Posted on 03/19/2009 7:45:38 AM PDT by Dr. Zzyzx
Networks reluctantly shuffle for Obama speech
Networks are pulling their shows over to the side of the road to make room for the lights and sirens of president Barack Obama's latest primetime address.
Obama will take to the air next Tuesday evening on four broadcast networks and bump the most popular series on television, Fox's "American Idol."
Fulfilling their scheduling civic duty is starting to seem increasingly cumbersome to broadcasters, however. Between a struggling economy and ratings sagging in midseason, every interruption costs networks advertising dollars and momentum.
"At a time when we're struggling not only financially but to build audiences, this doesn't help on either front," one network executive said. "These repeated interruptions -- and the rumor of even more to come -- really make it difficult to build audience flow and loyalty. We will all lose one or two million dollars for this."
The presidential election resulted in a fall season regularly interrupted by political news coverage, followed by primetime inauguration coverage, then two primetime speeches about the economy. The White House requesting yet another primetime slot, during sweeps and right after several shows dropped to new lows in last night's ratings, has some executives exasperated.
"I believe in the president and his policies, and as broadcasters we have a responsibility to provide the airtime," said another network insider. "But these frequent primetime requests are wreaking serious havoc with our schedule and our advertisers. Ratings are down everywhere and the airtime is costing us all significant dollars when we can least afford it."
Here's how the Big Four will juggle the speech:
>> Fox is arguably the most impacted network and took the longest to agree to airing the speech. The network will move Tuesday's two-hour performance episode of "Idol" to Wednesday, and the Wednesday episode to Thursday at 8 p.m. That preempts "Lie to Me" and "Bones" and puts mega-rated "Idol" against the mega-rated NCAA finals (which neither Fox nor CBS are all that thrilled about).
>> NBC will move Tuesday's two-hour "Biggest Loser" to 9 p.m., preempting "Law & Order: SVU."
>> CBS likewise is dumping its 10 p.m. procedural ("Without a Trace") and moving its two earlier dramas, "NCIS" and "The Mentalist," forward an hour.
>> ABC will cancel previously planned back-to-back episodes of "According to Jim."
LOL!
I REALLY find 24 tedious these days. I wish they’d get it over with. I’m still watching, but I don’t know why, and that Cherry Jones crap last week about made me delete it from the dvr. Thank God President Palmer never made a speech like that.
The President only "sort of" has to ASK. He controls the FCC, the nets operate at the pleasure of the govt. Difference? They knew W wouldn't do anything if they refused. They know Obama will have their hides nailed to the wall if they try to refuse now. Homey don't play dat.
The “0” is just warming up. Soon he will giving speeches as long as his hero Castro(sometimes 4 hours in length). What will the networks do then i wonder ? And why are these network people complaining anyway ? They voted for the “0” didn’t they ?
The “0” is just warming up. Soon he will be giving speeches as long as his hero Castro(sometimes 4 hours in length). What will the networks do then i wonder ? And why are these network people complaining anyway ? They voted for the “0” didn’t they ?
Yes, but Lie To Me has given us some great tools to use in parsing that man’s body language. I liked the one where they used the classic one of him flipping Hillary off/scratching his nose as an example.
Yes, and we will all be forced to obediently tune our channels to his speeches because the cable box knows when we’re not. We won’t have to watch him, but it will have to be on. At least until the camera in the cable box is rolled out so that the block Kapitan can make sure that everyone is enjoying the talk.
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