As previously reported on Poker News Daily, the story about the online poker scandals was rumored to air on the CBS news program “60 Minutes” this Sunday, October 26th. However, when prompted for confirmation by PND, show producers declined to verify the air date, instead saying that the content of the October 26th edition of the program had not yet been determined. 60 Minutes often airs current news content in addition to feature stories.
Show producers stated that the content for the upcoming week is often determined on Thursdays. At press time, its website only listed the content for the October 19th installment, which aired last Sunday night. Stories on Afghanistan, Bank of America, and bullfighting took center stage last week and the show typically airs three features. Recently, 60 Minutes correspondents have also focused on the economic crisis in the United States, the details of the $700 billion bailout that was passed by Congress, and an in-depth look at Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
The news program has been making waves in the online poker world. CBS News officials have already interviewed Harrah’s executives as well as those involved with the recent legal actions in Kentucky. Prominent poker players have been interviewed, leaving the door wide open for a variety of topics to be discussed when the online poker story airs.
The scandals at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker were originally slated to take center stage. The former room has until November 3rd to “commence refunding all players accounts found to have been adversely affected by the cheating of individuals under the control and supervision of the licensee,” according to a mandate issued by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which is the regulatory body that oversees Ultimate Bet. The site must also “remove any and all persons deemed as ‘unsuitable’ by the KGC from all involvement with the company, which shall include all levels of ownership, management and operation.”
Meanwhile, 60 Minutes could also choose to focus on the recent actions by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, whose seizure order of 141 internet gambling domain names was upheld in a Franklin courtroom by Judge Thomas Wingate last week. That, combined with the upcoming World Series of Poker Main Event final table resuming on November 9th, could make for a very timely feature on the show.
60 Minutes airs at 7:00pm ET every Sunday on CBS. It celebrated its 40th anniversary last month and is one of the longest-running television programs in history. It’s also one of the most decorated, having won four Emmy awards. Correspondents include a star-studded list of journalists including Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Steve Kroft, Lara Logan, Scott Pelley, Charlie Rose, Morley Safer, Bob Simon, Lesley Stahl, and Andy Rooney, who closes out the show with a weekly commentary.
We’ll have more for you right here on Poker News Daily after the show’s segments are released, which typically occurs on Thursday.
60 Minutes has released this week’s lineup, and the online poker story isn’t there.