ABC News was going to pay the family of “Balloon Boy” Falcon Heene more than $10,000 for home video to air with an exclusive interview on “Good Morning America.” But it decided not to show the footage and killed the story after a judge in Fort Collins, Colo., ruled before Christmas that the parents, as a part of their four years’ probation, cannot profit in any way from their hoax. A news industry insider said, “With NBC News chartering Learjets left and right for interview subjects, ABC was smart to avoid even the appearance of pay-for-play.” Another network insider told us, “ABC pulled the story because it didn’t want the scrutiny.” The boy’s father, Richard Heene, appeared on both “Today” and Larry King‘s CNN show on Friday, claiming he truly believed his 6-year-old son was in the homemade balloon as it flew across the prairie.

PHOTOS: FALCON HEENE: BALLOON BOY