Networks want to be "certain" Bush speech is "newsworthy" before broadcast

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=597&e=1&u=/nm/20050628/tv_nm/bush_dc

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Three of the four broadcast networks had yet to decide late Monday whether they would carry
President Bush's speech on Iraq Tuesday in front of soldiers in Fort Bragg, N.C. By then, only ABC had said it would carry the address.

The White House formally requested an hour of primetime at 8 p.m. ET for Bush's speech at a time when public opinion polls show the tide turning against the war in Iraq. While there was no question that the cable news channels would cover the president's address, the broadcast networks were a tougher sell.

CBS, NBC and Fox all said they would decide sometime Tuesday whether to carry the speech. Concerns centered on the potential newsworthiness of the speech and the fact that it was being given not in the Oval Office but far from Washington. "You want to be certain you are broadcasting something that is newsworthy and vitally important to the American people," said one network executive who asked not to be identified.

The networks, unconvinced in initial talks with the White House late last week that the speech would be newsworthy, asked for more information. Sources said a conference call was held at 12:30 p.m. ET with officials from the Bush administration and the networks' Washington bureau chiefs. But that might not be the only reason for the networks' holdout. While CBS was in repeats at 8 p.m., NBC was faced with the possibility of having to pre-empt or reschedule the heavily promoted original reality series "Average Joe: The Joes Strike Back."

[ewagner]

1. Laugh my butt off

if they decide not to carry it live.......

that would really put chimpy on the defensive......

[AllyCat]

4. That would take the cake for me too.

Hopefully, we'll be able to join in a laughfest e!

[girl gone mad]

66. I hope they let him talk.

I don't think Bush has ever been able to boost his popualrity or win over hearts and minds through public speaking, even with relentless media cheerleading.

What could he possibly say to help himself? Standing in front of cheering troops just doesn't cut it these days.

[FourStarDemocrat]

69. He Should admit it: "I lied 'bout everything." Then it'll be newsworthy.

Hell, I'd even tune in.

[AllyCat]

2. Faux is questioning its newsworthiness? Well that's a switch, huh?

Since when do ANY of them care if something is news? I guess it cuts into their bottom line for advertising if they can't run their summer rerun fare.

(Edited to correct spelling of network name)

[berni_mccoy]

7. They care when it cuts into their

Advertising revenue. In a 1 hour show there are 20 minutes of advertising time... that's a lotta $$$

[geckosfeet]

22. They don't want to see their boss grovel, drool and spit on himself

any more than they have too. Besides that, they don't feel shrubbish has anything to explain. They consider it a pr event for those who are straying from the fold,,, not for the benefit of the hardcore Faux news users.

[CrispyQ]

54. Shrubbish!!!

OMG!! I love that!!!!! Even better than Dim son.

:rofl:

[kedrys]

3. The networks should save themselves time and just ask flat out

"Is * still full of shit? Yes? Then we'll find something else to run in that time slot. Thank you for calling, please drive through, nothing to see here." :P

[Benhurst]

5. Of course it's nothing but Bushit. Go for the gold, NBC ! And, CBS,

even re-runs are better than wasting an hour on the KKKarl Rove spin machine.

[kentuck]

6. Just the fact that it is in front of the troops is proof it is propaganda

pure and true.

[fishnfla]

8. Average Joe?

Shit, put the president on. Drek, either way

:eyes:

[Benhurst]

11. Average Joe any day over a war criminal. NT

[ecstatic]

19. damn!!! I really wanted to see that

You mean that mofo is going to cause it to be pre-empted? I'm shaking in anger right now! I DON'T watch * and you (the TV networks) can't force me too!

[AntiCoup2K4]

21. If it weren't for his daddy's name...

...Chimpy would probably be ON Average Joe :evilgrin:

[Ganja Ninja]

9. They've seen his act before and know it'll be more of the same.

:boring:

[tritsofme]

10. Please cover it!

Things like this always cause his approval to drop, even more!

[ThumperDumper]

17. This is true...

Whenever he shows his face on TV his ratings tank.

[kster]

59. So does theirs..nt

[tanyev]

12. Now that's poetic justice.

Der Fuhrer's speech is not deemed more important than Average Joe: The Joes Strike Back

[KoKo]

20. OMG.....I thought that was hysterical! "Average Joe Strikes Back/G.I. Joe

:D There are lots of protests going on in Fayetteville and if they cover his speech then they better cover those protests...MSNBC this morning said they were going to cover the protests. I doubt CNN will, though.

[calimary]

13. Oh really? They're having to be convinced that it's newsworthy?

Hmm... that is MOST intriguing.

Maybe the lapdogs are finally jumping off the lap and trying out the idea of standing on their own.

That is MOST intriguing. This is being ballyhooed by the spin machine as being this big-ass important speech to the American public about how important the war is and how important "staying the course" is - and only ONE of the big networks has agreed? The rest aren't sure it's newsworthy? Well, well, well...

[wicket]

14. Hahahahahahahaha!

:rofl: :rofl:

[liskddksil]

15. ABC

Everytime one of these speeches airs in prime time its seems like ABC is the first to jump the gun to carry it.

[maxrandb]

25. You Know that Any Network

that syndicates the Sean Hannity Radio show is completely BOUGHT AND PAID FOR by the republican masters!!!

ABC tries to have it both way, but all they accomplish is being able to say; "we suck less"

[barbaraann]

16. Well, honestly, it has to be more newsworthy than Access Hollywood

or Entertainment Tonight. Perhaps the networks are confusing flash with newsworthiness.

[ThumperDumper]

18. Where was their "careful consideration"

before the election when he was using these for campaign speeches?

[ellenfl]

23. so the news channels have been told what he is going to

say (not exactly, i'm sure) and don't find it newsworthy? he's trotting out the same old god and pony show then. i think it would be great if no one watched . . . altho' i plan to. i never watched him before but i think it's important to 'know your enemy' . . . something he and his regime still refuse to do with iraq.

i'm not sure i will be able to stand the cheerleading from the audience tho'. maybe a pre-show scotch/rocks would be in order.

i like his press conferences better when he can't help but look foolish. i still can't get over him calling the president of luxemburg 'a piece of work'.

ellen fl

[ewagner]

28. calling the president of luxemburg 'a piece of work'.

When did that happen?

I missed it!

[MaineDem]

34. This was just last week

My jaw dropped to the floor!

What an absolute fuckwit!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

35. Read it and weep...or maybe hurl...or maybe weep AND hurl...

President Hosts United States - European Union Summit
The East Room
June 20, 2005
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050620-19.html

BUSH: In terms of your Prime Minister, he's an interesting guy. (Laughter.) He's a lot of fun to be around. He promotes serious business in a way that endears himself to people. And so I think his presidency has been an important presidency for the EU during difficult times, and he's handled it well. And I was going to say he's a piece of work, but that might not translate too well. Is that all right, if I call you a "piece of work"? (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT JUNCKER: Okay.

:silly:

[CottonBear]

43. Wasn't the man he insulted form Belgium? n/t

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker

President George W. Bush is flanked by European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso as they participate in a news conference in the East Room Monday, June 20, 2005. White House photo by Paul Morse

[calimary]

56. Good Lord, there's that frickin' SMIRK.

What does he think this is, the first debate? WHAT A dick.

[AllyCat]

65. OMG, Juncker said "okay"?

Has he no self-respect? Why didn't he tell * he was full of it and see how that translated?

What an unmitigated a** Dear Leader is.

[ComerPerro]

24. They certainly should have reservations about this

He has lied to them before, saying he had a message for the people and then using it as a stump speech with free airtime.

Once, during the campaign, he even managed to piss off the local right-wing talk radio station for doing that.

[wicket]

27. He did it several times during the campaign

Glad the media is finally catching on!

[ComerPerro]

30. They will probably all air it, and it will just be a PR speech

to "catapult the propaganda".

aka "Sling the Shit"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

37. You folks are comin' up with ALL of his "greatest hits" today...LMAO!

IT'S HARD WORK!

:evilgrin:

:toast:

[deadparrot]

26. Hopefully, the "speech" will be over

before Julius Caesar begins on ABC. I'd been hoping to catch it.

[AuntiBush]

29. Ya Wanna Bet ABC Shows It, Though.

Some more tidbits for our Commander-and-Thief.

Reuters: Bush tries to overcome flagging support on Iraq
Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:00 PM ET, By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush will try to shore up support for the Iraq war with an address to the nation on Tuesday night, telling Americans it is essential to keep fighting to stabilize Iraq despite the prospect of more bloodshed.

Bush will deliver his stay-the-course message surrounded by troops at the military base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina -- a backdrop designed to whip up patriotic feelings as the administration tries to cast Iraq as part of the president's broader, and more popular, global war on terrorism.

With Democrats and some Republicans in Congress pressuring the administration to show results in Iraq or pull out, the White House billed the speech as a major effort by Bush to make his case at a critical moment.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-06-28T170017Z_01_N28381367_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-IRAQ-USA-DC.XML

[CJCRANE]

41. "broader, and more popular, global war on terrorism."

I still don't get this "popular...global war on terrorism" stuff. I know there's still a few troops left in Afghanistan but apart from that where exactly is this "global war on terrorism" taking place?

[AuntiBush]

68. Live on C-SPAN 2 Early this AM: WH Mouths Claim Nukes are

deployed all over the damn place. I knew right the, I was again seeing prop-a-gan-da. Off it went.

[Cats Against Frist]

31. I have a question --

Did any of the major networks carry Chimpy's "do-over" speech, after the first debate, where, like the lunatic he is, he completely fucked it up, and looked like an asshole?

[Supersedeas]

32. Joes preempted by Average Joe that strikes agains (Complete with Rovian

props)

[norml]

33. Here's the text of the speech.

Next week Americans will celebrate the 229th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that launched our war of liberation. It's easy to forget that those early patriots faced monumental difficulties as they sought to overcome an array of failures and obstacles. But they had the vision and the courage to persevere and establish the first enduring democracy the world had then known. The people of Iraq today are in the earliest days of their struggle to build a multiethnic democracy. Ultimately, it will be up to the Iraqi people -- not the United States, not the coalition -- to rebuild and secure their country. The mission of our coalition is to create an environment, where the Iraqis themselves can contain and ultimately defeat their insurgency. It has been one year since the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people. That is not very long, yet the Iraqis have accomplished a great deal, including holding an election and convening an assembly to write a constitution. We have a clear strategy for success in Iraq, and I want to be very specific about what that strategy is. We must look beyond the daily violence in Iraq and focus on the quiet process of political reconciliation that will produce a more stable and democratic Middle East. The stakes are high. We face a dangerous enemy that seeks to weaken our resolve. It is important that we finish the job in Iraq. I know it's difficult, but the United States has gone through difficult times before to come out on the other side with a more stable world. The enemy we face in Iraq are terrorists, terrorists who espouse the same ideology as those responsible for the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. After September 11 some will want us to grow complacent and forget about, or put the attacks off as a distant memory. But it does require patience and resolve to see this struggle through to the end. We have no option but to defeat the terrorists, and the terrorists will be defeated. I know it's hard to focus on the quiet process that is going on in Iraq of building a political consensus toward a stable and democratic Iraq. The key to success in Iraq is for the Iraqis to be able and capable of defending their democracy against terrorists, and we will not leave until Iraqi security forces are trained and equipped to keep the peace. The insurgents are very tough, and they're very bloody, and they can grab the headlines on any day. We have to keep focused, and I think the American people will. Iraq slowly gets better every day. We are well-positioned for continued success in Iraq. But we should be clear: There are long-term developmental challenges and much to be done. And Iraq's steady progress will be contested. Success for the coalition should not be defined as domestic tranquility in Iraq. Other democracies have had to contend with terrorism and insurgencies for a number of years, but they have been able to function and eventually succeed. Freedom is the birthright and deep desire of every human soul, and spreading freedom's blessings is the calling of our time. And when freedom and democracy take root in the Middle East, America and the world will be safer and more peaceful. We have a two-track strategy for winning in Iraq, the military and the political, and the way out of Iraq is to stay the course. The American people are rightly concerned about where we are in Iraq. I think we all want to see the troops come home sooner than later, and the way to get our troops home is to complete the mission.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1891728

[Idioteque]

36. They should show Conyers' DSM speech instead! n/t

[samsingh]

38. abc gives in before fox?

[Arugula Latte]

39. I almost wish they'd all run it.

Just so more people will see what a whiny little shit we're stuck with as president.

Not that I'll watch, mind you.

[Jack Rabbit]

40. Fox is doubting the newsworthiness of a Bush speech?

Sorry, I don't believe that.

[Jacobin]

42. Please Please PLease Carry this live,

Everyone who watches it instead of their favorite brain candy show will be pissed when he says the same thing over and over.

:woohoo:


:woohoo:

[Pacifist Patriot]

49. LOL! I was thinking the same thing.

I don't watch television so it doesn't make much difference to me what they do. I find the decision-making hilarious though.

[woodleydem]

44. It's Tuesday afternoon now. Does anybody know if any other networks have

decided to carry it?

[mandomom]

45. Average Joe and Josie America are onto Bush.

[mmonk]

46. Why now?

[laugle]

47. Yea, sure it is newsworthy, 911, 911, 911,

I hope the ratings tank!!

[MsTryska]

48. do they do this with all presidents or is this a dubya phenomena?

I can't remember seeign these stories - but i also don't recall any other President trying to take the 8pm spot, either.

[Shredr]

50. That's brilliant

I hope Average Joe wins.

It would almost be worth watching that insipid reality show, just to give it rating over Bush. (I said "almost.")

[Nothing Without Hope]

51. Well, he certainly has abused the coverage before! Remember his

campaign stump speech incident last year? That was billed as a serious matter of national interest too.

And everyone knows he wants to distract from the DSM-related coverage and other bad news.

Cry "wolf" again, blivet**, why don'tcha?

[earth mom]

52. Same Shit Different Day.

We know it AND the networks know it. :rofl:

[Pirate Smile]

53. I heard NBC backed down and will cover it. Maybe the WH threatened

to cut off access, no more interviews with WH spinners to lie directly to the people - oh, the horror!

[bunny planet]

55. in this case substitute the word 'coherent' for newsworthy and you'll

figure out why the networks might not want to cover the Dauphin's speech.

[Chichiri]

57. NBC and CBS are covering it

No word on Fox. But I think we can guess.

[kitkat65]

58. How absolutely poetic...

Talk about payback to one of the most secretive and media controlling administrations ever.

Old news indeed.

[Uncle Joe]

60. If he were to just announce

his resignation, that ought to put it over the top, I think all the networks would cover that, unless some bride somewhere runs away.

[Miss Chybil]

61. "Average Joe beats out Average Schmoe"

Tomorrow's headline? I can understand their position. How many times do we have to listen to the jerk spew the same propaganistic bullshit? If he's just going to repeat himself... Like the grown-ups on Charlie Brown used to say... "Wah wah-wah, wah wah."

[prodigal_green]

62. The chimp claims he doesn't follow polls

but the networks sure as hell do. If they see that most Americans are sick of this shit, they will not air it, plain and simple. Owie, that has to hurt when your pet capitalism comes to bite you in the ass.

[Geek_Girl]

63. When Bush's ratings tank

the networks ratings tank!


:rofl:

[graywarrior]

64. They've been promoting the "show" all day, just like

when they promote the hell out of a really really bad movie

[bunny planet]

67. So let me get this straight. The news networks are going to decide whether

or not the President's speech about the WAR IN IRAQ is NEWSWORTHY or not?


WTF