Ms. Walters told ABC executives that Ms. Hilton's father, Rick Hilton, after getting the ABC offer last Sunday, called back Wednesday to say that the interview would go to a competitor, because at $100,000 ABC was "not even in the same galaxy" in terms of what was being offered. [...]
As ABC representatives described the conversation, Mr. Hilton told Ms. Walters, "It is a money issue." He was also reported to have said that Paris Hilton had made the decision to go with NBC and that she had chosen to speak with Meredith Vieira and not Matt Lauer because she believed that Mr. Lauer had previously made remarks about her she considered disparaging.Ms. Walters questioned the decision, the ABC representatives said, noting that the Hilton side previously emphasized that Ms. Hilton's credibility was the paramount issue in the decision to be interviewed. But ABC said Mr. Hilton replied, "Nobody turns down money like this."
An actual amount was not discussed, but Ms. Walters told ABC that based on her previous conversations with the Hilton representatives, she believed that the offer from NBC surpassed $750,000.
NBC executives would not confirm yesterday that they had any agreement with Ms. Hilton at all.
While NBC remains coy about their victory, TMZ reports that they have already assigned the code-word "Rome" to the secret project, a choice that is perfectly evocative of the spectacular collapse of a decadent, orgy-loving society that will be initiated by the first tear that breaks free from the corner of Hilton's quivering eye, right before she tells a sympathetic Meredith Vieira about how her $40k-per-day experience has, "Like, totally made me realize how lucky I am? You know?"
- ABC Says It Was Outbid for Paris Hilton Interview [NY Times]
- Previously: Report: NBC Paying $1 Million To Record Paris Hilton's First Post-Jail Crocodile Tears [Defamer]
Defamer
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Who do you think is the most "fascinating" of Barbara Walters' List of the Most Fascinating People of 2008?
Barack Obama
Tom Cruise
Sarah Palin
Frank Langella
"Pregnant Man" Thomas Beatie
Rush Limbaugh
Tina Fey
Miley Cyrus
Michael Phelps
Will Smith
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