Posted on 01/22/2020 8:57:52 AM PST by servo1969
NEW YORK (AP) -- CBS was the first major network to break away from President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate on Tuesday, allowing its viewers to watch their regular afternoon fare instead of a debate over a proposed amendment to subpoena White House documents.
The decision illustrated the on-the-fly judgments television executives will face every day of the trial, juggling concerns over millions of dollars in advertising revenue, news purists cognizant of the weight of history and angry soap opera fans.
Uncertainty over the Senate's schedule from hour to hour, much less day to day, complicates things even further.
The decisions were easier when ABC, CBS and NBC dominated the landscape and were very cognizant of their public service responsibility. Now viewers have options -- cable networks from CNN to C-SPAN and streaming services -- if they want to follow the trial. While Tuesday's session was historic, opening the third impeachment trial ever in the United States, it will still a while before the meat of the case was examined.
Yet it was noticed when CBS cut off the trial around 3:15 p.m. ET, while rivals ABC and NBC stuck with it.
"Uncle Walter is crying," tweeted New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg, referencing the late, legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite.
Tweets of incredulity at CBS for abandoning history mixed with those from angry daytime TV fans. "Why do you have impeachment on all platforms?" tweeted one viewer, who was more interested in watching "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold & The Beautiful."
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
Yesterday, at 3:15pm EST, CBS cut away from their Senate coverage to return to their regular programing.
.......Did you get that?
Somewhere, a CBS executive looked at the numbers and said, "We're not getting any eyeballs out there. Aw, to h--- with it. Put Dr. Phil back on!"
Stick a fork in it. It's done.
It also is not going well for them. This whole thing is an epic, unmitigated disaster for the Democrats!!
The Impeachment Show is on TV???
The ‘Rats shoulda hired Dr. Phil as a Manager.
Most people following every minute of this sham are probably lefties. And Lefties are going to tune into MSNBC.
No reason for CBS to waste time on this nonsense.
That line about news purists is a load of crap.
If 20 other networks are showing the trial, you only have a very small piece of the pie to gain by showing it.
However, if you show your programming, you stand the chance of not only gaining your regular viewers, but also some of those who don’t want to see the trial.
Don’t give me this civic responsibility garbage. There’s no reason the trial needs to be on half of the channels on the dial
This isn’t 1974. Anyone who wants to watch has dozens of options. CBS/NBC/ABC main broadcast channels aren’t the only TV citizens have at their disposal.
Conversely, people who don’t want to watch it have other options besides what the Big 3 (outdated term, I know) shove down our throats. Streaming and 57 channels of cable (with nothing on.)
Only absolutely confused individuals would watch this pathetic charade of putrid clowns. Hopefully, the networks will carry it all, lose a lot of money and make their odd-shaped-headed viewers mad.
What if they threw an impeachment and nobody came!
Shampeachment by the Sore Loser Dims not going to pull good ratings on the networks. It’s boring TV, and waste of time of our elected officials. But like catnip to The Swamp.
We are so conditioned to TV and holidays.
Many decisions by Dems were made by “Will we miss the Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years days off?” “Will the work days in January hurt the Dem Senators who want to go out and campaign?” And most important: “How will I look on TV. Am I in prime time slot? Which speeches will be in time for news hour soundbites? What are the latest TV ratings and opinion polls showing?”
And these are key factors in a project to slander and frame a sitting President elected legally but being railroaded into impeachment.
TV and days off for vacation!
Watchers of The Young and The Restless are....restless. Not good for SeeBS.
Convenient excuse for CBS to show ShiffHole fabricate for 15 minutes, and then cut away before Team Trump debunks his lies.
Amen to that.
ABC is Disney
NBC is Comcast
Two malicious media monsters.
CBS is likely concerned about revenue. The other two are focused on the destruction of our Constitution, Country.
And by not showing the fiasco, the network can leave the ignorant believing this is a serious historical event, not the ridiculous clown show that it really is.
No, that's just the fallout from everyone pizzing on his grave.
“Uncle Walter is crying,” tweeted New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg, referencing the late, legendary CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite.”
Another Fraud.
The difference is that Uncle Fraud was able to pull off an impeachment. Trump is going to beat them like a drum in November. We will impeach the house democrats for putting the country through hell for 4 years.
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