FOX not to air Presidential News Conference

[NewsJunkie247 1]

Fox (not the Fox News Channel) will not air President Obama's primetime address at 8PM EST on Wednesday, opting to air regular programming because the presidential address may hurt ratings for American Idol at 9pm EST.

 

Fox has decided not to broadcast President Obama's 100th-day press conference Wednesday night, opting instead to let sister cable networks Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network air the address in its entirety.

The address, scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), could have possibly affected the "American Idol" results show, which begins at 9 p.m., and the network did not want to risk that during the critical sweeps period for ratings, according to sources. Fox has historically not registered high ratings for presidential addresses and decided, given the nature of this particular press conference, not to show it, sources said. Fox aired Obama's two previous primetime addresses.

"Fox will be alerting viewers with an on-screen 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," a Fox statement said.

ABC announced today it will air the press conference, anchored by Charlie Gibson.

 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/04/fox-wont-air-obama-press-conference-on-wednesday.html

[Bucc 4]

Here's a thought....Why not just...

A) put American Idol on at 9pm....

B) Will the local stations, pre-emt idol with a feed of the president, and air Idol at a later time, perhaps 10pm with a 11pm news...or something along thoses lines....

 

but this is FOX! lol

[Weeters 2173]

Here's a thought....Why not just...

A) put American Idol on at 9pm....

B) Will the local stations, pre-emt idol with a feed of the president, and air Idol at a later time, perhaps 10pm with a 11pm news...or something along thoses lines....

 

but this is FOX! lol

 

Because it's

SWEEPS MONTH

and "Fox has historically not registered high ratings for presidential addresses and decided, given the nature of this particular press conference, not to show it". Local affiliates aren't going to tape delay Idol and have it cut into their newscast times. It's on at least 4 other networks on OTA alone. Does it really need to be on 5?

 

And to think I was going to be "in b4 FOX IS BIASUED!!1!1one!1!"

[NewsJunkie247 1]

Here's a thought....Why not just...

A) put American Idol on at 9pm....

B) Will the local stations, pre-emt idol with a feed of the president, and air Idol at a later time, perhaps 10pm with a 11pm news...or something along thoses lines....

 

but this is FOX! lol

 

The Presidential address is scheduled from 8-9PM EST, and American Idol is scheduled to air from 9-10PM EST. The address would pre-empt "Lie to Me" that is scheduled to air from 8-9. Fox is afraid that the president at 8 would hurt ratings for Idol at 9, so they are instead airing another program!

[l14dap 1]

Presidential events are unpredictable. Just because it's blocked for one hour doesn't necessarily mean it's going to end right at 9PM... how many times have we seen events like these spill well into the next hour?!? Fox doesn't want to risk that, especially with American Idol on tap. I don't blame them.

 

Plus, the address is going to be on a million other channels anyways.

[Bucc 4]

Because it's

SWEEPS MONTH

and "Fox has historically not registered high ratings for presidential addresses and decided, given the nature of this particular press conference, not to show it". Local affiliates aren't going to tape delay Idol and have it cut into their newscast times. It's on at least 4 other networks on OTA alone. Does it really need to be on 5?

 

And to think I was going to be "in b4 FOX IS BIASUED!!1!1one!1!"

 

Well this goes to show everyone where people's priority's lie, I think it is foolish that people rather watch some show, then concern themselves with what is going on in the real world.

[kjohnson 20]

So this is what media has come to? Screw the President, let's show American Idol. I'd run a CNN feed, and show Lie to Me later on in the evening, after the news.

 

Of course, FOX's ratings this season have been abysmal...

[Hometown News 127]

Let me get this straight - people are actually whining that networks care about their ratings in a ratings-driven industry?

 

FOX owns a news network, so there's really no reason for them to show the conference on their main channel. Preemptions happen to every president.

[ProButtonPusher 230]

Why are people making such a big fuss over this? If you want to watch it, watch it on CBS, ABC, NBC or even PBS..hell, if you have cable you have a million other choices.

 

What about those of us who really don't want to watch it? I like Obama, but it's just another press conference.

[NewsJunkie247 1]

Why are people making such a big fuss over this? If you want to watch it, watch it on CBS, ABC, NBC or even PBS..hell, if you have cable you have a million other choices.

 

What about those of us who really don't want to watch it? I like Obama, but it's just another press conference.

 

Yeah, it isn't a big deal since it's still going to be on the "Big 3" plus CNN, MSNBC, FNC, and C-SPAN. I figured however it was worth mentioning.

[Geoffrey 960]

Not to mention that Obama's not going to make any news in this press conference. He's just going to mark an arbitrary milestone.

[Mrtraveler01 739]

Not to mention that Obama's not going to make any news in this press conference. He's just going to mark an arbitrary milestone.

 

I could be wrong but with this "pandemic" going on. Maybe this will play an important part in his news conference. Especially if it gets worse.

[WCAUTVNBC10 419]

I could be wrong but with this "pandemic" going on. Maybe this will play an important part in his news conference. Especially if it gets worse.

 

Uhhh let's try possible pandemic. The media's going nuts and scaring the hell out of people with this swine flu. Don't get sucked into it by misusing terms and saying things that haven't happened yet.

[DMA 136]

Uhhh let's try possible pandemic. The media's going nuts and scaring the hell out of people with this swine flu. Don't get sucked into it by misusing terms and saying things that haven't happened yet.

 

Yeah, it's ridiculous. I can understand the local stations here flipping out, because of the amount of cases in NYC, but it's really a wait and see type thing. It's not cause for media hysteria yet.

 

Regarding Fox, I can understand why they don't want it on the network, but they're not airing it on FNC. I find that ridiculous, they aired pretty much every Bush speech...so much for "fair and balanced"

[first on fox 18]

They are it airing it on FOX News Channel and FBN. Get your facts right.

[DMA 136]

The source was erroneous.

[fl19ga114sc105 4]

So this is what media has come to? Screw the President, let's show American Idol. I'd run a CNN feed, and show Lie to Me later on in the evening, after the news.

 

Of course, FOX's ratings this season have been abysmal...

 

This season Fox has consistently won the demo's, with CBS winning in total amount of viewers, so they are doing well. By the back in the 90s during Clinton's first term he did a some sort of address or speech from the oval office, and only CBS chose to air it while ABC, NBC, and Fox ran prime time programing.

[Weeters 2173]

Uhhh let's try possible pandemic. The media's going nuts and scaring the hell out of people with this swine flu. Don't get sucked into it by misusing terms and saying things that haven't happened yet.

 

See "Sweeps month" from earlier.

 

[DMA 136]

See "Sweeps month" from earlier.

 

 

Well, this isn't a pandemic, but I'd say it's beginning to be on the level of SARS at least...the media is sensationalizing it, but it still is a major story, not just a media ploy.

[Weeters 2173]

WITI announced earlier that they will be airing it regardless (likely dumping out for Idol if it runs long). Any other stations doing this?

[Mrtraveler01 739]

Well, this isn't a pandemic, but I'd say it's beginning to be on the level of SARS at least...the media is sensationalizing it, but it still is a major story, not just a media ploy.

 

Oh don't get me wrong, I think the news stations are getting carried away, I've only watched the news on BBC because the I can't watch too much of it on the American stations. But this is basically going to turn into a SARS like event. Bad thing is that instead of the closest cases being in Toronto, there are cases here in the US. So basically prepare to see much much more coverage and the word pandemic being thrown around.

[kjohnson 20]

WITI announced earlier that they will be airing it regardless (likely dumping out for Idol if it runs long). Any other stations doing this?

 

That's the first time I can say I like what WITI is doing...

[thafernykid 2]

KVVU did it anyway.

 

Then again, we are in the west coast so Idol wasn't really a conflict.

[DMA 136]

Fox handled it well, they put a message on the bottom of the screen saying that it would be on FNC and FBN.

[RGSJenkins 435]

Fox handled it well, they put a message on the bottom of the screen saying that it would be on FNC and FBN.

Well, "Lie to Me" was the highest watched show in the 8pm slot beating the rest of the networks who did air Obama's speech. Around 28 million saw Obama's speech down from 43 million from the first conference.