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

[EV_Ares]

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?

Link: http://mediamatters.org/blog/200909040046

[lamp_shade]

1. Does anybody really care?

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Sir Ruprecht Morlock certainly has nothing to fear

If he truly suspected that Barack Obama was the monster FAUX News makes him out to be, he wouldn't be treating him in such a disrespectful manner.

Still, I would like nothing better than for this administration's FCC - or FBI or some other agency - find sufficient reason to sanction, restrict or shut down FAUX News altogether. It'd be especially sweet if the violation is so egregious that it's obvious to the most casual observer why they're being restricted somehow. The reaction from freepers would be sublime!

FAUX News should remember that the airwaves belong to US - not to corporate interests or the GOP. If they refuse - for strictly partisan reasons - to carry an address by the President of the United States to a joint session of Congress, they are derelict in their duty to serve the public interest.

[GoCubsGo]

3. It will be on FoxNoise and Fox Business Network

...Wilshire & Washington reports that the network issued a statement: "The Fox Broadcasting Company will not air the Presidential Address to Congress on Wednesday, September 9 at 8:00 PM (ET). FOX's sister networks, Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network will air the presidential address in its entirety. FOX will alert viewers with an on-screen graphic at the top of the 8:00 PM (ET) hour that the presidential address is available on Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network."...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/04/fox-wont-broadcast-obama-_n_277945.html

The address preempts Glenn Dreck's show. Good enough for me.

[otohara]

4. Their Viewers Are Cheering This Move

and Rupert knows it!