PBS is defending it decision to broadcast old stock footage during its July 4 special Monday evening, saying the choice to air a pre-taped firework display during a live event in the nation’s capital was “the patriotic thing to do.”
“We are very proud of the 2016 A Capitol Fourth celebration,” the group said Tuesday as viewers continued to complain about its editing choices. “Because this year’s fireworks were difficult to see due to weather, we made the decision to intercut fireworks footage from a previous A Capitol Fourth concerts for the best possible television viewing experience. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”
The weather conditions in Washington, D.C., Monday evening were not ideal for broadcasting a live fireworks display, as the city was encased in a thick blanket of fog and low clouds. PBS responded to the inclement weather by including footage of firework displays from years past in its broadcast of a live concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
The news group failed, however, to disclose that it was showing old video alongside the live July 4 performance. But it wasn’t long before audiences noticed that the images carried by PBS did not match with the actual weather conditions around the capital.
“[W]hat PBS is showing right now is a lie – you can’t see the fireworks, it’s all clouds and rain,” pollster and Fox News contributor Frank Luntz said on social media during the show.
The news group confirmed its broadcasting decision after the event had concluded, and explained on social media, “We showed a combination of the best fireworks from this year and previous years. It was the patriotic thing to do.”
Viewers were still disappointed, and many complained that they felt the news group had engaged in a willful deception by showing old footage alongside the live event without clearly stating that it was doing so.
It was “the Milli Vanilli of fireworks,” the Washington Posts’ Paul Schwartzman quipped.
Another added, “Thanks for this, could have been announced at the time. Journalistic ‘freedom’ starts with small ‘corrections.'”
Representatives for PBS did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
