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RIM’s half-CEO Lazaridis walks out of BBC interview

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 · 1:34 pm · 38 Comments

“The BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones spoke to Mike Lazaridis, the co-chief executive of Research In Motion (RIM), the Canadian firm behind Blackberry,” BBC News reports.

“After questioning him about RIM’s new Playbook tablet, he asked a question for BBC Click about RIM’s problems in India and the Middle East, where governments want to gain greater access to the tight security system used for Blackberry’s business users,” The Beeb reports. “Mr Lazaridis responded by saying the question was unfair, and that the interview was over.”

Full article, with video, here.

MacDailyNews Take: Dead company walking – and publicly cracking from the top down.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Brawndo Drinker" for the heads up.]

Categories: News

Tags: BlackBerry, half-CEO, Lazaridis, PlayBook, Research In Motion, RIM, RIMM

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Comment Feed

38 Comments

NHL

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:45 pm · Reply

Couldn’t tell from the video, but I wonder if Lazaridis did the ol’ “Forgot-He-Was-Wearing-A-Lav.-Mic-And-Got-Yanked-Back-To-The-Chair-When-He-Reached-The-End-Of-The-Mic-Cable” trick.
Derek in Milan

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:47 pm · Reply

Where do they find these idiots? Why not just say that we ‘are confident that any issues will be resolved ‘, and get on with it?
Now it sounds like there is a HUGE problem.
Typical business idiot.
- Spark
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:55 pm · Reply
  
  They guy wants out but can bring himself to resign. He’s subconsciously making himself persona non grata to get others to push him out. Preferably with a golden parachute while RIM still has a little cash.
- ApplePi
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 7:36 pm · Reply
  
  @Derek.
  
  Gotta disagree… it’s a HUGE problem to the governments. Governments can easily intercept Android and iPhone communications because they work with the phone companies. Because Blackberry circumvents phone companies, the governments want in to the highly secure system.
  
  The reporter implied that it’s a security issue, when in reality it’s a PRIVACY issue. BB is plain and simply the most secure system for business users.
  
  Bad reporting and bad judgment.
  - BigBlue
    
    Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 7:12 am · Reply
    
    How is it bad reporting ? If the RIM guy has said what you just said and they would have moved on to the next question, instead he started crying…
  - font9a
    
    Friday, April 15, 2011 - 4:57 pm · Reply
    
    I agree. If he didn’t know what to say he should have said, “I can’t comment on this Security issue right now. I will get back to you as soon as I can with an informed answer from our [marketing | security | engineering | executive] department. Next question.”
    
    Instead, he gets puffy and walks out — He’s not entitled to a dime if he can’t even answer for the company about these kinds of very public inquiries.
clarencebodicker

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:48 pm · Reply

RIM is dying a slow and painful death.
Hiram

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:55 pm · Reply

It appears that RIM will be cooperating with these governments but Lazaridis does not want to admit it in public.
Brandon

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 1:59 pm · Reply

talk about getting defensive…. I would be worried if I was a Blackberry owner…. RIM, Get a better person to represent your company.
KenC

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:00 pm · Reply

Not that a CEO needs to be a professional PR flack, but the guy needs to be more mature when it comes to dealing with public interviews.

If you can’t take the heat, jump off the burning platform.
TheMacAdvocate

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:03 pm · Reply

So which one do you think changes into the eagle and which one into the bucket of water?
- Zan Jayna
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:18 pm · Reply
  
  GLEEK!
  GLEEK!
  - TheMacAdvocate
    
    Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:25 pm · Reply
    
    +1, sir.
  - ncmacman
    
    Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 11:24 pm · Reply
    
    Wonder Twins Rock!
m159

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:05 pm · Reply

Ballmer’s brain-dead, iCal-able responses seem downright wise by comparison.
opsono

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:11 pm · Reply

What was the name of Lithgow’s character in Buckaroo Banzai…?
- whogastim
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 4:15 pm · Reply
  
  Close … Dr. Emilio Lizardo
Johnny

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:30 pm · Reply

I’m gonna side with RIM on this one, the language from the BBC was leading and the idiot asking the questions couldn’t rub 2 brain cells together to figure this out. Thought the CEO was very patient with him.

Not a fan of RIM, but the BBC can F**k off this time.
- DMac
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 6:15 pm · Reply
  
  Agreed. The old bait-&-switch. I hate sleazy reporting tactics. “We would like to ask you a few questions about the new PlayBook tablet.” Did you see Lizardis reaction when the question was first asked? Then he kept pressing! Lizardis did a good job maintaining his composure.
  - Cognomen
    
    Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 7:24 pm · Reply
    
    Agreed. I would guess that the initial interview briefing was fairly laid back and friendly with the “security” question not even mentioned.
    
    From what I see daily in the UK the British press think that this is a productive approach but as Lazaridis appears to be a fairly affable sort of chap I think Cellan-jones thought he could get away with it, even though it has the propensity to do a fair amount of damage to far-eastern attitudes to RIM.
    
    I would hazard that after that treatment it will be unlikely that the BBC will be getting any more interviews from RIM in the forseeable future.
    
    There are better way of extracting information from people than this and I, on behalf of the UK apologise for Cellan-Jones’ crassness.
    
    I should point out that I still think that RIM have got to get their act together but we should not be seen to be pushing the poor old thing into the knacker’s yard, it’ll find its own way there!
- md8mac
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 9:15 pm · Reply
  
  I agree as well. And I am not a fan of RIM either.
  
  The BBC implied that there was a ‘security’ problem with RIM products. Where as the real issue is that RIM is not willing to let, “The Ministry of Home Affairs wants Research in Motion to allow security forces access to encrypted content that flows in and out of India through their devices.”*
  
  * http://www.zdnet.com/blog/india/rim-vs-indian-government-continues/135
mike k.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:31 pm · Reply

wow … that is a defeated man.
Davewrite

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:41 pm · Reply

in the few interviews like the AllThings D etc. the Rim CEOs have looked befuddled. Over and over again analyst have commented they are confused and irrational.
(like here couldn’t they have just said something like ‘that’s on ongoing political issue: no comment’ )

The Rim guys seem to be suffering from mental breakdowns. (unlike Steve jobs who obviously seem to love doing what he’s doing, these Rim guys look as if all this is agony and they would rather be playing with their NHL teams: rim had an easy run and now they actually have to WORK and it’s a pain)
Heroin

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:42 pm · Reply

Unlike their American counterparts, British journalists ask tough questions. If you can’t handle a tough question you shouldn’t give an interview to a British journalist. Or probably be a public CEO.

To be fair, Steve Jobs has walked out of his share of interviews when he didn’t like the questions.
- althegeo
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 4:31 pm · Reply
  
  “Steve Jobs has walked out of his share of interviews”
  
  References SVP.
  - md8mac
    
    Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 9:16 pm · Reply
    
    I would like to see them as well.
Ballmer's left nut

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 2:46 pm · Reply

RIM, a piece of turd non-technology company led by a turd CEO. The sense of belonging is tangible, two turds clinging to each other to survive. A dying company with outdated products and a CEO with no PR skills who speaks in tongues and makes no sense whatsoever in his interviews.

Confused much? Just take a gander at RIM’s Blackberry offerings and tell me if the OS is not a confusing piece of shit. The UI is so unintuitive that I can’t even find the browser to get on the Internet on my friend’s Bold.

I think he’s gotten rid of that junk now for an Android handset. Still, he’s a rabid anti-Apple hater so I guess confusing technology suits him to a T.
Kelly Brown

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 3:48 pm · Reply

I live a 40 minute drive from RIM and I want these guys to succeed (even though I think the BB is about as user friendly as hydrochloric acid) but this guy has got to go. Even if the PlayBook was an iPad(2) killer this moron would create enough bad will to sink it.
Zeke

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 3:51 pm · Reply

It wasn’t a tough question. It wasn’t a leading question. If the governments of countries where RIM does business want to breech the privacy of their customers that is called a “problem”, and he should have answered the question. Even a non-answer like you would get from Apple would be better than throwing a tantrum. The man is obviously hiding something he does not want to talk about.
BS Detector

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 5:39 pm · Reply

I know this is an Apple fan site, but you guys miss the entire point. The interviewer is referring to a “security” problem and he keeps saying they don’t have a security problem. They have a problem of being too secure and not allowing govs to intercept communications.

Obviously if iphones and droids had real security, they’d be having the same issues with these govs and Steve Jobs would be getting just as pissed at reporters. As the govs have no problem intercepting those communications they are left alone.

But let’s not be balanced on this site, the servers might blow up!
- ban6dit
  
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 7:08 pm · Reply
  
  Umm That makes no sense. Cell phone signals are pretty easy for governments to intercepts. Not to mention the companies that give service to these said cell phones.
  
  Why is RIM more secure as you say? what do they do thats different?
  - md8mac
    
    Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 9:37 pm · Reply
    
    The data is encrypted.
FTB

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 8:03 pm · Reply

did you notice the WORD he didnt like?

“competently”
(1:08)
“you cant use that word, thats just unfair” LMAO
Truth does indeed hurt.
- Cognomen
  
  Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 2:34 am · Reply
  
  No – that’s my point, as above.
  
  Truth only hurts when it IS the truth. You can’t just imply that someone is incompetent on a whim and get away with it without having proof, whoever you are and whoever the interviewee is.
  
  It has become too easy for people, especially those in the BBC of late, to have little or no respect for for their guests and think they can just invite them in for a chat and then proceed to damage them and the company the interviewee represents without any compunction.
  
  If I invited you in for an interview and then effectively turned around and said that the only reason you’re there is so I can score media points off you and make you look like a fool, you would feel pissed off as well.
  - FTB
    
    Friday, April 15, 2011 - 12:16 pm · Reply
    
    the thing is, you walk into the interviews KNOWING they are not there to complement you.
    99% of them are not going to drool over you, not going to prop you up and feed you questions prior to the on screen interview so they can help make you look good.
    
    this guy cracked under pressure. pure and simple.
    you go to some job interviews, the guy will throw you on the defensive. just to see how you react to pressure. same as this interviewer, and he succeeded in breaking him with 1 word. the BB guy was going into the interview thinking all is well, was NOT prepared to have any hard questions asked. If you cant take the heat… you dont belong there.
    When Steve Jobs is “ambushed” like this, look at how he reacts compared to this guy.
    
    I dont care for the BBC much either, but i dont see anything in the interview that is so far from the norm. it wasnt media points he was trying to score.
    - Cognomen
      
      Friday, April 15, 2011 - 2:43 pm · Reply
      
      Whilst I agree with the bulk of your argument (and I don’t want to continue this “ad nauseam”) my point is that you summed it up in your last-but-one sentence – “I don’t see anything in the interview that is so far from the norm”
      
      You and I will continue to disagree I know but this is exactly my point. Why does the BBC take delight in shooting down everyone they interview? Some can respond to this approach better than others but it doesn’t make it right that the guy should be forced into that uncomfortable position over something that is very “sub judice” elsewhere.
      
      I don’t believe he can’t take the heat – after all he and others built RIM and he’s always an affable interviewee, which is probably why Cellan-Jones thought he could (and did) get away with it.
      
      Thanks for your riposte – we’ll cross swords again I’m sure!
danielesaw

Monday, April 18, 2011 - 6:23 am · Reply

I want to read it but couldn’t find it anywhere, thanks macdaily for this news..

http://www.healthproductreviewers.com/skinny-fiber-review.html
Kozmo

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 - 2:08 pm · Reply

Can’t believe you appleites even have this posted on here.. BB rocks, on security and products.. They provide multiple options for multiple users.. Unlike Apple, who wants you all to march to the same tune and drink out of the same water cooler.. I guess thats why they have you all so brain washed..