This is just sick:

Elizabeth Smart's parents are losing control of a carefully orchestrated and lucrative November Sweeps rollout for official product based on the abduction of their daughter!

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The "Elizabeth Smart Story" [which many in the industry have dubbed "The Ed Smart Story"] began to unspool this week on schedule with an authorized Couric/Oprah one-two public relations punch.

But in an unexpected development, Ed and Lois Smart are now claiming their project has been kidnapped -- after CBS betrayed them by airing an unauthorized special last Saturday night!

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Doubleday, publisher of the official book, also is crying foul.

"CBS misled the Smarts and misled Doubleday regarding the timing of the movie promotion. We were all shocked and disappointed that they would break their verbal agreements," Doubleday exec veep for publicity Suzanne Herz said.

She is a person, not a product. My God, these people are ill.