Will Some Broadcast Networks Ignore Tonight's Presidential Speech??

[Joseph_Gallant]

Tonight (June 28th), President George W. Bush will be speaking on Iraq and the war on terror from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8 P.M. EDT, and run for about 45 minutres.

At this writing (1:20 P.M. EDT June 28th), ABC is the only broadcast network who has announced (based on what appears on the networks' homepages) that they will carry the speech live. Based on the homepages of CBS and NBC, neither network is (so far) planning to carry the speech.

Back on April 28th (the first night of the May sweeps), a prime-time press conference by the President almost didn't get on the broadcast networks. Only a change in the start time of the press conference, which made it much easier for the broadcast networks to schedule it, got the "big three" to cover it.

But this is different. It's Summer, and prime-time is mostly reruns.

Although NBC has two hours of first-run programs tonight ("Average Joe" at 8 ET/PT and "I Want To Be A Hilton" at 9 ET/PT), the Peacock network could very easily pre-empt a rerun of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (scheduled for 10 P.M. ET/PT) in the Eastern and Central time zones, move "Joe" back to 9 ET and "Hilton" to 10 ET, and open-up the 8-9 P.M. (EDT) hour to carry the speech.

CBS has a rerun of "NCIS" from 8 to 9 EDT that could simply be bumped for the speech.

Another thought: For ABC affiliates in the Mountain and Pacific time zones (and, should their networks also end up broadcasting the President's speech, affiliates of CBS and NBC in those same time zones), the President's speech will come on at 5 P.M. PDT/6 P.M. MDT, which is when most network affiliates in these time zones air local news. Might some Mountain and Pacific time zone stations decide to stick with their high-profit local news and as a result, not show the President's speech live??

 

[wxctintern]

As of right now 1:52PM my digital cable on screen guide only has the President's Speach listed for COX Channel 7, which is WNTH ABC NewsChannel 8 out of New haven, CT. Besides I don't care what that dictator of a president has to say. And if his brother wins the election in '08 I'm becoming the newest citizen of Toronto.<P ID="signature">______________
~Jay Clark~
</P>

 

[office]

The speech is just more blather which can be distilled into about 2 seconds of soundbyte at 11 PM.
This is what cable news is for.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

As of 2:55 P.M. EDT, CBS has posted on it's homepage that it too will carry the President's address, pre-empting "NCIS".

If the speech ends early enough, a rerun of "King Of Queens" will fill the 8:30-9 P.M. (EDT) half-hour, although if the speech runs more than a half hour, "King Of Queens" may be joined-in-progress.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

The "Big Three" Have Fallen Into Line

Late this afternoon, NBC's homepage was revised to reflect the fact that the network would carry the President's speech. This NBC press release announces that they too will carry the President's speech live beginning at 8 P.M. EDT.

"Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (originally scheduled to air at 10 P.M. EDT) will be pre-empted. "Average Joe", scheduled to air at 8 P.M. EDT, will now air at 10 EDT, 9 CDT, 7 MDT, and 8 PDT. "I Want To Be A Hilton" will air at it's usual time of 9 P.M. EDT.

In the Mountain and Pacific time zones, a repeat of a "Dateline NBC" report on the best-selling book "The DaVinci Code" will be seen at 9 P.M. MDT, 10 P.M. PDT.

This is a link to an article by "NBC Nightly News" anchorman Brian Williams, in which he writes about whether NBC would broadcast tonight's speech. Williams wrote that several NBC affiliates very much wanted to broadcast the speech live.

Translation: NBC didn't want to air the speech, but pressure from several major affiliates resulted in the network changing it's mind.

 

[robbbc]

> Tonight (June 28th), President George W. Bush will be
> speaking on Iraq and the war on terror from Fort Bragg,
> North Carolina. The speech is scheduled to begin at 8 P.M.
> EDT, and run for about 45 minutres.
>
> At this writing (1:20 P.M. EDT June 28th), ABC is the only
> broadcast network who has announced (based on what appears
> on the networks' homepages) that they will carry the speech
> live. Based on the homepages of CBS and NBC, neither network
> is (so far) planning to carry the speech.

This situation is not going to go away; ragardless of your party affiliation, we can all agree that having all stations cary the President's speech is unnecessary. PBS and NPR are going to carry it. If one other major broadcast network (including Fox maybe) agreed to, I think we could call the situation covered. They could take it in turns. This time ABC, next time NBC etc...

Soon maybe they could just play it on the current "local news" or "local Weather" digital channels they broadcast over.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

While PBS will offer the speech, many member stations may pass on it. I would be very surprised if either of the PBS stations in the Boston area, WGBH-2 or sister station WGBX-44, end up broadcasting it live.

 

[CentralFLEagle]

Re: The "Big Three" Have Fallen Into Line

I like the idea put forth above of the broadcast networks rotating live coverage of the President's speech. With the various cable news channels ready, willing, and able to do so anytime, it's no longer necessary for everyone to air it, unless it deals with an urgent matter of national importance.

In this case, Bush is simply using Fort Bragg as a backdrop with several hundred soldiers selected in advance (that was noted by a local reporter during C-SPAN's morning talk show) intended simply to help boost public support for our military action in Iraq. There will not be any major announcements or items revealed. This type of event does not warrant live broadcast by every network.

While I am an active Democrat, I would say the same thing regardless of who sits in the Oval Office.<P ID="signature">______________
Robert Charles Pickering
Lakeland, Florida</P>

 

[network]

He's Outta Control

Not even 2 months has passed and this President is already abusing the networks. This has nothing to do with my political preference at all. He was just on television several weeks ago pleading to the American People about something else they are not happy with Bush about.

This time he feels he needs the networks' time to pretty much beg and plead (and lie/twist the truth) because more and more people being polled are thinking the War was a mistake. What he has to say is NOT going to change many people's minds.

President Bush is clearly abusing his power to get network time. The networks owe him squat, IMO. I really think the networks should start being more picky as to what speeches by the President they cover (except the State of the Union). Summer re-runs or not. Most networks have cable news networks they can steer their audience to. Let the cable nets or the market's local PBS affliate carry it (hell, even direct them to the PBS affliate for those who don't have cable). This crap of coming on prime-time television every time the American People don't agree with what he's doing has got to stop. At this rate, he'll be on every week.

I, for one, will NOT be watching what he has to say.

 

[Darrel]

Re: The "Big Three" Have Fallen Into Line

> I like the idea put forth above of the broadcast networks
> rotating live coverage of the President's speech. With the
> various cable news channels ready, willing, and able to do
> so anytime, it's no longer necessary for everyone to air it,
> unless it deals with an urgent matter of national
> importance.
>
> In this case, Bush is simply using Fort Bragg as a backdrop
> with several hundred soldiers selected in advance (that was
> noted by a local reporter during C-SPAN's morning talk show)
> intended simply to help boost public support for our
> military action in Iraq. There will not be any major
> announcements or items revealed. This type of event does
> not warrant live broadcast by every network.

This is exactly why I'm not watching the President's speech right now. I really lost interest in these "speeches to the Nation" when Bush (and his handlers) started doing them in front of big crowds of "yes men", as is the case tonight with the speech at Fort Bragg. If this had been a traditional prime time speech from the Oval Office (as previous Presidents have done), it would be a sign to me that this is important stuff. Instead, Bush (and his handlers) give these speeches an atmosphere that is indistinguishable from any election year campaign visit. Simply put, if they won't treat them seriously, I won't either.

 

[KeithE]

Re: He's Outta Control

> Not even 2 months has passed and this President is already
> abusing the networks. This has nothing to do with my
> political preference at all. He was just on television
> several weeks ago pleading to the American People about
> something else they are not happy with Bush about.

Networks have news operations for a reason. A President, regardless of party or philosophy, is news by definition.

> This time he feels he needs the networks' time to pretty
> much beg and plead (and lie/twist the truth) because more
> and more people being polled are thinking the War was a
> mistake. What he has to say is NOT going to change many
> people's minds.

Probably not, but it doesn't matter. I believe that a Presidential speech (but not a routine news conference or personal appearance) should always be covered by the major broadcast networks, including PBS. It's a privilege that a President is entitiled to, again regardless of whether he's a Republican or Democrat. In fact, in the case of PBS stations, it should be a condition of license if that station is receiving federal funds in any form.

> President Bush is clearly abusing his power to get network
> time. The networks owe him squat, IMO. I really think the
> networks should start being more picky as to what speeches
> by the President they cover (except the State of the Union).
> Summer re-runs or not. Most networks have cable news
> networks they can steer their audience to. Let the cable
> nets or the market's local PBS affliate carry it (hell, even
> direct them to the PBS affliate for those who don't have
> cable). This crap of coming on prime-time television every
> time the American People don't agree with what he's doing
> has got to stop. At this rate, he'll be on every week.

You're entitled to your opinion of Bush, but the man in the office at any particular time has nothing to do with this discussion. The networks do owe a President time upon request, so long as it's a major speech.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bush has had far less TV face-time than Bill Clinton did. Clinton was just as entitled to it as Bush is.

> I, for one, will NOT be watching what he has to say.

That's also your right. I don't agree. I gave Clinton and all his predecessors (going back to LBJ) the same attention that I give George W. Bush when they gave important speeches. I believe it's my responsibility as an American to hear what the President has to say, even if I didn't vote for him or like how he runs the country.

This post may get deleted, edited, or moved to the Off The Air board, but I feel your points had to be challenged. It's nothing personal and I don't want to start a flame-war here. We'll just have to agree to disagree, but I'm dead serious about how and why I feel that a President deserves broadcast airtime whenever he requests it.