UPDATED: How will Rupert Murdoch justify not covering Obama's address to Congress next week?

[babylonsister]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909040046


UPDATED: How will Rupert Murdoch justify not covering Obama's address to Congress next week?

September 04, 2009 9:24 pm ET by Eric Boehlert


Fox TV makes it official: It's refusing to air president Obama's address to a joint-session of Congress next week. Since Murdoch's media outlet has effectively transformed itself into the Opposition Party of the Obama White House, this move fits into their political attack machine.

Of course, placed in proper context, the idea that a media company has decided to so blatantly play a hardball brand of partisan politics is nothing less than shocking. But don't look for reporters to make much of Murdoch's snub. Look for it to reported as an "expected" move. Like it's normal for the fourth largest television outlet in the country to uniformly refuse to air any presidential appearances scheduled in primetime. (If NBC, for instance, had ever snubbed Bush when he addressed Congress would the news have been reported with a shoulder shrug? Riiiight.)

Two questions. Did Fox TV ever refuse to air one of president Bush's joint-session speeches? Indeed, has any U.S. TV network ever refused to air presidential speech before Congress?

[eleny]

1. Are they airing the GOP rebuttal?

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

3. Haha! I hope so!

:spray:

[Jennicut]

2. But there is no American Idol on!!!!!!!

I actually watch American Idol but seriously, what is more important then the President's address to the Congress? Now if it was a Rethug Faux TV would most certainly run it.

[mwooldri]

4. How will the individual affiliates justify their "public service" obligation?

Fox the network may not be doing the coverage, but affiliates have the right to pre-empt the network and carry anything they like. Locally WGHP is in competition with WFMY and WXII - and if WFMY and WXII take Presidential addresses, WGHP will as well - it's a former ABC station, with good ratings that were retained with the switch from ABC to Fox when Fox purchased WGHP - subsequently Fox has sold WGHP.

If this matter was taken up carefully then I'm sure that there would be some poor affiliate who would have to face a license challenge with the FCC for various violations to serve the public good.

Mark.

[eleny]

5. If this causes a mess for the wingnutiest stations then so be it

[babylonsister]

9. I don't think they are involved. No one now is forced to do anything. nt

[Colobo]

6. Fuck Fox and its viewers.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. Hopefully he will go bankrupt!

[Turborama]

8. It's time they were forced to stop using their "Fair and Balanced" BULLSHIT slogan. n/t