HBO Buys Exclusive Rights To Obama Inauguration Opening Ceremony

HBO will kick off coverage of Inauguration Week with an exclusive Sunday, Jan. 18, telecast of the star-studded opening ceremony, two days before the saturation coverage of President Barack Obama's inauguration begins in earnest.

In 1993, HBO paid $1.5 million to the Presidential Inaugural Committee to exclusively televise Bill Clinton's kickoff from the Lincoln Memorial, something that annoyed non-HBO subscribers who weren't able to watch the concert by Bob Dylan and Diana Ross.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[fj23]

The ONLY 3 people performing at Obama's concerts on Sunday, January 18th that actually speak up for the masses are Stevie Wonder, Bono and will.i.am, everyone else - Usher, Shakira, Beyonce, Sheryl Crow (she only spoke out about breast cancer after she got it), etc. - none of them ever spoke up for the masses! And I'm not talking about in some darn forced PSA (public service announcement). I mean sincere workings for the masses! They only care about their careers and sorry but they are inappropriate people to have perform! Who cares that they can sing?! So can a LOT of people who HAVE spoken up for the masses! i.e. Aretha Franklin (okay - at least she's performing AT the inauguration on the 20th) , Harry Belafonte, Pink, Amel Laurrieux, Celine Dion, Queen Latifah, Mos Def, Talib Qwali, Kanye West, Ludacris, T.I. - HECK EVEN P. DIDDY has done more than these others! Why the heck are they allowing singers who haven't done anything for the masses perform as opposed to singers who HAVE DONE. Heck even having rappers with controversial lyrics are better if they've spoken for the masses that have singers who lie about how innocent they are yet NEVER speak up for the masses. This is garbage! I hope these ARTISTS had to pay to perform and that money I donated to the pic2009 did NOT go to paying these artists!

[slobone]

Since when does an inauguration have an "opening ceremony"? This isn't the Olympics...

[tel8034]

Waiting for January 20th gives me the same feeling I had at 5 years old waiting for Christmas morning to arrive, or when I was 17 and waiting for my 18th birthday.

The days just seemed mugh longer than usual, and the big day didn't want to come fast enough.

The next 12 days seems like an eternity away ..................... But I will be up an alert at 5:00am on January 20th ....................... I don't intend to miss a second of that glorious day.

[PKSSK]

I am disappointed that MSNBC is again setting up an outside forum like they did during the party conventions. This platform was distracting and removed from action area, which caused me to watch CNN and C-span.

[Lemmy]

Matthews will get a tingle down his leg. Olby will sit silently and beam. Well, maybe not silently . . . .

[Suzanne525]

The headline made my blood pressure go up, but then I read the article. No biggie.

The inauguration on Jan. 20 is what I want to see. That's when O gets sworn in, and gives his first speech as POTUS. That's what is important.

Bunch of celebs partying? I might watch it if I had HBO, but won't care if I miss it.

JAN 20!!! 13 days to go!!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Will they be auctioning off press conferences for the next 4-8 years?

[Shashi0224]

Obviously, in true republican style, you didn't read the full article. Why is it republicans never bother with facts??

[Lemmy]

Obama:

"Before I begin, this press conference is brought to you by UPS. What can Brown do for you? Ok, let's get started with anybody except the Fox guy."

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

If there is a single government (taxpayer) dollar funding the event that was then sold... it's an outrage.

[jukesgrrl]

You could easily Google the answer to this and save youself any outrage. Tax dollars pay for only event security and the actual swearing-in ceremony (tickets for which are distributed FREE to the public via each representative of Congress -- and if your Congressional reps "sell" theirs to campaign donors, that's not Obama's fault). All other events, balls, etc., are paid for through private donations and controlled by a Senate committee. Most people and groups that participate in concerts, parades, etc., do so at their own expense for the honor of participating.

[Lemmy]

Back to the Clinton years of selling anything . . . .

[jukesgrrl]

Yeah, Bush just sold the l ives of the 4,000+ sold iers ki lled in I raq and bankrupt the country's future so his friends from Hall i burton, Car lyle, etc., could make mo ney. There wasn't any kick back, of course.

[cjk002]

Google Halliburton, KBR, and Blackwater.

[JZ735]

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOPDEEDOOOOOOOO!

[vernbvb]

I do hope that this time around, unlike the conventions, there will be at least one Black anchor.

[DubiousAtBest]

How about one asian, one black, one hispanic, one white, one eskimo, and one gay?

Will that make the reporting better?

[Lemmy]

Great post!

[bby328]

You mean the Palin family?

[JZ735]

Quotas for commentators, huh? Ridiculous.

[Lemmy]

Maybe grab Stuart Scott form ESPN!

[southernsepia]

I concur,the PE is Black. It would be nice to have that perspective.

[redhot200822]

What would be an example of black perspective?

[comacoma]

If the PE does not feel the need to inject racial considerations into his operations why do you?

[redhot200822]

'cause he is not as smart as Obama.

[jukesgrrl]

The major networks have no black anchors so you're out of luck there. MSNBC will have Eugene Robinson, the excellent Washington Post reporter, on its anchor team.

[misty1]

I also dropped HBO to cut down on expenses. I hope I get to see it on another cable network.

[JZ735]

HBO would be the only premium channel I would keep...however, I remember when their programming s--ked...bad B movies and boring boxing...

[jukesgrrl]

The article states that HBO is making this available to anyone who has any cable package and they're considering streaming it on their Website.

[GeoLee]

I understand the need for money, bu t as someone who sent several hundred dollars to his campaign but who does not subscribe to HBO, I am more than a little irritated by the exclusivity of someone who promised me open government and change I can believe in and wanting to bring us all together. Why on earth would you start out by shutting me out, Barack? I have taken a lot of heat out here 30 miles from where you mom was born supporting you and I really resent this move!

[VOTER]

Did you read the article?
You need to have cable but do not need to subscribe to HBO to watch
the event.

It will be available to all. We recently dropped HBO to cut back on expenses so
we are delighted we will get to watch the event .

Also, this is one event and all of the other networks will be doing their own
shows leading up to January 20th.

[VOTER]

Correction: ALL CABLE and/or SATELLITE subscribers will get to see the event.