[in hoc signo vinces]

It's an FCC law, the President can demand air time. It just depends if the oval office is making this a demand as to whether the alphabet soup networks have to cover it.

During Bubb-a-tep's tyranny in the whitehouse. I bet air time never needed to be demanded...the network would gladly show their poster child.

[nj26]

"It's an FCC law, the President can demand air time."

If the White House forced the networks to air the speech involuntarily, I can only imagine the negative commentary that would follow the speech. It's bad enough as it is.

[clawrence3]

Agreed - I recall another GWB speech the Networks refused to carry: http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1120/p9s2-cogs.html

[billbears]

The FCC is just one of many of the government bureaucracies that needs to be disbanded. Of course finding conservative leadership that's concerned with limiting government is impossible so it's not like it will happen.

The government should not have that much control over what a television station chooses to show