CNN rejected Obama ad; Fox News not asked

Make of this what you will: CNN says the Barack Obama campaign tried to purchase airtime tomorrow night on the network to run its 30-minute primetime ad. The news network says it rejected the request.

From a CNN spokesperson:

We were approached by the Obama campaign and declined their request. We did not want to pre-empt our programming lineup with a 30-minute spot. We rather use our air to continue to cover the campaign, candidates and issues like we always do from all points of view with the best political team on television.

Fox News, sources say, was not approached by the Obama campaign. Sources point out that the ad is already airing on the Fox broadcast network. MSNBC, however, is airing the ad despite it running on its broadcast partner NBC.

Both news networks say they plan to cover the ad as part of their usual nightly news programming.

"CNN will cover it as a news story just like we do with all the other campaign ads," the statement read.

The Obama ad was first reported by the Live Feed. Yesterday the blog broke that ABC would not air the ad along with broadcasters CBS, NBC and Fox.

Unlike the news networks, ABC's reasoning was more influenced by long-term programming goals -- executives were initially hesitant to air an ad that pre-empted struggling show "Pushing Daisies." The network eventually changed its mind, but by then the offer was off the table.

UPDATE: "Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller on competing against the Obama ad

UPDATE II: Obama ad details! Telecast will include live Florida rally

UPDATE III: Barack Obama infomerical released -- VIDEO

UPDATE IV: TV critics praise Obama infomercial

UPDATE V: The ratings are in. Obama tops "Knight Rider" and Ross Perot

Previous: Thoughts on "The Obama Show" ... Obama buys half-hour of network primetime.

Comments

CNN is full of it - their prime time repeats several programs during prime time

[LittleRedRidingHood]

He could be on all of the networks/cable tv stations and it would not matter to me. I will not watch TV tomorrow night. I don't care to hear his socialist agenda. I love America, I love our constitution-I don't want a Marxist in the White House.

[Adrenalyn]

CNN already gives him millions of dollars of free publicity every day anyway

they don't want or need his money

they'd rather he still have it to spend elsewhere
like on ACORN

[One_American]

"We cannot expect the Americans to jump from capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism."

- Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev, 1959

Ignore this message at your own peril, Liberals.

Reject Barack Obama.

[ricky ricardo]

Wow little red - I can tell you are one of those "open minded" repubelicans...

[Perrin]

Would there be the difference between the Obama ad and their regular programming? At least they'd make more money that way.

[AllorNone]

Wasn't planning on watching it anyway.

[Matt Ryerson]

I can't believe we're about to elect this socialist to be president.

[K]

BOY COT FOR TOMORROW NIGHT TV, SHUT THE TVS OFF AND SAY THE HECK WITH POLITICS FOR ONE NIGHT, NO ONE GETS TO BUY MY VOTE WITH AN INFOMERCIAL, MCCAIN OR OBAMA!!

[Hermit]

They say enough money can buy anything. Obama is certainly trying to prove that to be true. I just hope that American voters wake up in time to throw his socialist pie back in his face.

[roddertrudis]

LRRH, We already have a Marxist in the Whitehouse. You don't love America, LRRH, you only love hating people. You don't have the first clue what the U.S. Constitution stands for.

[Indep for McCain]

He is a dictator.. taking over the news networks to dictate his way of life. MARXISM.
My family will NOT BE WATCHING THIS.

[Gary]

Yeah, like I wanna watch 30 minutes of his drivel.
How many times can you "change" in 3,600 seconds?

[CuinDC]

Hey, LittleRedRidingHood,
If you love your Constitution so much, maybe you can teach your beloved Sarah Palin what it actually is and states. And got off the Socialist train, McCain had the same ideas just 4 years ago, look it up, there's video and transcripts all over the internet... and to top it all off, your beloved Sarah Palin's home state practices socialist tactics with the PFD program (Permanent Fund Dividend)... distributing the wealth amongst Alaskan citizens with tax money from oil companies. You ignorant ass... do some research rather than being a follower and going off of misleading talking points.

[Ricardo1]

So this must be a blood state website. Very nice readers. So it is better to have an administration who will take our tax dollars and give the money to Halliburton and Blackwater through no bid contracts. Billions and billions of money stolen from this corrupt administration and you morons want more of the same? Have fun in your BLOOD red states! Fascists!!!!!

[BigBadWolf]

LRRH, if you call Obama a Marxist, then you have to do the same for McCain. Why? Because McCain is offering $5,000 refundable tax credits for healthcare EVEN to people who do not pay income taxes. That's redistribution of wealth. McCain is suggesting the government buy, at full value, toxic mortgages from banks and the renegotiating those mortgages at lower cost, which means taxpayers pay the difference and bankers make out like bandits. That's redistribution of wealth. McCain doesn't want to close the loopholes that allow some huge corporations to pay NOTHING in income tax. THAT is redistribution of wealth. So both candidates are redistributing wealth. Obama does it for the middle and working class. McCain does it for the wealthy, which is exactly what Bush did and THAT worked out so well, didn't it?

[cutthecountryinhalfalready]

Would rather watch paint dry than have to watch that ONE talk at length about nothing at all.

[James]

I really cant believe they Denied the Messiah. I bet they're going to be cut off :)

[B STRICK]

I will be cutting my toe nails tomorrow night

[GC]

LittleRedNeckRidingHodlum, keep on reading those phony emails and lying pamplets in the mail and you'll never know the truth. If you think he's a marxist, then you're an absolute idiot. Really, think about it, what have Rush, Hannity, Fox News told you about Bush the last 8 years and look at where this country is. Open your mind, look at both sides and make informed decisions.....if you're capable of doing that. You've been played for a fool, but don't take my word for it, look at your 401K, look at how much everything you buy cost, look at our standing in the world, etc, etc,......

[Lee]

Watch this instead:

http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr10-17-08.html

[Please!!]

CNN's Spokesperson: "We rather use our air to continue to cover the campaign, candidates and issues like we always do from all points of view with the best political team on television." Please! the only point of view worth CNN's time is from pathetic liberal's like that Campbell lady.

[TLo]

I will be watching Pushing Daisies, like I would be anyway.

[DCortez]

change, change, unicorns, and change. there, i saved you 29.75 minutes and millions of dollars.

[michelle]

they are all in the tank for obama-it is sickening...indcluding LA TIMES which wont release a video they have of obama at a fundraiser with khalidi, toasting this PLO operative and saying anti semetic things.
the LA TIMES flat our refuses to release this tape...read here
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/McCain_camp_demands_LA_Times_video.html?showall

[Joe]

I also will not be watching television tomorrow night. Sen. Obama has consistantly, willfully, and knowingly lied about his intentions for America.

[dyrbr]

Wow.. thats alot of easy money. Obama has tons to reward networks like CNN..

[Ricardo1]

We have had an administration who has used 9/11 over and over and over to engage in an unjust war and terrorize its own citizens. This is really what you people want???? We've been terrorized by our own president and you say thank you sir, may I have another?

[MarkJ]

God save us from this Socialist Marxist and his rabid Democrat Congress. May the rabid-left media burn in hell for their dishonest cheerleading that is duping so many citizens into trading their liberty for candy.

[ronna]

i wouldn't watch the socialist anyway! he would ruin America.

[Vibius]

Funny how all these Republicans are whining about Obama and his "un-american" Marxist views after supporting a president who treated the constitution like it was just a piece of paper he found in a suggestions box.

Yea he might be liberal, but at least he doesnt sway with the winds like McCain. Obama is suggesting the same thing that McCain was saying pre-08 campaign.

[McCain 4 Prez]

It will be a nice evening to sit and watch Obama whilst drinking a fine goblet of Kool-Aid.

[Dan]

Here's an interesting article explaining why Obamamaniacs appear to be entranced.

http://www.pennypresslv.comObama%27s_Use_of_Hidden_
Hypnosis_techniques_in_His_Speeches.pdf

[BigBadWolf]

"He is a dictator.. taking over the news networks to dictate his way of life. MARXISM.
My family will NOT BE WATCHING THIS."

Actually, Indep, Obama is paying businesses for their services, and you want to stop him. That makes YOU the Marxist. He's not taking over, he's making a financial transaction.

[Ricardo1]

Dear Red States:

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all of the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the
slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro gay-rights, pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all
Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazies believe you are the people with higher morals then we "lefties."

[blackirishblonde]

Okay, so Marxism doesn't seem like a valid point? What if an audio tape of a 2001 radio interview with Barack Obama was found? What if instead of saying spread the wealth around, he said redistribution of income? Barack Obama's father was a Marxist economist and advised the Kenyan government to redistribute income through higher taxes and that you could even tax people 100% as long as the government provided a benefit. Well, the 2001 audio tape where Sen. Obama said redistribution of income was found (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck). And what do you call it when someone tries to ban TV stations when they don't like what they say? In Nazi Germany, they called it censorship. But Obama doesn't have enough power yet so if they can't ban you, they ridicule you in public (like Joe the Plumber) and use government sources to dig through your personal information for just asking a question. And then they can put together a group of people that they call the truth squad (like the Senator's truth squad) -- people in authority like prosecutors, police, politicians in their own party. They use the truth squad to go after people that they believe are not saying the truth (according to their interpretation). In Nazi Germany, they called them the Gestapo. What is Marxism? The economic and political theories of Karl Marx (1818–83), German political philosopher, which argue that class struggle is the basic agency of historical change, and that capitalism will be superseded by communism. Sleep well tonight

[Trina]

Please ... there are already socialistic views in the White House! Is it a Democratic President bailing out these crooks on Wall Street, and the Banks? Give me a break. If you don't wanna watch Obama, turn off the TV. He has already won. Deal with it, or leave the U.S. Closet racists! Your "hip hop lovin' 18 year olds" will vote for Obama behind your back. Don't get it twisted.

[Republican Hater]

Ooooh look at the conservative racists weeping and gnashing their teeth!

Go pray to your nonexistent God, assholes.

[Leona]

BigBadWolf - wake up! Obama's not giving the poor a tax cut -- they pay NO TAXES -- he's just trying to disguise another form of WELFARE!!!!!

[GC]

Palin/McCarthy 2012. I can see Russia.......