Steve Capus profile..
The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz has a profile of NBC News President Steve Capus…
When he finally got home, close to midnight, on the night that his network aired part of the Virginia Tech killer’s video, Steve Capus felt drained.
“I was pretty numb,” the NBC News president says. “I definitely felt the pressure.”
In the space of seven days this month, the once lesser-known executive found himself in the maelstrom of two emotionally charged, fiercely debated controversies: whether Don Imus should remain on the air and whether Seung Hui Cho’s final recorded words should be broadcast to the world. In the face of an enormous backlash over Cho’s hate-filled video, Capus flew to Chicago last week and defended himself on “Oprah” — an unusually public posture for a man who generally labors in relative anonymity.
“I’m more comfortable behind the scenes,” admits Capus, 43.
Even as critics accused him of caving to pressure in dropping MSNBC’s simulcast of the Imus show — and, later, of giving a mass murderer the infamy he craved — Capus won plaudits at 30 Rock for his consensus-building style.
Are there not rumors that CNN is going to dump Howard Kurtz’s show? Good time for a fawning interview with the guy that can hire him at MS-NBC.
Comment by Obama in 08! — April 30, 2007 @ 11:31 am
That article is such garbage… Capus is a big baby who is in way over his head. He made horrible decisions on Imus and VA Tech– and the worst part of it all, he was willing to go on TV and talk about it. The guy couldn’t even be a good news director in local.
Comment by gimmie-a-break — April 30, 2007 @ 11:54 am
I don’t see Kurtz as being that calculating. I do think he’s wrong a lot, but he’s not one to pander.
Comment by erljr — April 30, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
What were his bad decision with Imus and Va Tech. I just want to hear what you have to say on this.
Comment by Randy — April 30, 2007 @ 4:02 pm