November 17, 1992 –
Dateline NBC aired a report titled Waiting to Explode? questioning the safety of some General Motors trucks, on this date. To try to ensure dramatic footage, the show’s producers allowed incendiary devices to be strapped to trucks for a crash-test demonstration.
When GM discovered the setup, the carmaker sued NBC for defamation and temporarily removed its ads from the network’s news programs. The Dateline anchors Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips were ordered to read a 3.5-minute on-air apology to viewers and GM.
The Haus of Dcaligari 