CBS Draws Fire for Airing Clips of Rapist's Videos
CBS aired an excerpt Wednesday night of videotapes that convicted rapist Andrew Luster made of his sexual encounters with drugged victims, provoking anger from victims' families and fueling the latest debate over the ethics and legality of increasingly coarse prime-time TV programs.
The broadcast came as the networks' sweeps season, which ends Wednesday, is building to a salacious, true-crime flourish. Critics say the networks are engaging in a feeding frenzy for celebrity-based crime stories at a time when the news divisions' energies are needed for the possibility of war in the Persian Gulf.
In addition to the Luster broadcast on "48 Hours Investigates," television has been awash in Michael Jackson's exploits. And next week, ABC's jailhouse interview with murder suspect Robert Blake is scheduled to air opposite CBS' exclusive with "Preppy Murderer" Robert Chambers.
CBS' decision to air excerpts of Luster's tapes angered relatives of some of his victims. Two victims cooperated with the broadcast but were unaware that the network had copies of the tapes.
"I think it is appalling," said the mother of one victim who cooperated. The mother spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid identifying her daughter.
"These girls have been through enough. If [the news crew] honestly found these tapes, they should have turned them over to the district attorney's office and not used them for their TV ratings."
Susan Zirinsky, executive producer of "48 Hours," acknowledged that the Luster tapes are graphic but insisted that the network is being "extremely judicious in what we are showing," focusing not on the women's faces or sex acts but on what Luster is saying.
"We were extremely conscious of the privacy issues involved and have taken great pains not to show anything that would embarrass any of the girls," said Betsy West, CBS News' senior vice president of prime time.
West added that despite the pressure of February sweeps, "We would never do anything to compromise our journalistic integrity."
The show included a tape of Luster sitting on a bed with a woman lying behind him, facing away from the camera. As the tape continues, Luster stands up and leans over the bed, touching the back of the girl's upper leg and pulling up her skirt. The clip ends in mid-motion.
"I dream about this. A strawberry blond, beautiful girl passed out on my bed and basically there to do whatever I choose," Luster says on the tape.
- CBS, Luster's Mother Face 2nd Suit Jan 30, 2004
- CBS Faces 2nd Suit Over Televising of Luster Video Jan 30, 2004
- Woman in Luster Case Sues CBS Over Video Jan 22, 2004
