News channel plays hardball in hero pilot media scrum

Hudson River hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger has become such a hot media commodity that journalists are being restricted from taking pictures of him being introduced to the audience at a Broadway play this weekend.

The pilot and crew who guided US Airways Flight 1549 to a safe landing in the Hudson River last month after its engines failed gave their first extensive interview for CBS’ 60 Minutes programme to be shown tomorrow.

The interview was the subject of tough competition and hard feelings. NBC’s Today show said Captain Sullenberger had promised Matt Lauer the first interview, but that was postponed because of the investigation into the January 15 incident.

When the gag was lifted on the crew, 60 minutes’ Katie Couric emerged the winner.

Along with the interview, CBS and 60 Minutes were given “veto power” over all other media access to the crew before the interview was aired, said James Ray, a spokesman for US Airways’ pilots union.

The Associated Press news agency was invited by a publicist for South Pacific to send photographers and a reporter to the Lincoln Centre today to record the presumed ovation when Mr Sullenberger and his family were to be introduced to other audience members.

But the invitation was withdrawn with the publicist, Philip Rinaldi, saying he was acting at the behest of Mr Sullenberger’s representatives.

Both Mr Ray and a CBS spokesman said they were not aware of the South Pacific invitation.

But he and a publicist representing the flight attendants’ union said they were letting CBS News call the shots on weekend access to the crew.

“Whatever we do on Sunday has to be blessed by CBS,” Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the flight attendants, said.

Kevin Tedesco, a 60 Minutes spokesman, said the Sullenbergers had chosen to tell their story to the newsmagazine.

“Like any news organisation, we want to be the first to broadcast it and CBS News is proud to have our audience be the first to hear their amazing story,” he said.

CBS and Ms Couric also took Mr Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles on board the USS Intrepid yesterday, where they could look out on their water landing pad.

The network showed quotes from that interview on the CBS Evening News, to build anticipation for the 60 Minutes piece.