Fox blacks out Obama coverage - refuses to cover prime time press conference

[grantcart]

Unbelievable and (I think) without precedent

Of course the irony in the name of the show that they will be showing instead has sailed over their heads

Fox won't air Obama's prime-time press conference

Posted: 08:00 PM ET
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/27/fox-wont-air-obamas-prime-time-press-conference/
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney


Obama's last prime-time press conference was on March 24.
(CNN) – Fox Broadcasting Company announced Monday it will not carry President Barack Obama's prime time press conference marking his first 100 days in office, the first time a broadcast network has refused an Obama administration request for that valuable airtime.

The network will instead carry its regularly scheduled episode "Lie to Me," according to its Web site. The show is among the network's most popular and draws an average of 13 million viewers a week. That compares to the relatively paltry 4.2 million who watched the president's last prime-time press conference on Fox. In all, close to 40 million watched that event on one of the eight networks that carried it.

Obama's press conference also comes at the start of the May "sweeps" period, when viewership is watched closely to set the rate networks can charge for advertising.

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the network said it will alert viewers just ahead of the 8 pm ET event that the press conference will be broadcast on sister stations Fox News and Fox Business Channel.

CBS, NBC, and ABC have said they will pre-empt their regularly scheduled programs to air the president's news conference.

The Wednesday night event will be Obama's third prime-time press conference as president. His prime-time address to Congress in February was also carried by all four major broadcast networks.

The White House is not commenting on Fox's decision.

[William769]

1. Fair and balanced!

Thats Faux news for ya!

[onenote]

12. to be accurate -- its the fox broadcast network that's not carrying the press conference

faux news is carrying it.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. Seems to me that they want to give up their seats at the WH press pool

I'm sure more interested, real news organizations would love to fill that empty seat.

[MadBadger]

3. No, there is precedent for this. CBS and Fox did it to Bush in 05'

[grantcart]

5. wasn't that during the congressional campaigns and the networks

decided that it was primarily a campaign effort and not a news event?

[MadBadger]

6. Nope, this was April of 05'

[Captain Hilts]

8. I remember that. 'News' doesn't sell compared to desperate housewives, etc. nt

[Cha]

4. "No Comment"...that's

the best way.

[Captain Hilts]

7. They did it to Bubba also. So did CNN. nt

[DJ13]

9. Why do we NEED all the networks covering the same event?

Seriously, if people want to watch, they will change the channel to see it.

[DrToast]

10. It's not unprecedent and it's not that big of a deal

Let it go.

[WestSeattle2]

11. Their audience won't understand it anyway....eom

[PBS Poll-435]

13. Figures

They only have 2 hours of prime time tv a night, while CBS/NBC/ABC have 3.

[stillcool]

14. I think that is great!

Every day they reveal more about who they are, and what they are about. Let the other stations get the ratings.