Posted on 01/07/2019 1:06:09 PM PST by rktman
President Donald Trump’s planned prime-time address on immigration Tuesday night has put the broadcast networks in a difficult — and familiar — position as they debate whether to carry the address live.
The White House has asked the broadcast networks to set aside at least eight minutes at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday for an Oval Office address in which Trump may declare a state of national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
There is no ideal outcome for the networks. Should they decide to carry the speech, they will receive widespread criticism from Democrats over their decision to pass on Obama’s speech four years ago.
Should they decline, the networks will forego a potentially significant news event and bolster Trump's argument that the media is biased against him.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I am glad its tomorrow night, there is an AGT special tonight and that show is about the only current teevee program that I will watch. That and American Ninja Warrior!
He's got to emphasize this repeatedly...as our nation's middle-class working folks don't connect with words such as "border security", "opiods smuggling", "human trafficking", "gang-members", blah blah....as much as they personally identify with "JOB-SNATCHING BY MILLION$ OF FOREIGN ABLE-BODIED INVADER$".
Please, Lord, let Pres. Trump's speech hit the right note to REALLY wake up this country's tuned-out and numbed-down populace.
Leni
Just run the clips of chuck and hildabeast and anyone else that ever said we need to protect our southern border on a continuous loop in the background.
Those in the know already know. Those who don’t care still won’t care. Possibly a few fence sitters but not many.
Even if the network say no, local stations can air. I would bet every Sinclair station (193 outlets across the country in nearly 80 markets) will. So, will several other local broadcasters. 70 or 80% will see the broadcast even if the networks choose not to air.
Well, according to this report, not necessarily true:
“They aired President George W. Bush’s prime-time address in 2006, but did not air President Barack Obama’s prime-time immigration address in 2014.”
And now, the REST of the story, via The Washington Post.
Most people did not watch this primetime address. The White House floated the idea of running the speech at 8 p.m. by the major networks, and were greeted with little more than a "Mmm, no thanks."
ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS knew that their customers would not be happy if the President ate into time reserved for some of the most popular shows on television, including "The Big Bang Theory" and "Bones." (Editor's Note: If I wasn't watching Obama's speech, I'd be watching "The This Old House Hour.")
November happens to be "sweeps" month, when programming tries and encourage more viewers to turn in by promising more exciting content. Presidential sweeps don't always ensure the exciting cliffhangers and plot twists that networks are looking for.
I’ve been begging him to do this just....go to the American people....for WEEKS, now.
So thankful he’s doing this.
Nutworks will have HELL to pay if they even think about NOT covering.
Who do they think they are? Pravda??
The Keynesian boost from the money spent on the wall would be an excellent force multiplier on that angle.
Should they decide to carry the speech, they will receive widespread criticism from Democrats over their decision to pass on Obama’s speech four years ago.
Yeah, that one made all the papers. Partisan Media Shill regurgitating the DNC talking points over at No Brains Collectively.
What a pity it would be to miss another chance to see Ginsberg
“sawing logs” at another speech.
Maybe, -Air it with a split screen format...…….Trump on Right , Ginsberg sleeping on Left. If Possible?
Without exception I wish ill will on all the major network employees...
The networks can allow Donald Trump eight minutes to make his case and then allow a panel of anti-Trump wall-hating liberal commentators 22 minutes to bash everything Trump says, and the networks would then have a half-hour of relatively highly rated news.
So why would the networks not want to do such a thing?
Probably because there is no reasonable case against building a wall on our southern border for the nation’s security. Chuck and Nancy’s argument that $5 billion is too much for such protection is ludicrous.
So maybe Donald Trump will have to divide his address into a series of tweets so the public can be informed about what’s happening in their country.
They’re going to carry it. They don’t want to be left out, and the ratings are going to be very good, if not great.
Nobody knows what he’s going to say, so it’s going to be watched.
POTUS should run clips of all the Dems supporting the Wall. Then have him give a slideshow of all the walls around their personal homes.
If I watch, it will probably be over OANN.
The MSM would rather just give the Dem talking points before during and after.
I like listening on radio.
Don’t have to watch Nancy peabrain’s expressions.
If he gives a Presidential Emergency, and they fail to air it, then they don’t need a broadcasting license. If I’m not mistaken, they have to air certain public announcements as a condition of their license, but don’t know the particulars the lawyers would dream up.
Networks will lose a lot of advertising if they don’t air it. Fox will air it. They will be the only one besides the WH feed.
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