FRONTLINE: Waco – The Inside Story

This account of the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, takes exceptional measures to be both comprehensive and informative. The Frontline investigative team, led by executive producer David Fanning, senior producer Jon Palfreman, producer/director Michael Kirk, investigative reporters Scott Malone and Joe Rosenbloom III, and correspondent Peter J. Boyer, delve into the developments which led to the debacle at Waco. Through an extensive examination of the public and private record, the investigation presents evidence to suggest U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno’s orders were based on incomplete and inaccurate information from subordinates and that the tragedy had its roots, at least in part, in the power struggles between government agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Justice. An exhaustive collection of video and audio material takes viewers into the standoff between the Branch Davidians and government negotiators and reveals critical blunders and episodes of miscommunication at nearly every state of the siege. For providing a detailed account of the Waco crisis which will help avoid the repetition of critical mistakes, a Peabody Award is presented to FRONTLINE: Waco-the Inside Story.