Update: NBC responded to letter signed by a large group of celebrities urging the network to move mayoral time from Trump Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, said in a statement that the town hall would continue as planned and insisted that the decision to release it was « motivated only by fairness and not by commercial considerations »
« We share the frustration that our event will first air alongside the first half of the ABC show with Vice President Biden, » Conde’s statement read. « Our decision is driven solely by the fairness, not commercial considerations We aired a town hall with Vice President Biden on October 5 at 8 p.m. If we were to move our town hall with President Trump to a later time slot, we would be violating our commitment to offer both campaigns a access to the same audience and the same forum We hope voters watch both talks – ours will be available anytime, for free and on demand on YouTube, Peacock and all of our digital news platforms. »
Numerous celebrities denounce NBC’s decision to hold a town hall with Donald Trump on Thursday night at the same time Joe Biden’s town hall airs on ABC
In an open letter shared by Deadline, a group of actors, producers, writers and directors urge the network to move Trump’s town hall before or after Biden’s The long list of stars who signed the letter includes the cast of NBC’s This Is Us, Mariska Hargitay, Aaron Sorkin, JJ Abrams, Ryan Murphy, Ava DuVernay, Allison Janney and more
News of Trump’s town hall came after the Debate Committee canceled the second presidential debate, originally scheduled for October 15, when Trump declined to participate in the virtual format that had been staged in light of his diagnosis of COVID-19 following the debate being canceled, ABC scheduled a town hall with Biden for the same night, and NBC in has scheduled one with Trump to air at the same time The network was greeted with reaction for the decision
The letter, addressed to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, and NBCU News Group chairman Cesar Conde, states: “This is not a partisan issue This is about the political health of our democracy « They continue, » You allow the president’s bad behavior while undermining the Presidential Debate Commission and doing a disservice to the American public. « The letter further suggests that » this kind of indifference to standards and rules of our democracy is what brought our country into this perilous state »
The letter concludes: « We are simply asking that NBC air President’s Town Hall before or after Vice President Biden’s so that US voters can have a chance to watch both »
We are a group of writers, actors, directors and producers Many of us have been fortunate enough to work for NBCUniversal at some point in our careers Some of us are currently employed in your studio We have always thought of NBC Universal as both a formidable creative house and a brand that represents the best in broadcast and entertainment journalism
This is why we were devastated to learn that you chose to air out President Trump’s Town Hall this Thursday evening at 8 p.m., right in front of Vice President Biden’s Town Hall
President Trump refused to participate in the virtual debate scheduled for Thursday evening by the Presidential Debate Commission By agreeing to broadcast his town hall in counter-programming against Vice President Biden’s town hall on ABC, you are allowing the bad behavior of the president while undermining the Presidential Debate Commission and doing a disservice to the American public
We believe that this kind of indifference to the norms and rules of our democracy is what has brought our country into this perilous state
We’re just asking NBC to air President’s Town Hall before or after Vice President Biden’s so that American voters can have a chance to watch both
We understand the necessities of business, especially in these difficult times But we believe there are broader issues of civic responsibility at play here
Aaron SorkinAbbi JacobsonAdam McKayAdam ScottAlex BarnowAllison JanneyAllison TolmanAmy LippmanAmy SchumerAubrey PlazaAva DuVernayAyelet WaldmanBen StillerBilly EichnerBilly PorterBrendan GallChelsea HandlerChris BishopChris MeloniChrisian MillerChris BishopChris MeloniChrisman Hempiel Falcon MissyChris MelanChris MelanChris Michan MisvanChris Melvan GoodmanDavid GoyerDavid GuggenheimDavid KohanDebra MessingDonald FaisonEly HenryEmily GordonEric GuggeheimGreg BerlantiJJ AbramsJason MooreJennifer YaleJill KnoxJim ParriottJoe MantelloJon CryerJon HammJon HuertasJosh GadJosh SingerJoss WhedonJulianne MooreJulie MartinJulie PlecJustin HartleyKeith PowellKen OlinKenya BarrisKevin HagemanKumail NanjianiLaeta KalogridisLatoya MorganMandy MooreMarc GuggenheimMarjorie DavidMariska HargitayMarti NoxonMartin GeroMatthew LopezMax MutchnickMichael ChabonMichael GreenMalcolm SpellmanMichele FazekasMilo VentimigliaNeal BaerNicholas StollerNicole YorkinOtmara MarreroParvesh CheenaPatton OswaltPhil LordPreacher LawsonRobert KingRobert KirkmanRyan MurphySamuel BaumSarah SchechterSarah SilvermanSarah TreemSeth Grahame-SmithSeth MacFarlaneSeth RogenShakina NayfackSophia BushSterling K MarronSunil NayirSusan Kelechi WatsonTaraTvisomters FreudTaylor Tessan Kelechi WatsonTaraTvisomters FreudTerry Kellechi WatsonTaraTvisomters FreudTerry TaylorTara Butters Kaiser Kelechi WatsonTaraTvisomters FreudTerry Kellechi Watson
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NBC, Donald Trump, NBCUniversal, This Is Us, Mariska Hargitay
World news – US – Sterling K Brown, Chris Meloni, Sophia Bush and more stars ask on NBC to move time slot to Trump’s town hall TV guide
