ABC News apologizes for false promotion of O.J. Simpson civil trial deposition tapes

ABC News has been promoting its airing of deposition tapes from O.J. Simpson’s civil trial as being seen for the first time since they were recorded in 1996.

But had ABC News done a bit more digging, it would have learned that the tapes first aired on NBC’s “Dateline� in 1999. The news division had to issue an apology Friday for the erroneous claim.

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FOR THE RECORD

Sept. 25, 10 a.m.: An earlier version of this article stated that ABC News is airing the O.J. Simpson civil trial deposition tapes for the first time since they were recorded in 1996. This article corrects the previous report.

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“We were wrongly under the impression these deposition tapes were exclusive and had not aired before at length,� an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement. “We learned this morning portions did air 15 years ago. We apologize for the mistake.�

The airing of the tapes, scheduled for Friday night’s edition of the news magazine “20/20� was heavily touted in on-air promos and by Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos during Friday’s edition of “Good Morning America.�

The Times also reported that ABC was airing the tapes for the first time after being in storage for nearly 20 years, based on information provided by the network and an interview with “20/20� coanchor Elizabeth Vargas, who is scheduled to present the video and related interviews on the program.

However once “GMA� aired Friday, NBC News executives quickly noted that the tapes have aired before, most recently in a June 11, 2014, edition of “Dateline NBC� and in a 14 1/2 minute segment that ran on the program on June 15, 1999.

“Dateline NBC� tweaked ABC News over the matter in a tweet.

“@DatelineNBC: Oh, hey @abc2020 @GMA partying like it’s 1999! Check out #Dateline logo from first time we aired the tapes! #retro.�

A linked image shows a “Dateline� logo using an image of O.J. Simpson from the deposition tape that is nearly identical what has appeared in ABC’s recent “20/20� promos.

When Simpson testified in the 1996 wrongful-death suit brought by the families of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, there were no cameras in the courtroom.

Live TV coverage of Simpson’s 1995 murder trial, in which he was found not guilty, became a media circus, so the plaintiffs’ attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, moved to keep cameras out of the civil proceedings. But hours of Simpson’s pre-trial deposition statements were recorded on video.

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ABC News had claimed the VHS tapes were gathering dust for years in the basement garage of the Westside law office where Petrocelli questioned Simpson and other witnesses in the civil trial. Documentary filmmakers Steven Auerbach, Chuck Braverman and Lawrence Schiller learned about them through Petrocelli, and featured extensive footage in their documentaries about the Simpson case that will air next week on cable networks A&E and LMN.

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio