The parents of Casey Anthony are breaking their silence after their daughter was acquitted of murdering her daughter and their granddaughter Caylee. George and Cindy Anthony won’t be speaking to NBC’s “Today” or ABC’s “Good Morning America,” however, instead they will be talking to daytime chat host Dr. Phil McGraw.
Producers of the show are open about the fact that they will be paying for the interview, although they took great strides to note that the Anthonys will not be benefiting financially from the transaction. Rather the money will go to a non-profit they founded in honor of Caylee.
The move could be a sign of things to come, as ABC moves away from licensing material in exchange for interviews, and the possibility that other TV news outlerts could follow suit.
Syndicated talk shows such as “Dr. Phil,” “Rachael Ray” or the upcoming “Anderson” are not bound by traditional newsroom ethics, so they can pay freely for interviews if they choose to do so. Without the network morning shows to get into a bidding war with, and “Oprah” off the air, the syndicated shows may see a opening to snag some big “gets.”