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NBC Boots Top Conservative Pundit Ann Coulter from Today Show, Quickly Rebooks Following Uproar

By Kathleen Gilbert

January 6, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Amid a flurry of outrage, NBC quickly countered rumors that the media outlet had intended to “ban” conservative commentator Anne Coulter from the station when cancelling her appearance on Tuesday's Today Show. The network has now re-booked her for Wednesday's show.

Coulter, who was to promote her book "Guilty," set for release today, was replaced by celebrity reporter Perez Hilton, who recently offered $1,000 to anyone who would throw a pie at Ann Coulter, and is also launching a new book this week.

The Drudge Report caused a stir Tuesday when it proclaimed Coulter had been banned from NBC, reporting that a network insider confirmed, "We are just not going to have her [Coulter] on anymore, it's over."

"We are just not interested in anyone so highly critical of President-elect Obama, right now," said an anonymous insider, according to the Drudge Flash. "It's such a downer. It's just not the time, and it's not what our audience wants, either." 

(To view the Drudge Flash, go to: http://www.drudgereport.com/flashacn.htm)

Media Matters, a liberal organization dedicated to "comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation" in U.S. media, last week condemned Coulter's book, which is harshly critical of the liberal news media bias.  Media Matters questioned, "Is NBC going to help Coulter sell this book?" 

Drudge had confirmed that insiders said the content of Coulter's book was partially to blame for the cancellation, though he stated that other sources denied the reason behind the network's move.

Hours later, however, an NBC spokesman issued a statement to Politico saying that Coulter was not banned. "We’ve had Ann Coulter on 'Today' many times, but because of the news in Washington and the Middle East, we decided to cancel her appearance tomorrow," read the statement. "Understanding the media as well as she does, we are sure she knows this happens from time to time. We look forward to welcoming her back in the future."

Coulter's website proclaimed, "Drudge gets results: Today show changes mind," above a listing of her new appearance times.

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