On Wednesday, November 15, Fox Broadcasting announced that on Monday, November 27th and Wednesday November 29th at 9pm (PST) both nights the FOX Network will be airing an interview with OJ Simpson. This interview, conducted by ReganBooks Publisher Judith Regan will be in advance of the November 30th release of a new book by OJ Simpson called: If I Did It.
We understand that FOX broadcasting did not pay OJ Simpson to do this interview, but in the interest of full disclosure, ReganBooks is a subsidiary of HarperCollins, which is part of the News Corporation who also owns Fox Broadcasting and it has been alleged that Regan Books has paid Simpson $3.5M to write “If I did it”.
This book or this accompanying interview should not be a surprise to anyone who is vaguely familiar with Ms. Regan, who first became famous writing books such as, Little Girl Lost (Drew Barrymore) and I Can't Believe I Said That! (Kathy Lee Gifford).
Ms. Regan is arguably the most influential (in regards to number of books sold) publisher in the world and is responsible for many books on controversial figures such as Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern and of course, Jenna Jameson's best selling title, How To Make Love Like a Porn Star.
Although we have not seen this book, nor have we seen any footage of this program, sources have told us that both the book and the Fox interview will contain explicit descriptions from Simpson of how the murders of Ron Goldman and OJ Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown were carried out and how the murderer left the scene of the crime without being caught. This is the worst possible nightmare scenario for the “double-jeopardy” protection provided by our legal system.
As soon as the announcement about the OJ interview was announced, the phone lines and e-mails at FOX6 lit up…here are a few actual examples of the type of e-mails we have received (no names or e-mail addresses to protect privacy):
“You have got to be the lowest, sickest group of newscasters in the entire world. How dare you insult the families of his victims and air such disgusting trash! As a reporting station, you should be ashamed of the tactics used to get more viewers. OJ is a hard core, cold-hearted piece of you-know-what and you are telling the whole world you approve”!
“I think to even acknowledge that O.J. is still out there, and flaunting the fact that he got away with murder is unforgivable. Shame on you for giving him another moment in the spotlight”.
“I have been a Fox fan for years. I have trusted the honesty & standards of your reporting, so I have to ask - Have you lost your freakin heads??? Giving OJ television air time on "How I would Have done it (killing wife" What are you thinking?? I cannot find the words to express my outrage in your decision to do this. You have just gone lower than any other news station. I am bitterly disappointed in your decision”.
“You are the biggest bunch of idiotic, hypocritical, fools I have ever seen. You are being punked and played…to air an interview with a liar and murderer and then allow him to tell everyone how he killed his wife and an innocent bystander, but then hide behind saying, “if I did it” , only allows a human scum to have publicity that no one should ever hear again.”
"I am disgusted by your decision to air the OJ Simpson "If I did It" story. You are proving to the community that your only God is money! Seriously, disgusting and everyone who works there should feel shame for working for such a scum bag company".
I have answered these e-mails privately, but I thought it was appropriate to take a moment and write this response to all of our viewers who are concerned about the decision by FOX to air this interview.
First, we at FOX6 do share your concerns about this type of program. In fact, I have no doubt that we reacted much like everyone else did when we heard the news about the OJ interview on Tuesday (11/14) afternoon…we were shocked.
Like most of our viewers, I was very concerned that this "alleged" murderer (In February 1997 OJ Simpson was convicted of the murders of his wife and Goldman in a civil trial) would have any type of public forum and I strongly expressed our opposition to the program directly to the executives at the Fox Network multiple times since the announcement. It is hard to believe that OJ can have a public voice, or worse, the court system would allow him to continue to escape justice.
Unfortunately, the OJ program is just another sad chapter and damning commentary on the period of time in which we currently reside. We live in a world where the "personal lives of famous people" seem to be at the forefront of the public’s interest. This is why Magazines such as People, US, The Star, National Enquirer, and other “gossip” trades sell so many copies each week, while Time, Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report and even Sport Illustrated continue to lose circulation.
The degrading of our society to the lowest common denominator is also why movies with offensive themes such as Borat, JackAss and SawIII have been #1 at the Movie Box-Office and why anti-establishment, anti-social video games such as Grand Theft Auto, which show police killed and women raped can sell many millions of videos games. This is also why we are besieged with negative political ads. Despite protestations to the contrary, they work, which is why they continue to proliferate and amazingly, get worse.
Remember, this OJ interview is NOT a FOX6 originated program. As the FOX affiliate in San Diego, we are obligated to carry this program because we have a FOX Affiliate contract. Frankly, it seems very likely based on the massive amount of publicity and attending emotion on this subject that a large number of viewers, despite their disgust and protestations, will watch this interview.
However, it is certainly each viewer’s right to “vote” on this program by not watching, just as our viewers have voted YES by watching our FOX6 in the Morning and our 10pm news…as well as many of our other great FOX shows and sports.
Currently, we are still investigating all of our options but if we do air these interviews, they will air without any local commercials and they will contain PSA’s to support Victims Rights and Abused Women’s Organizations. IMPORTANT: FOX 6 IS NOT MAKING ANY MONEY FROM THIS PROGRAM, IN FACT, WE ARE LOSING MONEY WITH NO COMMERCIALS OR ADVERTISEMENTS.
We would suggest that you make your feelings known by contacting FOX NETWORK directly at: (310) 369-3066, or askfox@fox.com
Let’s speak frankly, no matter what “spin” is put on this interview, the mere fact that OJ is able to have this type of national forum is both deplorable and disgusting. At the very best, it is very disconcerting. I can only hope that through OJ’s apparently overwhelming personal conceit and arrogance and his seemingly unquenchable desire to stay in the spotlight, he will slip up during the interview and say something that will lead to some type of justice for his crimes.
However, no matter what happens or to put it in his words, does not happen to OJ in this mortal life, one fact is very clear. Just like every person who has lived on earth, someday OJ Simpson will stand at the pleasing bar of God, and at that time no amount of lies or clever, high-paid lawyers will be able to prevent him from being judged correctly and fairly for his actions.