If you ask me (and no one did) there is nothing that makes a TV station look cheaper than doing a phone interview.

With all the technology today, doing a phoner makes a TV station look like AM radio. What is even more shocking is when a network newscast does it.

Of course, I can see when you have a foreign Correspondent in the middle of nowhere doing a satellite phone interview on something that is just starting to break. But, I'm not talking about that.

Last night on NBC's Nightly News, Brian Williams was reporting on the Ray Rice case and what it could mean for the future of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell?

BriWi brought in Bob Costas for he expert opinion on the story, Costas joined the broadcast by telephone.

WTF? Costas couldn't get his face in front of a camera? Did his pink eye flair up again?

Williams said that Costas was on the phone from the west coast. Last I knew there were TV station's all over the west coast. How about having Bob drive to one of them, or send one of Matt Lauer's choppers to take him to a station.

A network newscast doing a phoner with an NBC Sports guy that is in the United States. It doesn't get much lamer than that.

Just saying... 

You can watch the video (or lack there of) here: