NBC Keeps Hammering Christie Scandal But Ignores Senate Spending Bill

NBC continued hitting the Christie scandal on Thursday evening while the CBS and ABC evening newscasts have not reported it since Tuesday.

The NBC Nightly News has already given the story a good chunk more [1] coverage than the other network evening news shows, and while it devoted a short segment to the bridge scandal it didn't even have time to report the Senate passing a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill that would avert a government shutdown – something both CBS and ABC reported on Thursday night.

"In New Jersey, there's late word tonight of a widening investigation of the George Washington Bridge scandal involving the administration of Governor Chris Christie," began anchor Brian Williams on Thursday. Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell reported on a special committee that would subpoena documents and persons involved with the case.

As BiasAlert reported [2] on Wednesday, former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw remarked that the American public is ready for the media to "move on" from the Christie story. Neither CBS nor ABC thought the Christie story newsworthy on Thursday.

However, both networks reported the Senate's passing of the budget compromise. As CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley stated:

"Late today, the Senate gave final congressional approval to that compromise $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running past a midnight Saturday night deadline. The measure now goes to the President for his signature."

ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer said, "the Senate has passed a big, new budget deal. The compromise, which effectively avoids another government shutdown."

Below is a transcript of the segment:

NBC
NIGHTLY NEWS
1/16/14
[7:06 p.m. EST]

BRIAN WILLIAMS: In New Jersey, there's late word tonight of a widening investigation of the George Washington Bridge scandal involving the administration of Governor Chris Christie. And subpoenas that are coming out now, almost two dozen people and organizations will be ordered to provide documents to a legislative committee. We get the latest tonight from NBC's Kelly O'Donnell. She is in Trenton. Kelly, good evening.

KELLY O'DONNELL: Good evening, Brian. This is a specially formed committee that has brand new subpoena power and using it, looking for documents like e-mails from 17 individuals and three organizations. I'm told expect that to be the governor's office, his re-election campaign, and the Port Authority. That's more than lawmakers told us to originally expect. Now the governor himself is not being subpoenaed. No names are given right now. Governor Christie spent the day out at the Jersey shore visiting with Hurricane Sandy survivors.

His office has hired a former federal prosecutor. The committee brought in the prosecutor that tried Illinois governor Blagojevich. Governor Christie says that he will not be distracted by this bridge scandal and told constituents nothing will get in the way of his doing his job.