Posted on 09/24/2002 5:58:24 AM PDT by floriduh voter
WTSP-TV Ch. 10 won't let Friday's Bush-McBride debate pre-empt the season premiere of 48 Hours.
What does Lesley Stahl have that Gov. Jeb Bush and Bill McBride don't have? Ratings and ad revenue, apparently.
Friday's debate between Bush and McBride isn't scheduled to air in the Tampa Bay area, McBride's home, because CBS won't let WTSP-TV Ch. 10 pre-empt the season premiere of 48 Hours Investigates, the station said Monday.
Stahl is the show's new anchor, replacing Dan Rather, and CBS has been heavily promoting her new role. So instead of seeing Bush and McBride answer questions posed by Floridians, local viewers will see a story about a psychiatrist accused of having sex with a patient who has multiple personalities.
"Once we hit prime time, we have to ask CBS, and when you're talking about covering up something in premiere week, they're just not as cooperative," said Lane Michaelsen, vice president and news director at WTSP in St. Petersburg.
"This is premiere week for many network television shows, so yeah, this is a very important time for them," he added. "They're launching new shows and new people and new promotions. The networks want those shows on the air."
The debate is sponsored by the Florida News Network, a consortium of TV stations from around the state representing myriad networks. WTSP, a CBS affiliate, is the local member.
Another CBS affiliate in the network, WINK-TV of Fort Myers, can't air the debate either, its program director said.
But the third CBS station in the network, WCTV in Tallahassee, will air the debate live, 48 Hours be darned. Executives expressed surprise that WTSP and WINK weren't.
"We told (CBS) we were going to run the debate. I discussed it with them, and I got the impression they understood," said Nick Waller, vice president of operations and program director at WCTV. "They didn't say adamantly we had to run their programming. They're pretty flexible."
Waller and Mike Smith, the station's vice president of news and production, said WCTV committed to airing the debate months ago. While they didn't like preempting 48 Hours, they believe it is worth it.
"We felt like that was the best thing for the viewing public," Waller said. "A political debate is somewhat more important that one episode of 48 Hours."
The hourlong, commercial-free debate is scheduled for 8 p.m. from the studios of WJXT in Jacksonville, an independent station that until recently was a CBS affiliate. It also will air on WPLG in Miami, WFTV in Orlando and WEAR in Pensacola.
Michaelsen said he asked WJXT, which is independent, to move the debate to 7 p.m. so WTSP could air it, but the station declined.
Bush campaign spokesman Todd Harris said the campaign negotiated a 7 p.m. airtime with FNN, "and they came back to us and told us it had to be at 8." Harris said the Bush campaign was "hopeful" WTSP would reverse its decision.
This is the first of three scheduled Bush-McBride debates, and the format will feature the usual opening and closing statements with questions posed by Floridians randomly selected and videotaped by member stations. The moderator is WPLG political reporter Michael Putney, who has the leeway to ask followup questions.
Two more gubernatorial debates are scheduled before the Nov. 5 election: a radio debate Oct. 15; and an Oct. 22 debate in Orlando that will be televised on NBC stations, including WFLA-Ch. 8.
WTSP does plan to carry the debate live on its Web site, www.wtsp.com. Michaelsen said he also hopes to persuade another Tampa Bay area station to carry the debate live.
Greg Stetson, program director at WINK in Fort Myers, said he's looking for a time this weekend to air a recording of the debate, but it is proving difficult. "We've got enough football this weekend that I have not found a spot to put it yet."
-- Times staff writer Steve Bousquet contributed to this report.
Recall the 1992 60 Minutes wherein Steve Croft interviewed the Clintons, put-some-ice-on-it said their troubles should only be discussed between man and wife, Hitlery twanged she weren't in the kitch'n bakin' brownies or singin' "Stand By Yore Man" like Tammy Why-net. Then they blew up the lights and everybody hit the floor--in a prearranged bit.
Note that CBS/Viacom/Simon & Schuster paid Hitlery 8 mill.
Note that CBS King Dork Dan the Dan Dan said traitorrapist42 is "an honest man".
So CBS is shilling for McBribe/McAuliffe et al--I am [not] shocked.
Jeb will be a squadron of combines threshing McBribe like a field of wheat.
Physics insists character and intelligence cannot be created in the course of a debate.
Much to the dismay of Dinglewood, Norbert and Gore, LLC.
I love the new Jeb Bush commercial by law enforcement. The Sheriff says "Ask the criminals about Governor Bush's crime prevention programs." What a great commercial!
Ya think? If someone will help me, I'll volunteer to transcribe as best I can McBride's questions & answers. I won't do it alone. I need an assistant.
Then at least two people should volunteer to transcribe Jeb's questions & answers. WE THEN SPLIT UP THE TYPING AND CAN CONCENTRATE ON ONLY ONE-HALF OF THE DEBATE AND ENJOY THE REST. I have to make popcorn and everything.
If gets really lively at some point, then it will be a free for all and we'll just have to let the thread become a living, breathing document. LOL Please advise. FV
My caution would be that in the critique of the debate we don't convey helpful information to the McBride/McAuliffe team. If anything falls into the category of "loose lips sink ships", it should be FReepmailed.
This way everyone can concentrate and enjoy all of it (with popcorn).
Excellent suggestion! As I am 'debate deprived' (due to being held 'hostage' in Kennedy Kountry).....I'll be very interested in reading your comments about the debate. On the plus side (even though I can't vote for him); I saw Mitt Romney take on RAT Shannon O'Brien tonight. He outshown her in every way.....I'm feeling optimistic for a GOP win in MA.
That "threw" local affiliates off and I guess this must be a really special 48 Hours about psychs having sex with their patients; more important than one of the important business of the re-election of Governor Bush.
Since CBS played the blame game, even per today's paper, I am not watching them any more. GOODBYE CBS, I knew you weren't fair and balanced, but this is ridiculous!
Go, Governor Bush. You already won the debate and the election!
We are also on CHEATING HIGH ALERT, everyone.
I don't mind transcribing McLawyer's q & a. I'd just do one post and hit the post button when he's done answering each question.
Then, people who can't see the debate will at least have something to follow.
If posters want to add their comments, there's really no way we can admonish them IMO. But, if it's from me, FV, it will be straight typing. I can scream at my tv when the debate's over. LOL
Let me know if you think this will work. It's better than confusing people. How about at the beginning of the thread, we identify the screen names of the people who are transcribing only? That way, lurkers can search for the q & a's if that's all they're interested in. I VOLUNTEER TO TRANSCRIBE BILL MCBRIDE'S Q & A as it happens. I type fast but this is not going to be perfect like a depo transcript.
If you or someone wants to help transcribe GOVERNOR BUSH'S Q & A, they should let you know.
I would also recommend that someone else observe all else, moderator, stage, unauthorized comments from the audience, MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVER. That would be three to five VOLUNTEERS.
Of course, the debate transcript will probably be on line by Saturday. We'd just be giving a live version. If you don't want to go this way, whatever, I'm flexible. FV
Great News! There will be a televised debate between Bill McBride and Jeb Bush on September 27th from 8pm-9pm in Jacksonville. This debate is sponsored by The Florida News Network and moderated by Michael Putney of WPLG.
The following local affiliates agreed to air the debate live:
WFTV - Orlando WPLG - Miami WJXT - Jacksonville WCTV - Tallahassee WFGX - Pensacola (7:00 p.m. central time) WPBF - West Palm Beach WEDU - Tampa WINK - Ft. Meyers
If you are outside of these areas, please contact your local Florida News Network affiliate (listed below). Let them know this debate is an important part of the political process and it is important that they carry it.
WCJB - Gainesville/Ocala (ABC) 352.377.2020 WWSB - Sarasota (ABC) 941.923.8840 WJHG - Panama City (NBC) 850.234.7777
I just saw this post. I was reading last posts first and just found this one from you.
Anyway, all these stations are going to carry the debate: BREAKING... Please ping your friends or copy & paste.
Great News! There will be a televised debate between Bill McBride and Jeb Bush on September 27th from 8pm-9pm in Jacksonville. This debate is sponsored by The Florida News Network and moderated by Michael Putney of WPLG.
The following local affiliates agreed to air the debate live:
WFTV - Orlando WPLG - Miami WJXT - Jacksonville WCTV - Tallahassee WFGX - Pensacola (7:00 p.m. central time) WPBF - West Palm Beach WEDU - Tampa WINK - Ft. Meyers
If you are outside of these areas, please contact your local Florida News Network affiliate (listed below). Let them know this debate is an important part of the political process and it is important that they carry it.
WCJB - Gainesville/Ocala (ABC) 352.377.2020 WWSB - Sarasota (ABC) 941.923.8840 WJHG - Panama City (NBC) 850.234.7777
YES, AND WE MUST REMEMBER NOT TO POINT OUT SOMETHING ABOUT MCBRIDE THAT HE NEEDS TO WORK ON. Believe me, we don't want to help McBride in any way. Unlike Algor who got worse with each debate, maybe McBride's a quick study and we don't want him to improve by the time he has to face Governor Bush and TIM RUSSERT! LOOSE LIPS SINK ELECTION SHIPS.
Here's the latest list of stations carrying the DEBATE:
BREAKING - There will be a televised debate between Bill McBride and Jeb Bush on September 27th from 8pm-9pm in Jacksonville. This debate is sponsored by The Florida News Network and moderated by Michael Putney of WPLG.
The following local affiliates agreed to air the debate live:
WFTV - Orlando WPLG - Miami WJXT - Jacksonville WCTV - Tallahassee WFGX - Pensacola (7:00 p.m. central time) WPBF - West Palm Beach WEDU - Tampa WINK - Ft. Meyers
If you are outside of these areas, please contact your local Florida News Network affiliate (listed below). Let them know this debate is an important part of the political process and it is important that they carry it.
WCJB - Gainesville/Ocala (ABC) 352.377.2020 WWSB - Sarasota (ABC) 941.923.8840 WJHG - Panama City (NBC) 850.234.7777
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