their company, but I don't particularly like the precedent. It reminds me of Donald Stirling's ouster and not in a good way.

But hey, the guy hosted three episodes of a game show in 2003, so it's game-show related.

[BrandonFG]

Being serious for a moment, this whole incident reminds me of one of the first lessons I learned in college radio: The mic is always hot.

You never assume otherwise, and it's too bad that Billy is paying the price more than a decade later. But at the same time, despite how Teh Donald was acting, you're a grown ass man and the co-host of a national TV show...ditch the virgin frat boy routine and act like you've been there before.

/A $10M golden parachute is a far better consolation prize than the Rice-A-Roni and Croton watch
//ObGameShow: Whammy! and Merv Griffin's Crosswords awarded the latter to departing contestants
///Lingo too, I believe

[TLEberle]

Bless you for finding a way to actually talk about game shows before this became a dumpster fire. To your point, the Lingo logo watch was actually part of that $4000 prize package that seemed to be consolation prizes rather than what you'd expect to win for winning a bonus game. I think there was a digital camera in there and some other detritus.

[clemon79]

I don't know about all y'all, but if my parents gave me ten million dollars to GTFO, I think I'd be OK with that. NBC is free to do what they like because it's their company, but I don't particularly like the precedent.

Me neither, but dig: If Comcast (and let's remember it's not NBC anymore) tries to fire him for cause, it's gonna result in a big gory drawn-out legal thang. And in a case of Comcast v. Anyone Who May Have Even Been Even A Little Bit Wronged By Comcast, you're gonna have a hard time finding twelve people who come down on the side of Comcast regardless of the details, because I'm not sure there are twelve people left in the COUNTRY that Big Cable hasn't farked over in some way.

So easier and safer to buy out his contract and get him the hell off of the air before sponsors start ditching Today.

It reminds me of Donald Stirling's ouster and not in a good way.

Stirling's ouster was handled the only way it legally could have been, and was handled relatively quickly. Not sure what else you would have wanted.

[TLEberle]

You make a really stout point because of course Comcast is concerned about money--if ten million is the premium on their insurance policy then that's their choice.

[chrisholland03]

I don't know about all y'all, but if my parents gave me ten million dollars to GTFO, I think I'd be OK with that. NBC is free to do what they like because it's their company, but I don't particularly like the precedent.

Me neither, but dig: If Comcast (and let's remember it's not NBC anymore) tries to fire him for cause, it's gonna result in a big gory drawn-out legal thang. And in a case of Comcast v. Anyone Who May Have Even Been Even A Little Bit Wronged By Comcast, you're gonna have a hard time finding twelve people who come down on the side of Comcast regardless of the details, because I'm not sure there are twelve people left in the COUNTRY that Big Cable hasn't farked over in some way.

So easier and safer to buy out his contract and get him the hell off of the air before sponsors start ditching Today.

Agree 100% - $10M is not a lot to spend for expedient damage control when you're Comcast.  Any opportunity to not go further into the negative on PR in a win for them.

On the other hand, it kinda chaps me that we're now paying people for bad behavior.

[calliaume]

Being serious for a moment, this whole incident reminds me of one of the first lessons I learned in college radio: The mic is always hot.

Precisely, and the camera is always on.  When I interned at CNN, one day they were having problems switching back from our DC studio to Atlanta for about 30 seconds.  After about five wipes to the wrong place, the DC anchor (who was fairly well known at the network) started making silly faces - at which time the picture came back on him.  After that happened, he stormed off and started blasting the technical directors in DC - who blasted him right back for exactly that reason.  One of the writers whispered to me that, "It's his fault; he should have known better."

At least in that case it was only silly faces.

[Joe Mello]

On the other hand, it kinda chaps me that we're now paying people for bad behavior.

How does the $10m compare to the rest of his contract?

[Scrabbleship]

It reminds me of Donald Stirling's ouster and not in a good way.

Stirling's ouster was handled the only way it legally could have been, and was handled relatively quickly. Not sure what else you would have wanted.

Sterling's ouster was a Faustian bargain of sorts since especially since I bet the NBA for years wanted him out in some form given that he was not a good owner. Sterling's reputation was anything but and he was a bit of a relic to an earlier time for the Association.

[Neumms]

How does the $10m compare to the rest of his contract?

That's what I'd like to know. Who would NBC have been bidding against?

[TLEberle]

How does the $10m compare to the rest of his contract?

That's what I'd like to know. Who would NBC have been bidding against?

They're bidding against not being sued to the point where we all get to pay $200 a month for basic cable.

[whewfan]

I don't know about all y'all, but if my parents gave me ten million dollars to GTFO, I think I'd be OK with that. NBC is free to do what they like because it's their company, but I don't particularly like the precedent. It reminds me of Donald Stirling's ouster and not in a good way.

But hey, the guy hosted three episodes of a game show in 2003, so it's game-show related.

While the current version of LMAD is doing well, it's too bad Billy's version didn't have a chance, despite Monty's involvement with the show. I remember watching the last episode aired, which featured Monty doing a deal with a contestant from the original run, and it was the same deal he did with her years ago. Billy sat in the audience, totally awestruck with how Monty was handling the show. It's as if he was thinking "Why can't I do that?! He makes it look so easy!"

[parliboy]

While the current version of LMAD is doing well, it's too bad Billy's version didn't have a chance, despite Monty's involvement with the show.

Monty had an EP credit for that, but not a producer credit.  I doubt he did anything during the actual production of the show, outside of that one deal.

I remember watching the last episode aired, which featured Monty doing a deal with a contestant from the original run, and it was the same deal he did with her years ago. Billy sat in the audience, totally awestruck with how Monty was handling the show. It's as if he was thinking "Why can't I do that?! He makes it look so easy!"

Two thoughts come to mind:

• Acting like you're awestruck is probably a good trait to have for the kind of ass-kissing you have to do on Today.
• If he had really wanted to get better at doing that sort of thing, he had plenty of time to improve his improvisation skills, and to try to take jobs that didn't pigeon-hole him.  Instead, he diversified by hosting beauty pageants and red carpet specials.