That's the case with an interview Jackson's mom has done -- which will be airing on NBC on Friday. The network says it will run clips from Jackson's sit-down with correspondent Sonia Lowe. It's Jackson's first extensive comments since her son died nearly a year ago.

Lowe has co-authored a book with Jackson's mom. NBC says it has paid to lease the interview tapes from Lowe. But the network won't say how much it coughed up to get them. The deal works for both the interviewer and Mrs. Jackson.

Jackson's mom gets to speak on a prime time news program, "Dateline NBC," without having to face tough questions from someone who works at NBC News. And Lowe gets exposure for her upcoming book.

NBC says it decided to pay to air the clips because it considers what Katherine Jackson has to say a year after her son's death "a valuable part of the story."

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