THE PLAYER.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY, IT
IS STUDIO M, WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 8TH, 2021, NORMALLY
DURING THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM WE
START BY SHOWING OUTSIDE SHOT OF
OUR ALL-AMERICAN CHRISTMAS TREE
ON FOX SQUARE BUT LAST NIGHT,
SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, SOMEBODY
CLIMBED UP IN THE TREE AND LIT
IT ON FIRE.
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT
LIKE ARSON.
RIGHT NOW THERE IS SOMEBODY WHO
IS IN CUSTODY AND IS BEING
INTERVIEWED BY LOCAL POLICE.
AINSLEY: WHO SETS A CHRISTMAS
TREE ON FIRE?
BRIAN: IT’S JUST PART OF THE
RAMPANT NO CITY IS SAFE, NO
PERSON IS SAFE FROM THE SUBWAY
ON DOWN.
HERE YOU ARE 48TH AND 6TH.
MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN, IT’S BECOME
A TOURIST ATTRACTION.
EVERY YEAR IT GETS MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE.
AND JUST ONE PSYCHO GOES UP,
IGNITES THIS THING.
THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE EXCELLENT
SECURITY WITHIN TWO SECONDS HE
WAS TACKLED TO THE GROUND.
HE WAS SUBDUED.
AND THEN THEY FIND OUT HE IS
UNDER ARREST RIGHT NOW, MASSIVE
INVESTIGATIONS THROUGH THE NIGHT
THAT TOOK PLACE JUST AFTER
MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT.
SHANNON BREAM’S SHOW WAS
COVERING IT FROM WASHINGTON,
D.C.
AINSLEY: SO SAD.
WE HAVE SECURITY TAPE AROUND THE
TREE RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU WALK IN.
NO MORE MUSIC, NO MORE TREE.
BRIAN: YEAH.
AINSLEY: INFURIATING.
BRIAN: IT TELLS THE BIGGER
STORY.
THIS CITY IS SO OUT OF CONTROL.
AINSLEY: SO OUT OF CONTROL.
CITY USED TO LOVE.
BRIAN: YESTERDAY WE ARE COVERING
STORY ABOUT RECALL PALACE RAIDS
IN CALIFORNIA.
48TH AND SIXTH THIS IS A TOURIST
ATTRACTION FROM AROUND THE
GLOBE.
AND THEY SIT THERE AND THEY HAVE
THIS ONE LUNATIC WHO IS ABLE TO
PENETRATE IN AND IN A MATTER OF
SECONDS IGNITE THAT TREE ON
FIRE.
THANK GOODNESS THERE IS NOT
OTHER STRUCTURES AROUND IT.
BUT OUR WHOLE LOBBY WAS FULL OF
SMOKE EVIDENTLY.
>> THINK ABOUT IT, WHO TO
AINSLEY’S EARLIER POINT WHO SETS
A CHRISTMAS TREE ON FIRE.
AINSLEY: A TREE TOE UNITES US,
BRINGS US TOGETHER.
IT’S ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.
IT’S ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
IT’S ABOUT JESUS, IT’S ABOUT
HANUKKAH.
EVERYTHING WE STAND FOR AS A
COUNTRY.
FREEDOM AND BEING ABLE TO
WORSHIP THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO
WORSHIP.
IT MAKES ME SO MAD.
STEVE: WELL IT, DOES.
IT GOES TO THE LARGER ISSUE OF
SAFETY.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING FOR A VERY
LONG TIME THIS TIME THIS CITY
HAS GONE SOUTH WHEN IT COMES TO
SAFETY.
WE DON’T FEEL SAFE WHEN WE COME
TO WORK IN THE MORNING.
WE DON’T FEEL SAFE WHEN WE GO
HOME AT NIGHT FINANCE JUST ONE
OF THOSE THINGS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SYMBOL.
SO MANY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THIS YESTERDAY.
THROUGH THE YEARS, HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS HAVE COME
TO NEW YORK CITY TO CELEBRATE
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND THEY
WALK UP AND DOWN FIFTH AVENUE.
AINSLEY: ALL WE HAVE LEFT,
RIGHT?
STEVE: THEY LOOK AT THE LIGHTS.
TODAY THERE ARE NO LIGHTS
BECAUSE SOMEBODY BURNED DOWN OUR
CHRISTMAS TREE.
BRIAN: I HOPE WE PUT IT BACK.
AINSLEY: I HOPE WE BUILD IT BACK
BIGGER AND BETTER.
BRIAN: CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING.
AINSLEY: LET’S DO ANOTHER
LIGHTING.
I AGREE.
BRIAN: EARLY INDICATIONS ARE THE
GUY IS PSYCHO.
AINSLEY: HOMELESS?
BRIAN: HOW SOON UNTIL HE IS OUT
AGAIN?
THERE IS A COMBINATION OF WHO DO
WHAT YOU WANT, DEFAME, DEFUND
THE POLICE.
THEN YOU GO INTO -- GET
PROCESSED AND BEFORE THE
PAPERWORK COULD EVEN BE DONE YOU
ARE OUT AGAIN.
HOW SOON UNTIL THIS PSYCHO IS
OUT GOTTEN BURN SOMEBODY ELSE’S
TREE COUNSEL OR GRAB SOME WEAPON
AND HARASS SOMEBODY IN THE
SUBWAY.
STEVE: WELL, WE DON’T KNOW THE
SPHSK DETAILS YET THE POLICE
REPORT HAS BEEN FILED.
WE JUST KNOW WHAT SOME OF OUR
SECURITY HAS SAID.
WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS DAY
BREAKS AND THE LIGHT COMES UP
AND THE SUN COMES UP, WE WILL BE
ABLE TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT