Fox to change World Series time for Obama

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | Oct 15, 2008 | Paul J. Gough

[AnnaZ]

Fox to change World Series time for Obama

Presidential candidate's ad buy interfering with game

By Paul J. Gough

Oct 15, 2008, 03:15 PM ET

Updated: Oct 15, 2008, 10:06 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Barack Obama might have the power to move the World Series by a few minutes.

To accommodate a half-hour Obama time buy on Fox on Oct. 29, Major League Baseball has agreed to move the start time of World Series Game 6 by about 15 minutes. That would move the start of the game from 8:20 p.m. ET or so to 8:35 p.m.

"Fox will accommodate Senator Obama's desire to communicate with voters in this longform format," Fox Sports said in a statement. "We are pleased that Major League Baseball has agreed to delay the first pitch of World Series Game 6 for a few minutes in order for Fox to carry his program on Oct. 29. If requested, the network would be willing to make similar time available to Senator McCain's campaign."

Along with CBS and NBC, Fox was approached by the Obama campaign last week to purchase the 8-8:30 p.m. time slot Oct. 29. If a Game 6 is needed, Fox is obligated to carry the game. That prevented the network from agreeing outright to carry the commercial, which was cleared by CBS and NBC last Thursday.

The blessing from MLB clears the way for Fox to air the promo and collect upward of $1 million in ad revenue for the half hour, more than what either CBS or NBC was charging.

While a big network ad buy from a presidential candidate is rare, it's not unprecedented for a network and sports league to move the start time of a sports event to accommodate a political broadcast. In early September, the National Football League moved up the kickoff time of the opening-night game -- which aired on NBC -- to 7 p.m. to make sure that the game would be over before Sen. John McCain stepped up to the podium to accept the nomination of the Republican party during the RNC.

[AFreeBird]

More proof Rupert Murdoch and his companies are closet liberals....

Oh I don't know. Seems like a good capitalist to me. And hey, just think of the number of baseball fans who are going to be *issed off at "The One" for preempting their game.

Baseball games are long enough since there's no time limit, setting back the start time is going to make for a late night.

[dbacks]

Rush just nailed Roger Ailes on the inability of the FOX whizkids inability to identify with the (us) flyover taxpayers.

[Carley]

Buying this time is nothing more than a bribe for good comments.

If any of the stations says something the One doesn’t approve of, the buy is off.

He lost acorn and gained FNC

[pepsi_junkie]

Mark my words, THAT WILL NOT SIT WELL with most viewers.

The Phillies are in the world series, and I can testify that everyone in Philadelphia is fired up. They will all be watching the games. I bet a bunch are annoyed to have it delayed. I hope so, Obama annoying voters in Pennsylvania right before an election would be sweet!

[freekitty]

I imagine there will be a lot of votes against Obama.

[webrover]

How do you remember that?

[Zeppelin]

Gee Obama, how many underprivileged kids could you send to community college with all the money you are throwing around to buy the election?

More importantly, how many overhead projectors could he buy?

A chicken in every pot, and a planetarium in every living room!

[newzjunkey]

I remember there have been times they’ve refused to carry an address by the sitting President. I seem to remember earlier in his term, W could not get time on the networks.

[NRA2BFree]

I saw this ad this past weekend, and it’s enough to make you sick. Literally. You won’t see him sitting in papa’s lap waving the American Flag, and you won’t see him skipping to grandma’s house to take her a bouquet of flowers, but you will see him along with various other people attempting to make him appear to be the most patriotic, wonderful man who has ever walked on earth. You’ll be treated to a walk down memory lane with him. Yes, my FRiends, the Messiah has arrived. LOL Trust me, you won’t be able to stomach it.

[EDINVA]

“done to get a maximum number of viewers ...”

absolutely .. if Fox didn’t have the World Series, there’s no way in hell the Obama campaign would have bought time on that network. Alas, the WD viewers are likely a different demographic from the FNC watchers.

[webrover]

It's not desperation. It's smart. These things are effective. They used to be the norm. Gives a candidate to address the people with no filter and look presidential. McCain needs to use the same amount of time to do something creative with Palin. And he needs to do it after Obama. There is much to be said for having the last word.

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

This will not sit well with the Joe-the-Plumber types waiting to see the game on....

[N. Theknow]

Major League Baseball has agreed to move the start time of World Series Game 6 by about 15 minutes. That would move the start of the game from 8:20 p.m. ET or so to 8:35 p.m.

Oh, hooray.

Normally we only get to see/hear someone butcher the National Anthem.

This year we get a chance to see/hear how someone will butcher the nation.

[Yaelle]

Ugh!

Thanks for saying that about the comments. I just went and read some of them, and was pleased. Loved the guy who said that right after Obama wins, go down to Miami Beach and see all the Cubans getting back into their boats to leave this country for one with more freedom, Cuba! LOL!

[jersey117]

He’s been spending massive amounts of money on ads plus he’s getting free media praise time. Sounds like he’s not all that secure with the “Joe” vote. He’s probably never been to a baseball game in his life.

[NRA2BFree]

More proof Rupert Murdoch and his companies are closet liberals

He 'came out of the closet' about his support of Obama. He's a big fan of his, so that's the reason he's making this air time available to Obama! Most of that ad will be pure profit for Murdoch. $1M for 30 minutes isn't too shabby.

[supremedoctrine]

Good. This is as counterproductive a move as any I have seen his campaign make. It can only turn off any of the phantom potential voters O’Bama is still trying to reach.
Enormous waste of money. Will backfire. If this really goes forward, and impinges on the far more important World Series coverage, it only goes to prove how tone-deaf his campaign is.

[1035rep]

He’s looking pretty desperate if he has to buy a half hour to reach Joe Six Pack.

He is desperate.

This is what Obama just warned his supporters.

Obama: "I've been in these positions before when we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked," he said.

[newzjunkey]

I wonder if ABC’s “Ugly Betty” (starring Bush-hater America Ferrera) will have record ratings as people tune out NBC, CBS and Fox. Is he not buying on ABC because they won’t preempt that show?

[petitfour]

Thank goodness we don’t live on the East Coast anymore! One of our sons is a sports nut, and I remember when he was in the third and fourth grades, he would stay up and watch the World Series games and have a horrible time at school the next day. He wasn’t alone, of course. I guess baseball is not for elementary-aged boys to watch back East.