Major Networks Not Airing Obama's Immigration Speech
Source: Huffington Post
Despite the great significance of Barack Obama's planned executive action on immigration reform, the four major television broadcast networks are not planning to cover the president's Thursday night address where he is expected to announce his plan.
ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX have all indicated they won't break their planned programming to cover Obama's 8 p.m. ET speech. CNN's Brian Stelter first reported that ABC, NBC and CBS were opting out, and an official with FOX confirmed the same with The Hill.
CNN, MSNBC, FOX News and other cable news networks were expected to air the speech, as was PBS.
But the networks that cater to an audience who will be very interested in what the president has to say cleared the time for the address, CNN reported. The vice president of Univision, the nation's leading Spanish-language network, announced plans to interrupt its airing of the Latin Grammy Awards for the president's address. Telemundo, the other big Spanish-language network in the U.S. will also show the speech live. And the White House is expected to stream the event online.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/19/networks-obama-immigration-speech_n_6188952.html
Of course, the networks will cover Republicans when they threaten to impeach the President in response to his effort to address the immigration crisis that they simultaneously insist he is not doing enough to fix, but is also overstepping his authority in doing so.
Old Codger
(4,205 posts)Is fast making themselves irrelevant
Skeowes28
(62 posts)Helps prevent blowback
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)to this valiente presidente.
Journeyman
(15,035 posts)What's so magical about the 8 o'clock hour? And why must it play simultaneously across the nation? It's not like it's a declaration of war, or something that would suffer from any "spoilers" that leaked before it played in the next time zone. And this way, everyone would have an opportunity to view it after dinner, before the network programs begin, and no one would be put out because of "something stupid that the President had to share" during their show.
Not everyone is interested in watching anything other than entertainment at certain times of the day. A lot of people won't watch because they'd rather read it later, when they can also peruse any reasoned analysis that had been made overnight. And some people just don't like watching speeches.
Those who want to watch it, or desire to read about it later, will certainly find a way. Why not make it as accommodating as possible, so the networks will find it far more difficult to deny coverage.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)It is for Republicans.
DFW
(54,399 posts)This way, they have the time to edit portions out of context, and make his speech say anything they want it to say.
imthevicar
(811 posts)Failure to act in the public interest, and violate the FCC licensing rules, IOW can the FCC now pull the broadcasters License?
Demit
(11,238 posts)that the major networks carry the address after getting the impression that they would be hesitant to do so..." says the piece at the link.
So the prez gave them an out.
LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)He's too nice!
Demit
(11,238 posts)There's a large proportion of the country that squawks about the illegal furriners, and how he's an emperor, so not appearing on the broadcast channels low-keys it. I think his main objective is to get the thing done.
Lurks Often
(5,455 posts)While the President could have been more insistent, the 4 networks could still have said no, which could be viewed as a loss of political "face" by the President.
Attempting to "order" the 4 networks to broadcast the speech is questionable in it's legality and even if they chose not to fight it out, having all 4 networks actively angry at the President isn't a smart decision.
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)The big 3 in Los Angeles, simply air local news at 5PM Pacific...nothing to miss there.
I can't believe people would rather watch another high-speed chase than the President. It's ridiculous!
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)progressoid
(49,991 posts)marble falls
(57,099 posts)to miss 'Grey's Anatomy' or something else really important.
The next acquaintance of mine who says 'liberal press' gets an earful.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)marble falls
(57,099 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)marble falls
(57,099 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)olegramps
(8,200 posts)This reflects the miserable state of the nation when the majority of its citizens can't be bothered to vote. I can guarantee that the major stations would be inundated with complaints if they didn't broadcast the crap that people gobble up.
gregcrawford
(2,382 posts)... The Big 3 networks are all run by Neocon corporatists who would gut their grannies from groin to gizzard for a goddamned dollar. They slant every news report on national politics to the Right, and undercut Obama every chance they get. Just watch that incompetent fool, Chuck Todd on MTP, if you can stomach it. And then there's that nest of venomous sociopaths at Pox News. THAT'S where Todd belongs, right next to Hannity and Krauthammer.