Rosie helps her Babs

By Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/13/2000

Ardent Gore-backer Barbra Streisand last Monday got Rosie O'Donnell to air part of a videotape Streisand made in August in which the diva made her pitch for the vice president. ABC, the Friday before, apparently balked at airing much of that tape in a 20/20 interview, and Streisand later told C-SPAN that O'Donnell was a "brave little girl for bucking Warner Bros.,'' implying the studio tried to stop O'Donnell.

Not so, they say. But the syndicator did warn stations of the Streisand utterances, fearful that they might run afoul of equal-time rules. "Warner Bros. and Telepictures have, and always will, support Rosie in her desire to voice her opinion on her show," and that apparently goes for her guests, too.

Warner Bros. hasn't gotten wind of any stations that decided not to air the show because of that segment.