But the network says it has chosen not to broadcast portions of such tapes showing the abductors invoking God in their quest to bring the United States to heel.
The daily Le Monde devoted two pages today to what it said was a transcript of the tape, and French television also broadcast portions of it today.
But another network, Al Jazeera, has broadcast portions of a fresher audiotape it said had been made by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mr. bin Laden's deputy.
Commercial television stations and other media outlets often broadcast only portions of a VNR.
Within a year of its debut, the program was so popular that a regional 25-station network was set up to broadcast portions of the show, and was even heard overseas on Armed Forces Radio.
But CBS executives say they will never allow stations to broadcast only portions of the program, such as the last hour.
The existence of the tapes came to light when they were acquired by Cable Network News, which broadcast portions of them in defiance of a court prohibition.
Since 2004, they have broadcast portions of the Olympic Games, along with many other NBCUniversal basic cable channels.
The production crew also stayed to broadcast portions of the Daytona 500 itself, two days later.
CBS would continue to broadcast portions of races for the next 18 years, along with ABC and NBC.