If I Didn't Do It, Here's How It Didn't Happen

Newsday.com
November 20, 2006

In a surprise move, News Corporation has pulled the plug on both the forthcoming O.J. Simpson book and a scheduled two-part interview special that was to air next week. In a statement released a few minutes ago, News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch said, "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project. We are sorry for any pain this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown-Simpson."

News of the book, "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened" - one of those as-told-to tomes in which Simpson was reportedly going to muse on how he might have killed his wife and her friend - caused an immediate firestorm, both within Fox and outside. Commentators on the Fox News Channel, like Bill O'Reilly, lambasted the decision to publish as well as air the companion special while there was believed to a considerable amount of teeth gnashing off-screen as well. In a matter of just a few days, the planned TV special had done considerable damage to the Fox network's relationship with affiliates - some of whom had planned to spike the two-part interview, scheduled for Nov. 27 and 29. Tribune's Fox affiliates as well as Sinclair's Fox affiliates were believed close to canceling plans to air the special as well.

Exactly what Simpson was to say in the book - scheduled for release late next week - remains shrouded in mystery. Most observers assumed he would stop short of a confession because that would have him subject to further prosecution (although he can not be charged in criminal court again.) News Corp. publishing unit, Reganbooks, was believed to have paid Simpson $3.5 million; that figure - of course - doesn't' include cost of printing and marketing, which means News Corps' total lost from the double-cancellation will be a multiple of that figure.