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Fox rejects Obama's request for airtime

Geplaatst op 27 april 2009 21:13 door gsprimo

For the first time since Barack Obama took office, a major broadcast network is refusing to grant the president's request for primetime coverage.

Fox has issued a statement saying it will air regular programming (Lie to Me) Wednesday night instead of Obama's 100-day news conference.


"The Fox Broadcasting Company will not air the Presidential News Conference on Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00 PM (ET)," Fox said in a statement. "Fox's sister networks, Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network, will air the press conference in its entirety. Fox will be alerting viewers with an onscreen graphic at the top of the 8:00 PM (ET) hour that the press conference is available on Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network."

ABC, CBS and NBC have issued statements saying they will carry the president's telecast.

Broadcasters have increasingly groused about the president's requests for airtime. Each interruption costs networks millions of dollars in advertising. Fox is the only major broadcast network without a dedicated news division and is typically the least-watched broadcaster when covering live news events. Also, the company's popular Fox News cable network tends to draw larger audiences. The network has rejected presidential requests for primetime coverage from previous administrations, from both political parties.

Fox has carried the president's three other post-inauguration coverage requests, and even moved TV's most popular show, American Idol, to cover Obama's most recent telecast. The network's new position suggests the president's honeymoon phase with the broadcast networks may be waning.

Obama's request falls inconveniently the middle of sweeps, though the choice of time periods has improved from prior requests. Aside from Fox, the other major broadcasters have low-rated programming in the hour. Fox won 8 p.m. with Lie to Me last week, and the show might see a bump Wednesday since competitors will not air their usual entertainment programming. (Also, with a live Idol results show airing after Lie, there's a chance Obama could have run over into 9 p.m. hour, though Fox could have elected to cut its news coverage short if that had happened).

According to one report, the nonpartisan research group Center for Media and Public Affairs found that evening newscasts have covered Obama more than both Pres. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton during the first 50 days of their first terms -- combined. The study also found the media's coverage of Obama was generally positive.