Kerry thinks the TV coverage of the convention sucks too!

[LTR]

Interesting article about how the TV news networks are covering the Dem Convention. THe article points out that it seems more like a spotlight for TV talent and less about the Convention itself.

Also commends the coverage by C-SPAN and PBS.

Read this great article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040729/6407341s.htm

Cable networks taking flak for show schedules
By Mark Memmott
USA TODAY


BOSTON -- John Kerry spoke for many media critics Wednesday after he arrived in town.

Asked about television coverage of the Democratic convention, the presidential candidate said, ''It's a shame they don't cover these things more.'' Later, he went further: ''The talking heads keep talking, and you can't hear anything.''

One of the subplots of this convention has been the approach the broadcast and cable TV networks have taken toward their evening coverage of the convention. Some critics say there's been too much talk and commentary from pundits and celebrities, too much promotion of the cable networks' stars and too little coverage of the speeches, delegates and issues before the nation.

(snip)

The (PBS) NewsHour's ratings have jumped significantly compared with the 2000 conventions. Tuesday night, PBS says, an estimated 7.7 million viewers tuned in to some or all of its coverage. Its rating was up 32% from the second night of the 2000 Democratic convention. PBS says its number of viewers surpassed those watching CNN, Fox News and MSNBC combined. Those cable networks together drew 6 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

(more)

[2Design]

1. it is true... I wish I had cable to watch Cspan and actually see

everything. PBS is ok but still you have the talking heads and their views inserted instead of showing us what is going on. We missed the kidsforkerry speaker while we listened to them chop up our people

[LTR]

2. C-SPAN is phenomenal

Nothing but complete convention coverage, commentary kept to the barest minimum.

I even watched the state-by-state nominations last night, and it was more fascinating than the bile spewed on the infotainment networks.

[blueblitzkrieg]

3. Poor John is watching CNN...

I saw a pic of him watching Teresa speaking on TV and the CNN logo was at the bottom left of the televison screen...so he saw the crazed pundits rip Teresa to shreds for no damn reason.

TURN TO CSPAN, JOHN, CSPAN!!!

[LTR]

8. I'm sure he was

Likely channel surfing a little to see what the talking heads were saying.

[JayS]

4. Modern conventions are as dull as watching a particularly...

...boring color of paint dry so I can't really blame the lack of coverage entirely on the media. The ratings just aren't going to be high enough to justify the broadcast time.

[JCMach1]

10. You are describing the REPUG convention...

:)

[TreeHuggingLiberal]

11. I don't know what convention you've been watching,

but this is one of the most invigorating and exciting events that has occurred on television since I have started watching.

[JayS]

18. I should have qualified my post with the notation that I find...

...political speeches entertaining but of little value when it comes to the candidate's stance on how to take the rhetoric and make it a reality. That said, I would find a convention where a bunch of politicians run around with flow charts and cost/benefit analysis particularly interesting...a view shared by approximately two or three other people.

On the flipside, I LOVE the cheerleaders at football games, although their skirts are way too long, but I would not be excited if they tried to wow the crowd with discussions of how the wish-bone formation will be used in the current play. :)

[TreeHuggingLiberal]

28. HeHe :)

[Cybergata]

27. Welcome to DU TreeHuggingLiberal

It is always nice to haven another tree hugger around.

:hippie:

[TreeHuggingLiberal]

29. Thank you!!!

I know the feeling. I have lived in conservative areas all my life, and I have just found a liberal area in Memphis that I adore. It's nice to be able to speak with people that actually share many of my values and beliefs. DU has been an absolutely amazing learning experience. Thanks for the welcome.

[democrat_patriot]

30. I've actually enjoyed this one.

I couldn't watch it all day (when say, the Democrat for the Boston water commission is on - no offense) but I've watched it every night and have been really impressed.

Maybe it's because I am more 'involved' this time around.

Maybe I'm just motivated to change the current situation.

Maybe because I get it in High Definition.

But the speeches by Clinton, Obama, Sharpton, and Edwards have been excellent.

I looked at the Repug lineup - yawn. It doesn't look as interesting.

[NicRic]

5. Is Al Franken going to repug convention ?

Are they going to give him a skybox to run his radio station out of during the repug convention. I agree abosolutley ,that the TV coverage sucked big time. It was like as soon as one of the Dem speakers was done with his speech ,they could not wait to put a repug on to call all of the claims about bush false. I wonder if the "liberial media" is going to do the same for the Dems ,somehow I think not, at least not as much as they did for the repugs. I guess it should not have come as a surprise, that most of the bush butt licking media ,would do their part to keep the Dems and Kerry's rise in the polls as low as possible. We must continue to get the truth out thru the internet ,and even direct mailing , protesting the repug convention on a large scale would be great,probably ignored by the major media ,however the people will hear about it one way or another ! I have never seen so many lazy journalist being employed at the same time in my life ! I agree with Micheal Moore that the media let the American people down big time ,from the stolen election on ,they have been used and apprently happy about it. They seem to have the same work beleifs as bush,work one day ,take a week off !

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. C-span

I have watch all three nights on C-span. Great coverage!

[Hubert Flottz]

7. I've watched it on Cspan every night and I salute them!

They put the country ahead of greed!

[Lavender Brown]

9. I wish the non-cable networks would cover it more

If I remember correctly, NBC, CBS, etc. used to show way more than they do now. Even the roll call of delegates. I've never watched as much CSpan as I have this week.

[Tracer]

12. My C-Span channels are right next to each other ...

... 44 and 45.

Last night, I accidentally hit 45 on the "clickah" (Boston-speak for the remote) and discovered that C-Span 2 was showing a repeat of the 1984 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION!!

Sheesh. Was there nothing else they could've dug out of the video morgue?

[Sydnie]

19. C-Span 2 was showing all the nomination acceptance speeches from all past

conventions last night. They started that coverage at 8 pm, which I hope they show again. I used my "clickah" right after the end of the roll call last night and caught Clinton and Gore's 1992 speeches followed by Papa Bushs' 1992 speech.

I was really glad they showed papa's' speech. We got to see "Lancelot Link" - the chimpster, in the audience and it just reaffirmed what a baboon he really is! Papa ended up boring me to sleep though.

It was very interesting just how much the speeches seemed to be driving home the same messages that we heard last night. I would be very interested in hearing them all, one right after the other, for comparison from the beginning of televised conventions to present day. Alas, I could only tivo one thing, and last nights real time coverage was more important to capture, at least for me.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi Sydnie!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[MaryH]

13. I've Been Watching PBS and its Wonderful

They start at 7: Central and don't talk over the speeches.

[Xenus Sister]

22. Not as wonderful as you think

"I've Been Watching PBS and its Wonderful"

Yes, but what you're not seeing is criminal. The biggest "for instance" is that PBS did not show Al Gore's excellent speech from Monday night. I know because I had my Tivo set to record PBS. I was watching on C-Span and saw it. At the end of the night I went back to PBS to dub off all the speeches. I was shocked to see that it wasn't shown. Luckily I caught the repeat later on C-Span. Since then I just Tivo the C-Span.

Since I'm not Tivo'ing the PBS feed anymore, I don't know what wasn't shown Tuesday or Wednesday. I know you didn't see the fantastic speeches by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., John Glenn, Ike Skelton or Patrick Leahy. You didn't see the tribute to the great Tribute to Fannie Lou Hamer, or Maya Angelou, or Mike Honda. Did you see Al Sharpton? Dennis Kucinich? Ted Kennedy?

I'm so angry at the media. I hate them all.

[kentuck]

14. The networks were smart enough to not show Reverend Alston...

Otherwise, it would already be over and they would have nothing to talk about between now and November...

[underpants]

15. USA Today? That is that leftist RAG that fired the calm and restrained

Ann Coulter!

[Gin]

17. I have watched CSPAN the whole time..occasionally I surf to CNN and others

but all I see are talking heads...spewing bullshit...and in the background I HEAR the convention....what kind of coverage is that? CSPAN has been wonderful.

[jcldragon]

16. I decided to tape the convention

First I was taping off CNN, but I became very annoyed by the obvious Repug commentary. I actually got some better stuff off ABC. But finally, I got on C-Span, and I'm staying there.

[qanda]

20. I watch it on C-SPAN and unfortunately

I turn sometimes to see what's on the other "news" channels. It is the most disgusting thing ever.

[AP]

21. Those are incredible numbers for PBS. I think I saw that big three were...

...getting high 4 mil. To get almost 8 mil just shows people want to see it and want to see it without the RW talking heads trying to tell them something that isn't true about them.

[skippysmom]

23. Another CSPAN watcher here

It's the only way to go. No commercials, every speech and interlude in its entirety. And no blowhard Repukes providing commentary!

[Papa]

24. Im watching the convention on HDNET in HiDefinition. It's stunning.

Im fortunate that my cable system has HDNET and I watched some last nite for the first time. Anyone here watching the convention in HD?

[enki23]

26. fucking pbs here in louisiana isn't playing it, so far as i can tell

but that shouldn't come as much of a shock.