Bill Cosby Guilty Verdict Washes Over TV Landcape

Bill Cosby Guilty Verdict Washes Over TV Landcape

ABC, CBS and NBC broke into their programming Thursday afternoon to announce a jury had found America’s TV Dad guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in a Philadelphia suburb in 2004.

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CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel, meanwhile, took a break from their wall-to-wall coverage of Ronny Jackson’s scuttled VA Secretary bid, the confirmation of CIA chief Mike Pompeo as the country’s 60th, and Donald Trump’s second, Secretary of State, and the tribulations of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michel Cohen, to cover the historic Cosby news.

The 80-year-old actor, one of the most popular actors in the history of television, faces up to 10 years in prison on each of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and then sexually assaulting the former employee with Temple University’s women’s basketball team when she visited his home seeking career advice. Cosby was a trustee at Temple.

“He’s already in his 80’s, if he does serve jail time he could serve the rest of his life in jail,” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer marveled of the icon, while contributor Laura Coates mulled whether this jury having been younger made a difference in the outcome, versus last year’s hung jury.

MSNBC’s Katy Tur called it an “incredible day” and the verdict “groundbreaking,” noting this jury may also have been swayed because this trial five other accusers were allowed to testify about their own experience with Cosby, unlike the previous trial.

Fox News Channel’s Shep Smith told viewers several of Cosby’s accusers began crying in the courtroom when the verdict was ready, one of whom had to be escorted from the room because she was so overcome with emotion, while Constand appeared “serene” and that CNN stayed nearly emotionless.

That is, until he shouted “He doesn’t have a plane you asshole!” at the prosecutor who wanted his bail revoked calling him a flight risk because he owns a plane.

ABC News broke in with David Muir anchoring and reporting from Correspondent Linsey Davis, and analysis from The View co-host and Senior Legal Correspondent Sunny Hostin. Lester Holt anchored an NBC News Special Report on the verdict for that network. And CBS News broke in with Jeff Glor anchoring from New York and Jericka Duncan outside the courthouse.

Broadcasters exited the story quickly, while cable news networks stuck like glue as Montgomery County, PA District Attorney Kevin Steele held his victory lap presser, saying he hopes this verdict “sends a strong message so victims of these types of crimes know they can come forward and be heard.” Fox New Channel split the screen with an overhead view of Cosby’s estate.