Yesterday word came that NBC had settled a civil lawsuit brought by the sister of Dallas prosecutor Louis William Conradt Jr., who killed himself when police and Dateline's Chris Hansen, along with a camera crew, showed up at his home when he failed to show up for his fake date with a little boy in November 2006. But don't go poking around Dateline's website to brush up on the incident — NBC has all but scrubbed it clean of that entire Perverted Justice investigation.

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Dateline had a certified hit on its hands with "To Catch a Predator," the game-show program where Chris Hansen and Perverted Justice invited would-be kiddie pervs to their camera-laced house, where handcuffs were the door prize. Then Dallas prosecutor Louis William Conradt Jr. had to go and kill himself when NBC's cameras and police officers showed up at his house to arrest him when he failed to show for his sex appointment with a 13-year-old boy, and the backlash ensued: Media moralists' criticism grew louder with calls for lax journalistic ethics and there was the little matter of Conradt's sister Patricia in July suing NBC Universal in a $105 million lawsuit. Now, a resolution.

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The civil lawsuit brought against NBC, and practically any parent company or subsidiary attached to it, for its maybe-role in the suicide of a Texas prosecutor who was practically stalked by To Catch a Predator … can move forward. The sister of Louis Conradt, the deceased Texas assistant district attorney, blames the network for his November 2006 death, but a judge ruled she and her $100 million suit can only move forward with charges like intentional infliction of emotional distress, but not racketeering, negligence and unjust enrichment against the network. [DJ]

Depending on who you ask, NBC News president Steve Capus is either a big baby, or a big baby who had to use the restroom while somebody else picked up a trophy for, effectively, making him look like an ass.

At yesterday's duPont Awards, peacock execs including Capus walked out of the ceremony when Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA won for their story "Television Justice," which exposed the relationship between Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" and the local police involved in their sting operations. This, despite NBC and MSNBC each winning an award.

Sounds like somebody needs a Shelley Ross tequila shot.

If only we had a Slingbox, from the pool in Florida we could instruct our TiVo back home in New York to record Friday's brand new episode of Dateline's "To Catch a Predator." But alas, we'll have to catch it during what we expect to be one of dozens of repeats. The show – which was put on indefinite hold after 56-year-old Texas prosecutor Louis "Bill" Conradt killed himself while Dateline's cameras rolled outside his home, and then snagged NBC a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit – remains a major draw for young viewers, which keeps them ad dollars rolling in. So despite continuing allegations of journalistic wrongdoings and constant battering from the press, the sordid lives of Dateline-watching child predators will commence.

There is a Santa.

Tonight on 20/20, John Stossel's mustache investigates Dateline's "To Catch a Predator." Now the only decision is whether Chris Hansen will be watching from the flat screen in the media room or the small console in the kitchen.

America's favorite entrapment show, To Catch a Predator is feeling a little entrapped itself.

Faced with a multi-million dollar lawsuit and declining ad sales, Dateline has been cutting back on meting out justice by public humiliation to child predators. There’s only been one sting operation this year, compared with seven last year.

(Think of all the-would-be predators surfing the same internet as our children!)

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What was once a huge franchise success for NBC's Dateline has quickly snowballed into a PR lynching. "To Catch a Predator" – where hunting for Internet pedophiles becomes a family board game hosted by Chris Hansen – has been churning out new episodes (and sickos) like The Hills does melodrama.

But the show, for all the public awareness it's drumming up, already cost one life (and hooked the network a $100 million wrongful death suit), accusations of severe journalistic ethics breaches, a 3-month-long Esquire investigation (with a coverline suggesting NBC cancel the show), and now: an inquiry from ABC's 20/20, which is said to be sniffing around TCAP with "ambush interviews," as TVNewser relays.

NBC, for what it's worth, remains "proud" of the show and says it doesn't plan on changing the format. Though might we suggest a co-host? CNBC's Erin Burnett has total crossover appeal.

Every time we tune into Dateline's pedophile series, we wonder two things: 1) Is Esquire's argument that NBC should cancel the show before someone else winds up dead a valid stance?; and 2) Can this type of programming survive without Chris Hansen?

At least CNN can answer that second one.

The sister of a man who killed himself after being exposed as an Internet sicko by Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" wants $100 million from NBC for "sensationaliz[ing] the situation." And making awesome TV.

How ethical is it behind the scenes at NBC's To Catch A Predator? Not very, according to The Smoking Gun.

In fact, excerpts from ousted producer Marsha Bartel's breach of contract lawsuit allege the show "violated 'numerous journalistic ethical standards' and many of the network's own 'policies and guidelines.'"

Reports TSG:

Bartel charges that many of the program's ethical lapses stem from its relationship with Perverted Justice, a shadowy vigilante group that the show uses to "troll for and lure targets into its sting.'

But, of course, that's not all.

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