Obama Campaign Buys Channel 73 on Dish Network

The Obama campaign has made possibly the most unusual media buy of any presidential campaign. They have bought an entire channel on the Dish satellite network.

Channel 73-00 on Dish satellite network is now labeled 'Obama' and is looping Obama's 2 minute economic ad, Barack Obama's Plan for America, another ad, and the video that was shown at Invesco Field before Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech. Dish Network subscribers are also reporting that when a commercial comes on any of the other channels, an option appears offering to let the user select the Obama Channel.

Conservative bloggers began almost immediately complaining that they do not want to pay for an Obama channel or Obama ads, but it seems this channel is a media buy -- bought and paid for in full by the Obama campaign. According to Ben Smith at Politico,

on a forum for Satellite TV aficionados, where one user writes that a Dish Network executive emailed to reassure the user that it "is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Senator Obama by DISH Network" and will broadcast through November 4.

So far, no one seems to have been able to get an official statement from Dish or their former parent company EchoStar. There is no word yet what other plans the campaign has for this channel, and there is also no word whether the Obama campaign plans a similar media buy with other satellite or cable networks.

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Comments

[Rossan]

I absolutely love it!! Obama TV rocks!

[sowhatdemos]

I watched it tonight. They will have to expand it, it loops every 15-20 minutes but it's GREAT!!!
Free Speech TV and an Obama channel! I love my Dish Network!!

[observer007]

McCain whine - "We're hi tech too - but we don't like the media, or journalism, or questions, or accuracy, or truth, or the American people - "

[shystar]

Smart man, using the very media to the benefit of the people.

[psychmaj323]

Loving it, PURE GENIUS!

[MiddleRoadLiberal]

I don't have Dish but I hope the channel will show all of his speeches and campaign stops live like the live player on his website.

[GLT21]

McCain: "Me too."

[BassMent]

Very, very smart. They'll have to expand the content if they want people to click over to it more than once, but they could make the unveiling of new content part of the ongoing appeal. It's a slick move, and it will get people wondering if McCain even knows what a satellite network is.

I love the comment below about calling up DirecTV... and hey, maybe Cox as well!

"I want my, I want my, I want my Barack TV!!"

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

Get outta here. Brillant, just brillant. When this election is over, they will be re-writing the book on election campaigns, with O as the main character.

[jlgcox]

This is brillant!!! If he runs the country (more bang for the buck and not in the red) like he runs his campaign, WATCH WORLD the USA IS BACK IN THE SADDLE!!!!

[cacistevie]

That is GANGSTA! McCain just pulled out of Michigan while Barack Obama bought a TV channel. A whole TV channel!!!

I hope everyone paid their $25 this month so he can continue to afford this.

[luvangelHussein330]

He also released a new iphone and iPod touch application:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/10/iphone-software.html?cid=133136193#comments

* Please share as you see fit

[Terriac]

This is very ingenious. They seem to be thinking of everything, and outside the box as well. Great job on the Obama camp's part.

[radical1]

WOW, What genius! Now lets hope more honest Liberals buy more channels and even networks to compete with lying Conservatives and get the truth onair..

[jayburd]

Pretty schnifty!