Bill Carter And NBC Prez "Dear Friends"
New York Times T.V. industry reporter Bill Carter, who we assume is out west, terrorizing the Beverly Hilton at the Television Critics Association gathering, gets a thrashing by Radar today. The angriest man on the T.V. beat either misrecollected or lied to Radar's John Cook when being asked about his friendliness with a major T.V. player, NBC/Uni co-chairman Ben Silverman. Caveats first! A good bit of chumminess isn't surprising on the T.V. beat—these are people who have to talk regularly, sometimes daily, and also sources often mistake or conflate professional interest with personal. (Also? Everyone in L.A. thinks you're their "friend." Gag.) But?
As evidence of his appropriately cool relationship with Silverman, Carter volunteered the fact that the two had never met each other's families. "We don't have the trappings of friendship," he said.
In fact, Silverman and Carter have met members of each other's families. As Carter acknowledged in a subsequent interview, Silverman once met Carter's son during a visit to the set of The Office, which Reveille produces. [...] And according to a reliable source, Silverman has told people that Carter has met his mother—a former television executive for Court TV and other networks—and his sister and has described Carter as a "personal friend." (Carter denied meeting Silverman's mother, and said he doesn't recall ever meeting his sister.)
We hear Bill Carter is not happy. But you know what they say about people who talk about people: point one finger and five fingers point back at you. Or three. Something like that.
In any event, should be an innaresting time on Monday, when NBC Uni co-prez Ben Silverman presents at TCA! Fun for all of T.V. land.
