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CNN Live At Daybreak
Woman Nods Off During Greenspan's Presentation
Aired February 13, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for a little business buzz right now. When Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan talks, people usually listen or do they?
To find out what one woman thought of his speech, we go to Fred Katayama in New York.
Good morning -- Fred.
FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well it all happened yesterday. You know that Alan Greenspan does this twice a year, he goes to Congress and he gives the people an update on the state of the nation's economy. And as you pointed out, Carol, you know when he talks, people listen. He's arguably the world's most powerful economist, the most powerful central banker and everyone from Washington to Wall Street, London, Tokyo, New York, stock traders, currency traders, they all watch and they listen, but not everyone. Well, see what I mean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN GREENSPAN, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: Municipal bonds may actually...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KATAYAMA: Now, Carol, you see that woman right behind Greenspan...
COSTELLO: Oh no!
KATAYAMA: ... on the left of the screen right at the shoulder?
COSTELLO: She's fallen asleep.
KATAYAMA: She is nodding off. And you know she's not in the cheap seats, she's got you know front row. She's a front row spectator. Now she's trying to get up there. You see her. She's shaking her head, but there she goes again, she's nodding. Now...
COSTELLO: Who is she?
KATAYAMA: ... we don't know -- Carol, we don't know who this woman is or whether she still has a job today, but this went on for about 15 minutes. And people were just riveted, not by the testimony, but by this woman. And I can tell you this, our newsroom here at CNN in New York, the business reporters were all watching, so were the traders out on Wall Street. And over on Wall Street, in fact, a lot of traders got their cell phones, they said hey, you got to get a load of this, called other people and said you've got to watch. And then when the woman started, you know, fluttering her eyes and nodding and trying to get up, traders would just erupt in a loud cheer.
COSTELLO: Well you'd think whoever was shooting Mr. Greenspan would have pushed in and the woman wouldn't have been visible.
KATAYAMA: Right. Or, Carol, I wonder if you're a Greenspan spokesperson, you know PR man, wouldn't you go over and nudge her and say hey wake up?
COSTELLO: I don't know, maybe everyone else was sleeping around her, too. I don't know.
Fred Katayama, thanks so much for bringing us -- bringing us a -- giving us a chance to smile this morning. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 13, 2003 - 06:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time for a little business buzz right now. When Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan talks, people usually listen or do they?
To find out what one woman thought of his speech, we go to Fred Katayama in New York.
Good morning -- Fred.
FRED KATAYAMA, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well it all happened yesterday. You know that Alan Greenspan does this twice a year, he goes to Congress and he gives the people an update on the state of the nation's economy. And as you pointed out, Carol, you know when he talks, people listen. He's arguably the world's most powerful economist, the most powerful central banker and everyone from Washington to Wall Street, London, Tokyo, New York, stock traders, currency traders, they all watch and they listen, but not everyone. Well, see what I mean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN GREENSPAN, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: Municipal bonds may actually...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KATAYAMA: Now, Carol, you see that woman right behind Greenspan...
COSTELLO: Oh no!
KATAYAMA: ... on the left of the screen right at the shoulder?
COSTELLO: She's fallen asleep.
KATAYAMA: She is nodding off. And you know she's not in the cheap seats, she's got you know front row. She's a front row spectator. Now she's trying to get up there. You see her. She's shaking her head, but there she goes again, she's nodding. Now...
COSTELLO: Who is she?
KATAYAMA: ... we don't know -- Carol, we don't know who this woman is or whether she still has a job today, but this went on for about 15 minutes. And people were just riveted, not by the testimony, but by this woman. And I can tell you this, our newsroom here at CNN in New York, the business reporters were all watching, so were the traders out on Wall Street. And over on Wall Street, in fact, a lot of traders got their cell phones, they said hey, you got to get a load of this, called other people and said you've got to watch. And then when the woman started, you know, fluttering her eyes and nodding and trying to get up, traders would just erupt in a loud cheer.
COSTELLO: Well you'd think whoever was shooting Mr. Greenspan would have pushed in and the woman wouldn't have been visible.
KATAYAMA: Right. Or, Carol, I wonder if you're a Greenspan spokesperson, you know PR man, wouldn't you go over and nudge her and say hey wake up?
COSTELLO: I don't know, maybe everyone else was sleeping around her, too. I don't know.
Fred Katayama, thanks so much for bringing us -- bringing us a -- giving us a chance to smile this morning. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
