'Dateline' exec prod'r, 2 more axed
According to NBC sources, the latest casualties are "Dateline" executive producer Jeff Diamond, his No. 2, David Rummel, and Robert Read, producer of the controversial news piece in which the explosion of a General Motors truck was staged. The three men were unavailable for comment, but a source close to Read said that, as of late Friday, he had yet to be informed of any action.
According to Peacock Web sources, lawyers representing the network have yet to hammer out settlement terms with the three newsmen, including severance and whether the actions will be played as resignations or firings.
A release, based on a report conducted on behalf of NBC by outside counsel, is expected sometime this week. The fate of Michele Gillen, the correspondent of the GM piece, is unknown.
"The inquiry is in its final stages," said an NBC spokesman. "Until that time we have no comment."
The three men -- Diamond, a veteran of "20/20"; Rummel, of "60 Minutes"; and Read, of "20/20" and "Inside Edition"-- have little history at the Peacock Web.
But they were principals in the GM piece, which attacked one of the network's biggest advertisers, even if they weren't the only ones who took part in the poor judgment call. It became clear when Michael Gartner resigned early this month that Diamond, Rummel and Read's chances of keeping their jobs were slim at best.
Two weeks ago reports surfaced that Neil Shapiro, who had been hired away from ABC's "Primetime Live," had been told to prepare to take the "Dateline" reins.
The "Dateline" imbroglio has rocked the Peacock Web since Feb. 8 when the auto manufacturer attacked the report, which questioned the safety of GM trucks. The main point of contention was a test conducted by the Institute for Safety Analysis, which used tiny model rocket igniters under the test truck.
The use of the igniters was never mentioned in the piece, which GM calls unconscionable. But researchers hired by "Dateline" for the piece say the igniters had nothing to do with the explosion and therefore advised the producer against mentioning them in the report.
Gartner initially defended the "Dateline" piece but condemned it following a GM press conference at which the company blasted the report. A settlement was reached between NBC and GM, which included an on-air apology and, reportedly, $ 2 million.
Meanwhile, the principals, via their surrogates, mounted respective defenses.
Gillen's defenders claim she called Diamond from the test site to complain about the rocket igniters. Read's defenders said he questioned Brian Enz of the Institute of Safety Analysis about the use of igniters and about how to explain their use. In a Washington Post article, Enz said Read "was concerned about non-disclosure." And it appears Diamond also relied on the judgment of the researchers, whom he had used on pieces at "20/20."
