NBC Stands By Flavor Flav Snub

This week Public Enemy frontman, Flavor Flav, went viral after Tweeting and deleting about getting kicked out of the backstage area at the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, by NBC network security [click here if you missed that].

Network insiders insist Flav wasn't authorized to be in the restricted area...

From TMZ

Sources tell TMZ security had a very good reason to kick him out of the event ... 'cause he wasn't on the list of expected attendees.

We're told Flav was at a party -- not affiliated with NBC -- nearby when he stopped in at the tree-lighting in Manhattan.

Our sources say security around the area was heightened because Brian Thompson -- the UnitedHealthcare CEO -- was gunned down about six blocks from where the tree-lighting took place ... so, they'd shut down much of the area to protect the tree lighting guests.

Despite this heightened security, it seems Flav somehow got past several layers of security into a holding area for the talent.

This is when security realized he wasn't supposed to be there and, despite his celeb status, they quickly asked him to leave.

Our NBC sources tell us they're huge fans of Flavor Flav ... and, they'd love for him to attend the tree-lighting ceremony next year.

A rep for Flav tells us .... “I understand and respect that. Perhaps the security guard should have said that instead of “NBC doesn’t want you here."