CBS Report Commended

For those who lost someone in the Oklahoma City bombing or for those who simply wished to pay respects by long distance, I thank CBS and commend it for its coverage of the memorial service. Its display of each victim’s photo, name and age was a long, sad process, but it granted each a moment of dignified recognition.

As for the other two networks, it would have been better had they ignored the occasion all together than to offer what seemed like a slap in the face. NBC was the worst: Katie Couric was talking after the moment of silence began, then the network cut away during the reading of the victims’ names. ABC did only slightly better. Although it did not cover the reading of the names, it did at least scroll photos and names after observing the silence.

Perhaps it is a tragedy in itself that NBC, ABC and their sponsors didn’t feel free to spend the time and money to allow these innocents their 10 seconds. Perhaps their “public service” had all been spent on covering O.J.

DEBRA L. WILEY

Inglewood