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4.23.2001 00:05
NBC's Today show
will shine the spotlight
on Cianci's indictment
• Television crews from the morning news show spent three days in Providence interviewing the mayor and others, and the result is set to air tomorrow.
BY ANDY SMITH
Journal Television Writer
Plunder Dome goes national tomorrow.
The
Today
show on NBC is scheduled to air a story on Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., who was indicted April 2 on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and extortion.
Today
spokeswoman Allison Gollust said the Cianci segment, which will run about seven minutes, should air during the first half-hour of tomorrow's show, between 7 and 7:30 a.m. (That could change, though, if there's breaking news.)
John O'Rourke, who produced the Cianci story, said recent publicity the city has received for the resurgence of downtown, combined with Cianci's outsized personality, made the mayor's indictment a national story.
O'Rourke said NBC crews spent three days in Rhode Island, April 9, 10 and 11.
During that time, they followed Cianci to a series of public appearances, checked out Arlene Violet's talk show on WHJJ-AM, went to Brown University, spoke to people on the streets of downtown Providence and interviewed Providence Journal columnist M. Charles Bakst.
Today
cohost Matt Lauer, who worked at Channel 10 as cohost of
PM Magazine
from 1981 to 1985, came to town for a face-to-face interview with Cianci.
"The mayor defended himself vigorously," said O'Rourke. "He was quotable, he was impassioned -- he was the Buddy Cianci that you all know."
O'Rourke interviewed Bakst at The Journal's news library in downtown Providence.
The columnist compared Cianci to engaging political scoundrels from American history -- Boston Mayor James Michael Curley, Louisiana Governor Huey Long -- and predicted that Cianci will eventually plead guilty and resign from office.
Bakst, who has written that Cianci should resign immediately, repeated that call to O'Rourke, saying Cianci doesn't have the luxury of being both mayor and a defendant.
O'Rourke asked if there was any evidence that Cianci's troubles were damaging the city.
"Well, the first indication is that you're here doing the story," Bakst said.
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