Realzing that adopting a defiant, "Hey, why can't you Kentucky people realize that our plane crash gag had nothing to do with your actual plane crash?" stance in the wake of the controversy over the Emmy telecast's poorly timed, aviation-disaster-based opening sketch (above) would be a PR disaster, NBC has instead issued the inevitable, semi-apologetic press release assuring the aggrieved that the network wasn't trying to score cheap laughs off a fresh tragedy:

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the many families who lost loved ones in the plane crash in Kentucky on Sunday, and to the entire community that has suffered this terrible loss," NBC said in a statement the day after the ceremony.

"In no way would we ever want to make light of this terrible tragedy," NBC said. "The filmed opening during the Emmy telecast was meant to spoof some of television's most well-known scenes. The timing was unfortunate, and we regret any unintentional pain it may have caused."

NBC further promised that should upsetting, real-life events again regrettably intersect with future programming, they would delay the offending broadcast up to a full day to properly promote the controversy across their local affiliates, making sure that the "greatest number of demographically desirable viewers possible" would have the chance to make up their own minds about the network's intentions.