Thursday, November 09, 2006

Diva Moment? Spin? Or, A Joke?

Lots of Nashville celebrities have come to Faith's defense in today's Nashville Tennessean: "Hill's joke misunderstood, stars say."

Martina McBride said that Hill is one of the most supportive entertainers of other singers, both superstars and new acts, in country music: "She sent me flowers the day of the show wishing me luck." McBride said that she was unaware that the camera was on her, too, during the announcement. "I didn't know I was on a split screen on TV," she said. "Usually, they bring the camera there on all the nominees so that when they announce the winner, they will have a camera on whoever wins. You think they are just on the person who is onstage reading the announcement. Obviously, any time there is a camera on you, you should assume that it is on. The thing that is so shocking is that you are in this business for so long and you give interviews and you think people know who you are. All of a sudden people assume the worst about you because of some innocent, naive goofing-around thing you did backstage. "The fact that people can know about you and then change their minds on the basis of two seconds of television that is misinterpreted is scary," she said. "It can happen to any of us."

It looks like writer Beverly Keel was unable to get Faith for a quote. Country radio in the last 24 hours has been trying frantically to reach out to her for interviews too. What country radio shows, networks or radio stations did Faith talk to Tuesday morning?

WSIX's Gerry House said Tuesday that she was the topic on Imus in New York. Hats off to Tim for being immediately available to Gerry and to Don's team for being on top of the day's buzz.

It has now been 48 hours. Has Faith done any country stations or syndicated shows as yet? Wouldn't it have been wise to be extremely available, with perhaps a telephone press conference for everyone or, at least, a satellite radio tour for country morning shows? Did her PR people suggest this? What's next as "Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood Vie for People's Choice Award?"

Note to those PR people and her record label exec's: GW was doing a press conference within hours of the GOP 'thumpin' at the polls.

Smart.

Faith should have done the same thing as soon as possible on Tuesday.

Country fans and radio are going to talk about it, why not have them doing so with Faith directly, with her personally instead of reacting to it?? Now is not the time to be inaccessible to lots of country radio!

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