Expect some big ratings from all three network morning shows on Monday. Here’s why:
• ABC — Good Morning America will conduct the “first live television interview and reunion of the captain, crew and passengers of U.S. Airways Flight 1549.” What that means — although Katie Couric already interviewed this group for 60 Minutes, it took place last week. GMA is also devoting the entire first hour of the program to the story. Captain Sully (Chesley Sullenberger), of course, will be the centerpiece of the hour.
• CBS — Well, if GMA is devoting an hour to the story, The Early Show is doubling it and making the Hudson River landing the focus of the entire show. Sully and the entire crew will be on The Early Show after GMA, as will the public debut of a song about the landing by Australian singer Emma Sophina, who was a passenger on the flight.
• NBC — The Today show is going a different route. After being scooped by Couric for the exclusive, the Today show’s big guest will be octuplet mom Nadya Suleman. Ann Curry got the exclusive yesterday (some of which aired during today’s show), and questions were raised whether any money changed hands. NBC’s response: “NBC News does not and will not pay for an interview.”
> Update: ABC just announced Charles Gibson has some Flight 1549-interviews planned as well for Monday. Click continued to see those…
From the ABC release:
On Monday’s ‘World News,’ Charles Gibson will interview Captain Sullenberger, First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, and Flight Attendants Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh, and Donna Dent — all of whom have worked at U.S. Airways for decades. Gibson will also speak to Vincent Lombardi, captain of the Thomas Jefferson, the first New York Waterway ferry to reach the downed plane, and one of his deck hands, Wilfredo Gonzalez, who was involved in the rescue. This will mark the first time the U.S. Airways crew and ferry boat operators have been reunited since the accident.