‘America’s Got Talent’

An e-mailer noticed “alarmingly professional signs being waved behind Matt and Campbell” on the Today Show this morning. He writes: “In the first minute of so of Matt Lauer‘s interview with Ron Suskind (7:12), a man waves a sign in the very upper left-hand corner as Suskind speaks. See how it has the official NBC logo, the official NBC logo for its show ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and I think the words below say ‘Series Premiere’ and ‘Wednesday 8/7 Central.’ This sign guy does not wave it like a maniac for the whole segment. He puts it up, tries to edge into the shot and subtly moves the sign (it seemed a little glossy, giving off a flash of reflection.)

Then at 7:48, there’s two guys with official-looking NBC signs, standing side by side, perfectly between Campbell and her dog security expert. Again, the signs aren’t up for the whole segment, and they seem to rise up from the sidewalk when the two-shot arrives.

This also seems awfully convenient when Regis Philbin came on and plugged the Wednesday premiere later in the show, along with the show’s judges, and some contestants, and on and on.”

So were they audience members? Paid volunteers? Staffers? Do other networks employ similar tactics?…

> Update: 3:40pm: “They had guys dressed up in suits holding up briefcases that said Heist, an NBC show that started in March,” an e-mailer says…