FOX NEWS CHANNEL

ON THE RECORD – WITH GRETA VON SUSTEREN”

MONDAY JANUARY 13TH 2003 – 10.50pm EST

HOST: Legendary rocker and member of the Who - Pete Townshend was picked up – not charged - in London. Police suspect him of possessing and even creating indecent images of children. Joining us from Los Angeles – Martin Lewis - British commentator and Townshend friend. Welcome Martin.

LEWIS: Hello Greta.

HOST: What do you make of this Martin?

LEWIS: Well I suspect much ado about nothing. What we have here is somebody who is a man of a great, great integrity - respected throughout the entertainment world. He’s been under the media glare and indeed the glare of the rock ‘n’ roll world for thirty-eight years. You can’t have a double life in the rock’n’ roll world and it last thirty-eight SECONDS before there are rumors and innuendo. Not a squeak about Pete Townshend. He is so respected by his peers… by everybody who has known him. His wife who he’s been married to since 1968 – they’re separated - yet she was the first person to come out and say: “ No - not a chance.” This is, I think, completely unfair on Pete Townshend.

HOST: Martin – why did this happen? Did someone turn him in? Apparently what it was was a visitation to certain sites… I don’t even know if there was downloading. I mean it’s so early on in the investigation. But what provoked at least calling him in to talk to the police?

LEWIS: What we understand is this… There was a website in America that was closed down a couple of years ago and the FBI found the information of people who had downloaded or had visited the site and used a credit card – and they passed that on to different countries - including to Britain. Now Pete Townshend - for the last two years on his website to his fans and to the public - has been running a campaign AGAINST child pornography. This is well established – this is not a last minute thing….

What Pete Townshend did - seeing that there was speculation in the British tabloids - came out on Saturday and made a statement and said: “Yes I’ve been researching about child pornography because I’ve been protesting it.” Also – he’s writing an autobiography and he believes that he was sexually abused as a child. So he’s been campaigning about it. He claimed that he visited a site ONE time and viewed images and that is what led to this. So it may be a technical infringement and that’s what the situation is. He has not been charged with anything.

HOST: Was the assertion that he was doing research… did that come after he got wind of the fact that he was being investigated?

LEWIS: He came out with a clear statement about it and if I may…

HOST: But I mean the timing... In terms of the timing did the police say: “look Pete Townshend - we may want to talk to you about child pornography - and then suddenly he makes a statement that he’s doing some research – or did the statement come first?

LEWIS: No – he came out with a statement when there was a tabloid speculation that there was a rock star under investigation. But he didn’t invent the fact that for the last two years he’s been running this campaign. For the last seven years he’s been working on his autobiography. And if I may gently correct you about something Greta? It’s a common misunderstanding. In English law all that the police did was bring him in under suspicion of making a COPY of an image. But right through today on various media outlets including Fox News – I’ve heard the word “creating” images or “producing” images. And I know that Fox prides itself on being fair. Those words are incorrect. The only allegation… ALLEGATION at this point is that he MAY have COPIED an image.

HOST: And I need to correct even myself… Going out of our last segment I said that he had been charged. He has not been charged with anything. Is that right Martin?

LEWIS: Yes. Quite the reverse. In fact he was arrested – brought in for questioning and released on bail. And furthermore – one of the things that was very clear is that he invited the police to his home today and said: “I want you to check my computers – take my computers – look over my whole home – my office whatever you want to do…” He has nothing to hide. Pete Townshend is a man who wears his demons on his sleeve. If he has had a problem in his life - be it drink or drugs – he’s an open book. He shares everything in his songs and in his interviews. He never hides anything.

HOST: And we’ll all be watching to see how this unfolds. Hopefully this will unfold favorably and that there is nothing he did wrong. Martin – thank you very much f or joining us.

LEWIS: Thank you.