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.
I'll be typing his freaking lies as fast as he spews them out. I hope I don't get ill. LOL
Wal-Mart! $5 for 10, (blaster is extra), but oh-so worth it!
How about 2 threads.....If floriduh voter is willing to do a LIVE & windchime wants to host an 'apres debate' discussion.....I'll be interested in both myself and most appreciative!
Here is how I have whittled it down. Since I am not going to be fast enough to get the moderator's question and McLawyer's answer, I decided that every time the moderator asked McLawyer a question, I would only transcribe his answer, i.e. POST MCBRIDE ANSWER FIRST, THEN POST ANSWER NEXT, POST ANSWER NEXT, etc. That way, I would just be transcribing what McLawyer says and it would be easy to at least see the guy's mindset.
When he's not talking, I get to rest and have refreshments. And, I do not plan on any critique he can use to improve himself for debate 2. WE MUST ALL REMEMBER LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS.
Would you like to type Jeb Bush's words or the moderator's questions? I think if we had two people posting besides me, we've got the three people in the debate covered. Or if someone else wants to do this on the live debate thread, they can use the same format. Mod Question to Jeb first,mod to Jeb next, mod to Jeb next etc. Then JEB ANSWER FIRST, ETC. That would be a format that would be easy to follow and easy for three people to cover three people. Typing doesn't have to be P E R F E C T. This would be helpful for people who don't get to see the debate at all. It won't be chronological, but it will be better than nothing at all and we can re-arrange it later on. That would be kewl.
All other posters should make their comments but not inadvertently give DU lurkers constructive criticism for McLawyer.
If windchime wants to start the thread as the author, she should put an admonishment at the top of the thread about loose lips, etc.
You could do a google search or check your local listings and see if you get the Sunshine Network. If you get it, it should be in your tv guide.
And, I don't see how c-span could skip this since they taped the dem debates here but it was a poor tape and they looked like they were in an earthquake imo.
I am covering McLawyer. Do you want to cover the moderator or Governor Bush? Then we just need an additional person to cover the one you don't select.
We can do this and I will set out our format in the body of the thread at the top. Since we don't know who is going to speak first, if you are near your tv, just start typing every time the person you selected: Jeb or the mod opens their mouth. (let others make commentary - we should just type verbatim as best as possible). I used to type 100 wpm but I'm a lot slower now. But, connecting words can be tossed out for ... if they talk fast. The idea is to give thread watchers the gist of the debates. Key words, key sentences, annoying or good sound bites.
I'm not going to look at body language until I watch my tape later. Someone else can eyeball the candidates and post that. SO, WE NEED ONE VOLUNTEER TO TYPE FOR THE DEBATE FRIDAY NIGHT either the mod or Jeb's remarks. FV
WE NEED A VOLUNTEER TO type Governor Bush's answers for the debate. The division of labor is a good thing and we don't even need a union.
You might notice that Jack Harris of WFLA radio used to be on Channel 8, NBC. He's now a political commentatory on Bay News 9. He's a Republican (verified by personal email in 2000). Unfortunately, WFLA tv is biased these days - every anchor -every story.
Bay News 9 also floated the PHONY AP POLL. They bent over backwards later that day to say that JEB BUSH HAS EXCELLENT POLL RATINGS.
We are going to see a lot of scary polls before November.
PEOPLE NEED TO visit www.jeb.org and get their bumper stickers, download buttons or make their own AND GET YARD SIGNS AND HAND-HELD SIGNS. The hand-held signs are important on election day. Pick a safe corner, take a friend and WAVE YOUR JEB SIGN. You don't have to ask anyone's permission to wave at cars and "get out the vote". Lots of Floridians are LOYAL JEB SUPPORTERS. We all have to prove it and get the vote out for Jeb.
By the way, Channel 10, WTSP took a lot of heat for refusing to carry the First Debate. THAT WAS A LOCAL DECISION. CBS is polluted from top to bottom it appears or maybe they are covering for the national DNC. (op-ed piece today's St. Pete Times at www.sptimes.com
Personally, I like the free flowing comments in a live thread. I plan to record the debate on the 'puter, will have still screen shots posted during the debate.
so, will there be two threads going?
As long as transcription by 3 posters is clearly marked each time before we post, the free flowing stuff can be there too. I don't think we need two threads if the transcript portions are clearly marked.
One stop shopping works better IMO. It will be a smorgasbord of text and commentary with no rules except that WE SHOULD NOT INADVERTENTLY HELP MCLAYWER BY CRITIQUING him for dem lurkers. Then later on, someone can get pictures for us.
Now I have to get ready for my handyman to show up. New garbage disposal and bathroom light - my other life calls.
What about this for a slogan: IF YOU LIKE DASCHLE, VOTE MCBRIDE! (^:
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