Gawker is reporting that ABC producers in Los Angeles allowed Good Morning, America to digitally correct singer Whitney Houston's vocal track during her performance in Central Park this morning. Relying on an unnamed source, Gawker's Andrew Belonsky writes that GMA post-production “went to extreme measures, including digital 'sweetening,' to rescue what was supposed to be the singer's comeback performance in Central Park.”

Continues Belonsky: “Ultimately, GMA entertainment producer Karen Rhee convinced the ABC brass in L.A. — and over the objections of the ABC News executives in New York” to correct her vocals. Since Good Morning, America is a product of the ABC News department, rather than the entertainment division, the enhancement is tantamount to Photoshopping a news photo or excising someone out of a tape.

It's hard to tell on this crowd recording, but at around 2:11 she yowls. Then again at 2:40 she misses some notes.

As far as West Coast Sound is concerned, it matters little whether Whitney can actually hit the notes or not. We hope that she can, and continues to rebuild her voice to the remarkable stature it once was. That's not the point.

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