Didn’t see a second of the Derby. Went online a few hours later and saw the headlines about Eight Belles dying on the track after its second place finish. Instantly, we had to see the video. And there was nothing. Anywhere. How could this be? It was the only thing anyone was talking about, and there’s no footage? Only this morning did we finally see video of the horse crumble and toss its jockey upon breaking both front ankles. No footage of the death.

The big discussion seems to be, why didn’t NBC immediately cut to the horse when it went down? As an NBC producer tells Richard Sandomir: “Had she fallen or broken down? We needed visual confirmation. We didn’t want to speculate. If the incident happens away from the handheld cameras at the finish line, we have to get someone over there.” Apparently, NBC had eight isolated cameras on horses for the race – but not one on Eight Belles, hence there were less options for viewing. That argument, we can buy.

Not sure if we buy the defense offered up in USA Today: “She was writhing. It was gruesome. I elected not to go to it for the simple reason it’s not something I’d like my wife or children at home to see.” This is up for debate. Animal lovers are likely to side with the producer. Though we’ve never produced a live television event, it seems like this was a newsworthy enough moment that NBC bricked on. It’s Saturday afternoon in May. How many women and children are watching a horse race? (Overnight rating: 9.5.) Has Mr. Producer forgotten that CBS is going to air MMA fights later this month, in primetime?

If we were in the truck, here’s our call (obviously much, much easier to make in hindsight): While the 100-second interview with the winner was taking place, quickly brief the announcers that Eight Belles went down, the injury may be grim, but nobody’s sure, there are paramedics on the scene, and we don’t know the extent of the injuries. Make sure they add that the images may not be suitable for young viewers. Then, let the camera speak for itself – occasionally, silence on TV is always a good thing – while repeating, ‘Big Brown won the Derby, but we have a developing situation taking place – Eight Belles bit the dust after the finish line and they’re calling the equine ambulance.’ You can’t leave viewers in the dark about the story of the Derby.

Eight Belle’s death renews debate on track surfaces (Courier Journal)
Death of Eight Belles prompts questions (USA Today)