TV & VIDEO - Dec. 4, 1989

Producer Defends Deletion: A producer at NBC’s “Today” show says that his deletion of an unfavorable reference to General Electric Co. in a report on defective aircraft engine bolts had nothing to do with GE’s ownership of the network. “I definitely wasn’t more careful because GE was involved,” executive producer Marty Ryan told the Washington Post. The original report said that GE, a manufacturer of aircraft engines among other things, accepted defective bolts from a supplier. The report, broadcast Thursday on the network’s morning show, mentioned other manufacturers, and only the portion pertaining to GE was cut, the newspaper said. Ryan said “an expanded spot” about the GE allegations will air on the show next week. Ryan said he pulled the reference to GE because did not think the reporter, Peter Karl of WMAQ-TV in Chicago, had “journalistically (covered) all his bases.” The Chicago station had prepared and originally aired the entire report.