Our Save Carson volunteers, with their Saltires and the SCB Banner, were spotted a total of 3 times on Friday’s Today Show on NBC (which of course owns Sci Fi Channel). One segment was quite long as Matt Lauer and Ann Curry stood right in front of the banner outside! Here is that segment on YouTube…

Video Proof!

The official Today Show photographer snapped a couple of shots of our volunteers CC, Jenner, and Jenner’s brother, John:

Finally, a couple more screen shots of the various sightings.

We know Joe Mallozzi has reminded fans on his blog that he was expecting Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood, but alas so far they are too busy reporting on Anna Nicole Smith and other trivial matters and haven’t taken us up on our offer yet. We will keep trying but in the meantime will try to convince Joe that we got close enough to meet his challenge!

Jenner Provides a Blow-by-Blow Account

With many thanks to Jenner, here is the long journey that lead to this little victory…

11:00 PM: John and I leave our starting point, Frederick, Maryland, to start the trek to New York City for “the big day”.

11:45 PM: Pick up C.C. in Baltimore on our way to N-Y-C for “the big day”.

2:50 AM: Roll into the Big Apple; traveled approximately 200 miles in 3 hours, a personal record. What can I say? I’m a Washington, D.C. driver.

3:10 AM: Realize the parking garages around Rockefeller Center don’t open until 4 AM. We circle the business district a few times and decide to park (illegally) in front of NBC Studios and the Rainbow Room on 49th Street and people watch. Luckily, we were not towed and destroyed.

4:00 AM: Pull into the most confusing parking garage ever. How we managed to survive the abusive employees boggles my mind. It’s great to be in New York again.

4:05 AM: NBC employees have just started setting up for taping. We decide to find food and a bathroom. And in NYC finding a place with both of those is no small feat.

4:30 AM: Find a great 24 hour pizzeria (with facilities!), get a bite. Make friends with the guys running the place and a few drunks. Welcome to New York City! Love it!

5:05 AM: Head back to Rockefeller Plaza and queue up for the taping. A few girls are in front of us, but we are darn close to the front of the line. I mention how it’s not as cold as I thought it was going to be.

5:30 AM: Wind picks up…..I start to lose feeling in my fingers, despite my gloves. I do mention my feet are still toasty; in fact the rest of me isn’t cold at all.

6:00 AM: Wind picks up more. I begin to feel cold; I use my thin Saltire as a blanket. It does no good.

6:15 AM: My feet begin to lose feeling. I begin to wonder when we are going to be let into the Plaza. I think of how I almost went to LA instead……..

6:30 AM: We are finally allowed to begin filtering in. But not before being searched, frisked by a metal detector wand and present all signage. Told we could not bring in the SCB banner because it had “.com” on it. Luckily another NBC employee tells us just to fold that back. We then proceed in and head to the “sweet spot” the southwest corner of Rockefeller Plaza (according to my research). Upon our arrival we see someone has brought in a sign with a 1-800 number on it. Hilarious. We can’t have “.com” but someone can advertise real estate.

7:00 AM: Today goes live and taping begins. For a brief moment adrenaline hits and I am no longer cold.

7:01 AM: I realize that may be hypothermia setting in…..no wait…the cold feeling returns.

7:30 AM: Still outside waiting for “the moment”.

7:45 AM: Still waiting……

8:00 AM: The camera pans outside and we are shown! We wave the Saltires and yell; “Save Carson!” as the camera rolls by. Again, for a brief moment I am no longer cold.

8:01 AM: Cold again.

8:15 AM: Begin to wonder when Matt is going to come out! The people around me keep asking if I am Canadian or Scottish thanks to my headband and flag. I get tired of saying no, so I begin to say yes. It keeps me occupied……

8:30 AM: Matt and Ann are coming out for a segment finally! They set up just to our side. I can see in the monitor the banner and me. I knew this was it! For a few moments the world gets a good look at the “Save Carson” banner. We wave our Saltires and yell to “Save Carson!”. John takes off the Atlantis hat I made him wear (courtesy of Joe, thanks Joe!). I also wave and say “Hi” to Joe Mallozzi. Again, I am no longer cold.

8:35 AM: First outside segment is over, Matt and Ann run back inside. Hi-Fives all around! We all agree it was totally worth it and are elated. I tell the SCB crew I waved to Joe while we were on camera; a girl next to me tells me she too waved to her husband….sorry Joe!

8:36 AM: I am once again cold.

8:45 AM: I am no longer cold, I am now officially freezing my a$$ off. I ask C.C. how much longer….she informs me we are more than half way through. I keep telling myself I am a Yankee…….

8:50 AM: Snow flurries begin to fall. I once again think “I gave up LA for this…..”

9:00 AM: Another audience pan that includes us. We once again yell, “Save Carson!” into the camera as it rolls by. This time though no amount of adrenaline can make me warm, my entire body is numb.

9:15 AM: We find out no more segments will be filmed at our corner outside. The Today Show cast is inside, filming with a window behind them. I make John go over and wave a Saltire behind them. Like a good younger brother, he obeys.

9:20 AM: We find out that no more audience pans will be shot at our end. We decide to pack it up and find a place to thaw out, if that is even possible at this point.

I would like to thank John and C.C. for “taking one for the team” with me and being such great company and help. And remember all, we aren’t finished yet! We will keep fighting until Carson/Paul is fully reinstated.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!