Ex "Access Hollywood" Producer on Tape Leak.
BALDWIN: Billy Bush, hot mics and a videotape, this is a moment that could be a turning point in the race for president. From what we know, a producer at "Access Hollywood" remembered they interviewed Trump back in 2005, they pulled the tape, they discovered this hot-mic conversation between the nominee and star host. Vulgar, disgusting and newsworthy. "Access Hollywood" says it alerted NBC News of what they found, but the executives sat on it for days, so someone leaked this tape to "The Washington Post." Within hours, bam, an apology tour, parade of Republican deflections, and first 30 minutes of the nastiest debate we have ever seen. The question is, are there more tapes to come? Joining me, Antony Beilinsohn, you were a senior broadcast producer at "Access Hollywood," and he worked with both Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell. Also with me, CNN senior media correspondent, host of "Reliable Sources, Mr. Brian Stelter. Antony, you first. We know "Access Hollywood" said, we remember we interviewed Trump, let's go to the archives, they pull the tape from 2005, they alerted NBC News, and they sat on it. You have been in those news rooms. What's the process? Take me back to when they would have found the tape. Who would have found it? Who would have seen it?</s>ANTONY BEILINSOHN, FORMER SENIOR BROADCAST PRODUCER, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD: Well, here's what happened. Once a story becomes newsworthy, obviously, Trump is running for the presidency of the United States, and what a news organization will do is go back through all the footage they have and find out if -- they've done hundreds of shoots with Trump over the years. Find out if there is something potentially newsworthy. Once they found that newsworthy item, then it goes to the producers of the show and the lawyers. Listen, "Access Hollywood" is not technically a news organization. So it is sort of overseen a little differently than NBC News. They have to assess whether they can air a piece of tape that was recorded privately between Trump and the host. And so that takes discussions. That takes some legal conversations. And sort of in-between them finding the tape, the legal discussion, somebody has decided that they, then, want to leak that tape, obviously, to embarrass Trump. So, that's --</s>BALDWIN: So you're getting ahead of me. Before someone decides to leak the tape, why do you think they decided to sit on it?</s>BEILINSOHN: I think they decided to sit on it for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's a private conversation. It's kind of like being on the record and off the record. Trump and Billy were having a conversation. They technically weren't rolling, so they were technically off the record. Once the tapes were rolling, rolling with the segment, then it becomes on the record. So, he had have to make an assessment as to whether they I believe, legally because it's a private conversation. There are rules that dictate private conversations. Because "Access Hollywood" is not technically a news organization, they're under different guidelines than news organizations. So, they decided to sit on it --</s>BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: I would point out that Donald Trump and Billy Bush, they're television stars. They know when they're wearing a microphone on --</s>BALDWIN: I don't care where are you, you've got a microphone on, you should shh.</s>STELTER: Exactly. There were concerns that delayed this a couple days. I believe NBC would have aired this some time, maybe this week, but clearly someone inside NBC didn't think so, because this leaked out, apparently, from inside NBC, to "The Washington Post."</s>BALDWIN: Antony, do you think it would have been a lower level tape producer sort of person or an upper level, you know, executive or producer?</s>BEILINSOHN: Well, here's the truth. The tapes go into a centralized system and everybody at that organization has access to it.</s>BALDWIN: Would have had access.</s>BEILINSOHN: Everybody has access to that tape. And obviously this is being discussed, it's discussed in the news room, everybody knows it's potentially in the system. So, once it goes to the legal department, there could be anybody in that organization, and that's potentially hundreds of people, that could have had access to that tape.</s>BALDWIN: OK.</s>STELTER: You know, this is incredible. Donald Trump was built up by NBC. He was a star of "The Apprentice" for many years. I believe Trump and some at the RNC now think it was top NBC executives, liberal Hollywood types, trying to get back at Trump, trying hurt Trump and leak that tape.</s>BALDWIN: Look --</s>STELTER: I'm not saying that happened. I don't think it did. But Trump in his own mind is wonder who did this to me.</s>BALDWIN: Hang on, hang on. Trump is a piece of it. And Billy Bush is as well. He has been suspended by the "Today" show.</s>BEILINSOHN: Absolutely.</s>BALDWIN: I want to talk to you, Antony, about your thoughts on Billy Bush. You worked with him. Also about Nancy O'Dell, who they were talking so nastily about. Stay with me. Nobody move. Quick break.