Networks May Scale Back Convention Coverage For Obama's Speech

Politico:

Major television networks are considering curtailing coverage of the Democratic National Convention after Monday's announcement that Barack Obama will accept his party's nomination in a Denver stadium.

According to several broadcast executives, the networks will still cover all the major speeches. But beyond that, all options are open as they look for savings to balance out the anticipated costs surrounding the stadium event. The acceptance event is an unexpected departure from the traditional convention hall format they had spent months planning for.

Network executives expect Obama's relatively late-breaking decision to speak at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat football stadium, could add hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to already cash-strapped news divisions. Each network has budgeted millions to cover the political conventions, but that spending is already accounted for in specific costs ranging from hotel rooms to staffing to building convention platforms.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[zull2]

Ha, first off, the ratings for a speech like that would be off the charts. Second, the news organizations would like like complete idiots if they cut down their coverage of the Democratic National Convention and whoops, the Democrat gets elected.

Well, they don't really have to worry. Probably a fourth of the people at that stadium will be liveblogging it all anyway and doing the media's job for them. Why do we even have a mainstream media again? Isn't it just a plaything for a few rich old white guys? The major networks are basically a tax shelter/money making scheme anyway. If they don't feel like it's worth covering the news, then they can go back to covering things no one cares about. Or they can hire 4 people to sit in a room and argue like they usually do. That's a cheap way to burn air time.

[GuyFawkes]

All I know is, Obama better fill every seat. If there's one empty chair, the MSM is going to put a camera right on that and talk about that for weeks.

[langstonhughesfan]

Good point! He's got to have every seat in that stadium filled, with people outside trying to get in. I've already gotten on the email list for my tickets (8 of them), and we're driving to Denver from Kansas City!!! Fired up!!! Want the link to sign up? It's here:

http://coloradodems.org/content/view/725

[coba]

just think of all the money they will make if they cover the whole convention...I mean the whole world will be watching

sensico.wordpress.com

[rzan1]

The MSM has displayed its ignorance over and over again. I stopped watching long ago.

[compassionone]

Ah, poor cry babies...that is only a few minutes of ad revenue!

[VOTER]

Considering the millions of dollars the networks saved BY NOT COVERING BUSH'S WAR

OF CHOICE & BUSH ADMINISTRATION CRIMES, ETC. there shouldn't be a problem.

Also, I wonder how much they spent covering Anna Nicole's death?

Hmmmm

[chyko]

If networks fail to cover the Obama convention in toto, foreign news media particularly tv stations will and that will shame the local networks.

But I have an answer to your supposed lack of funding, cover the whole convention and sell the videos later. You will generate a lot of money which can be shared with the Democratic party. I for sure will buy such a historic video for my great great grand children to see.

[truthinreporting]

I no longer watch the MSM - only CSPAN. All else is a joke.

[Sarahjan]

Who came with this idea?

Not a wise move. But what is done is done.

[naschkatze]

I thought it was a great idea. Are we supposed to knuckle under to the f-ing fascist MSM? They've had too much control over the election this year by far. They were certainly willing to run "debates" between Clinton and Obama ad nauseam.

[TheShadow]

Ahhh..What do they care?? It's only a historic moment.

[Cynth]

"The staging turnabout and its anticipated costs come as network executives also feel the sting of record expenditures from covering the protracted Democratic primary election."

The networks are hardly victims of this election cycle. They also benefitted from the primaries, since their ratings were greater than expected. I've also seen compelling arguments that they helped prolong and dramatized the Dem primary race in their pursuit of a ratings boost.

[jupitor]

Ya, right! Betcha a million They cover the GOP completely! This is just an excuse to make sure the Nation doesn't see how successessful the Demacrate convention is, and see how far Obama is takeing the party in change!

[JerryTheAngel]

Obama’s decision “makes it enormously more expensive,” said Paul Friedman, senior vice president at CBS News. “It does add to the overall question of how the networks should cover what is a non-news event.”

NON NEWS EVENT? What the hell?

Are you kidding me? The first African American ever to receive the nomination to run for President and ITS NOT NEWS?

This is the problem with the Media in this country. It's news that Britney Spears is in court for the 20th time to get custody of her kids, but Senator Obama giving his acceptance speech on the anniversary of MLK's I have a Dream speech is NOT NEWS?

Only a moron could possibly think this way. Welcome to MSM in America. OUCH

[abby4ever]

Agreed.

[ohjoy]

I'd like to say "ditto" but it's lost its appeal since Limbaugh. So agreed it is.