Networks reluctantly shuffle for Obama speech

Networks are pulling their shows over to the side of the road to make room for the lights and sirens of president Barack Obama's latest primetime address.

Obama will take to the air next Tuesday evening on four broadcast networks and bump the most popular series on television, Fox's "American Idol."

Fulfilling their scheduling civic duty is starting to seem increasingly cumbersome to broadcasters, however. Between a struggling economy and ratings sagging in midseason, every interruption costs networks advertising dollars and momentum. 

"At a time when we're struggling not only financially but to build audiences, this doesn't help on either front," one network executive said. "These repeated interruptions -- and the rumor of even more to come -- really make it difficult to build audience flow and loyalty. We will all lose one or two million dollars for this."

The presidential election resulted in a fall season regularly interrupted by political news coverage, followed by primetime inauguration coverage, then two primetime speeches about the economy. The White House requesting yet another primetime slot, during sweeps and right after several shows dropped to new lows in last night's ratings, has some executives exasperated.

"I believe in the president and his policies, and as broadcasters we have a responsibility to provide the airtime," said another network insider. "But these frequent primetime requests are wreaking serious havoc with our schedule and our advertisers. Ratings are down everywhere and the airtime is costing us all significant dollars when we can least afford it."

Here's how the Big Four will juggle the speech:

>> Fox is arguably the most impacted network and took the longest to agree to airing the speech. The network will move Tuesday's two-hour performance episode of "Idol" to Wednesday, and the Wednesday episode to Thursday at 8 p.m. That preempts "Lie to Me" and "Bones" and puts mega-rated "Idol" against the mega-rated NCAA finals (which neither Fox nor CBS are all that thrilled about).

>> NBC will move Tuesday's two-hour "Biggest Loser" to 9 p.m., preempting "Law & Order: SVU."

>> CBS likewise is dumping its 10 p.m. procedural ("Without a Trace") and moving its two earlier dramas, "NCIS" and "The Mentalist," forward an hour.

>> ABC will cancel previously planned back-to-back episodes of "According to Jim."

Comments

[welovetheUSA]

Heck..I don't know anyone who will tune in, we have better things to do.

[Annie]

Wow! The fraud is returning to prime time. Earlier he was whining about being tired and overwhelmed. Perhaps if he would stop partying and cancel all of his silly television appearances he would have enough energy to do his job. He hasn't been doing the job too well, now has he? As far the propaganda marionettes that propped him up for this job, I hope every one of you bankrupts.

[metaphorsbwithu]

Sorry, Mr. President. I'm not interested in what you have to say anymore, especially in prime time, especially when you're only reading David Axelrod's words off of a teleprompter.

Everything you say these days has an expiration date anyway.

I think I'll make popcorn and watch old Three Stooges tapes instead.

[NobamaNoMore]

Hmm? Nobama chooses to interupt the most popular TV show (Idol) ... can we say "instant audience?"
C'mon ... why can't "this legend in his own mind" give another teleprompter speech (yawn) during the daytime? I wish he would go squat in the White House and play with his Blackberry (preferably the electronic one) until he's booted out of Office in 2012.

[cn]

A good night for a walk with the husband, smell the clean air, turn off tv and radio hear no sounds from the one that loves to hear his own voice.

[cody]

Maybe the tv networks should do a split-screen with rush limbaugh ... ratings should be impacted positively

[Thor]

This guy signs a 500,000 dollar book deal 3 days before he becomes President and then has the nerve to complain about others being greedy!!!! Government over reason.....change you can count on......VOTE ALL IN OFFICE OUT IN 2010 starting with Dodd, Frank, and Queen Nancy Pelosi.......

[moron]

Obama is not supposed to spend the money of other socialist, the MSM, just the money from the top 2%. Great to watch his cheerleaders have to lose THEIR money!!! Poetic.

[KARL M]

Didn't the networks threaten NOT to broadcast some of Bush's speeches? Ye who defines the agenda, controls the debate and Obama controls the agenda. If you want to make a difference GET INVOLVED and become INFORMED on multiple levels and from multiple sources. If not, someone else will control your individual agenda for you.

[km]

What Obama wants.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BkKtPCTrg4&feature=channel_page

[Daisy21]

This constant campaigning of Obama's is getting tiresome. He told us today that Tim Geithner is the hardest working person in Washington. I do agree with him. Unfortunately, the hardest working person should be our President. Instead, he continues to waste tax dollars flying all over the country, giving stump speeches, having weekly Wednesday night parties, and appearing on comedy shows. Maybe the President needs to stay in the Oval Office for a bit and actually do some work.

I do not need to see yet another teleprompter delivered speech by this guy. It makes me dizzy watching his head swiveling non-stop while he reads these prepared speeches. Maybe he should start looking at his audience once in a while rather than connecting with his teleprompter.

[Ethelbert]

Do you think obama chose to have his little teleprompter speechifying event during American Idol just to get another jab in at Fox? Fox is the network he always shows hate for.

I think if Fox refused to show his speech, American Idol would have huge ratings that night, bigger than usual, because many people really don't want to hear him again.

Fox should have refused.

[Wyomingkid41]

I would rather watch the Gimme Carter Build Houses for inhumanity show......now thats eggsightting.....Specissilly watching thu paint dri.

[Wyomingkid41]

I would rather watch the Gimme Carter Build Houses for inhumanity show......now thats eggsightting.....Specissilly watching thu paint dri.

[moron]

I wonder how many American flags will be on stage, and whether there will be Roman columns? Someone put a diaper on Chris Matthews, the tingle in his leg seems to be progressing to a bigger problem.

[BennyandtheJets]

It's Obamination 24 hours a day, I can't get enough of the Messiah!

[Peter]

we can only hope the teleprompter fails. We know when it does he stops and stammers around until it is fixed. With every passing public appearance with the teleprompter, "the messiah " burns some of that built up political capital. The spending is completely out of control and will never be reigned in. In four years we will be lucky to keep the budget deficit at today's level let alone half of what it is today as is currently proposed. Actions speak louder than words. We don't need to see you on TV. Less is more.

[franf]

Hilarious comments. Nice to know there are many others who are tired of the snake oil salesman's constant propaganda pitch. Hey Barack! The campaign is over! Time to actually do some work. How many vacations, cocktail parties and speeches has he had? And tonight he's on Leno. When does he actually DO anything? Meanwhile, none of the 17 positions in the Treasury Dept. have been filled and Geithner is strugging alone. Then again, what's the difference between Obama and Idol?

[Real American]

Sorry Obama, but I have tons more interesting programs on my DVR to catch up on and we sure don't need another of your usual boring and quite useless teleprompter yak fest to waste our time on.

[Popeyecpo]

I guess that if the Networks don't like this Obama could Nationalize the Networks. Why should they complain? They all with the exception of FOX lied and cherry picked stories to get this schmendrick in office. Enjoy what you worked so hard for. CHANGE
AAH HA HA HA Gotta Love It . You suckers ain't seen nothing yet. Three years and 10 mos more of this unqualified rogue.

[chuckster]

Jesus...what a prime collection of ignorant, illiterate, backward whiners on this site. This country is in a crisis. I am glad that the President understands this--even if none of you bozo's do--and that he is taking the time to talk to us about what his administration is trying to do about it. If you don't like this--you can all just go and kiss my irish ass.

[Lou]

The networks should show their regularly scheduled programs and scroll the press conference on the bottom of the screen. We could all just read the text, like Obama will be reading off his teleprompter. Someone should tell Obama he won the election and stop campaigning. With the wednesday partys, the tours around the country giving speeches, and the weekend getaways, It's amazing he gets any work done. I just HOPE he stops campaigning soon, or I'll have to CHANGE the channel when he comes on TV.

[Nightrider]

Enough of BO already this guy is so eat up with it has no clue as to what is going on.You idiots that voted for him hope your happy and one day maybe you will wake up and realize how stupid you were.I know most of the blacks voted for him because he"s black but he will screw yall as well.LONG LIVE THE U.S.A.

[mountainmama]

YAWN!!! Didn't watch his his last speech, not going to watch this speech, or the next one, or the next one, etc....I'm proud to say I didn't vote for this moran, so why subject myself to his liberal rhetoric? Life is so much better if you just pretend he's not really the POTUS, really people, just try it!!

[Nathan]

This is terrible news for ABC because now FOX will be airing American Idol against the premiere of the promising In the Motherhood and Samantha Who. Any news on if they will move the premiere back a week to April 9th? The same day that Parks and Recreation on NBC.

[BennyandtheJets]

Inspite of their staffs siting in on all the AIG bonus meetings for more than 2 months and forcing Dodd to add the bonus provision, Obama and Geithner claim that they had no idea until last week that there's was actually bonuses, ispite of AIG giving a 100K campaign bonus to Obama. It's all amazing that their staff never mentioned one peep to them.

[TR_LA]

The networks should ignore the bum's request. They'll get the viewers, and nobody will watch him and his teleprompter. Anyway, all he does is preach doom and gloom or tell lies. Who needs him creating more problems at this point?

[Steve]

hmm - Too bad I don't have a T.V. Sure won't buy one for this.

[Tom]

All sound and fury, signifying nothing......

When is Obama going to realize that the audition is over? He's got the job, now he needs to produce, not just campaign.

How long will the networks continue to be his patsies?

[arose]

I won't be watching the teleprompter give his little speech. I stopped watching his speeches a long time ago when I realized that the spector of his insane policies would cause exactly what has happened to the economy. I will be busy working on my master's degree so that I can go out and hopefully earn back the money that we lost with the economic mess his friends in congress have created. Remember people, this is the change you voted for.

[LEE]

OBAMA IS STARTING A NEW TV/ RADIO NETWORK.
IT'S CALLED THE C.Y.A. NETWORK!!!

[Kevin]

During the election the Networks would have done anything to get Obama elected.

They got their Change - now let them live with it.

Only an American Dumbass would watch American Idol anyway.

I hope, or is that Hope?, you all enjoy your Death by a Thousand Cuts from Monkey Boy and his Band of Useful Idiots.

[mrcharliebobo]

the ratings are going down because of your political left agenda but your to stupid to realize it period!!

[Julia]

Oh Wonderful!!!!!!!! I've really been looking forward to my 401K dumping more of my value down the drain! Thanks alot Mr. President. Everytime you open your mouth the stock market takes a huge dive. Here is a thought. Why don't you stop campaigning, cause you've already won the election, and start doing the job of running the country and being a leader. Even I didn't believe you would be this incompetent.

[LEE]

FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN FOUND!
ORIGINATION...... THE BRONX ZOO!!

[Karla]

I won't watch. I never watch TV except for Idol and 24.
It figures Obama is screwing my little home TV time up. At least he is not barging into 24, that would REALLY be stupid. I wish Fox would just do their shows anyway, see who gets the most viewers.

[sue]

Tuesday night will be a great night to clean my toilet and my tub. I am sick of the arrogance of this guy and his whole crew! No change just the same ole same ole cr@p! NO WAY!

[tiredofchange]

Obama is a MALIGNANT narcissist.

[yawn]

I just dont get what makes people like Obama chavez Castro ect popular.all they do is talk and talk BS but if you look at their background theres absolutely nothing to see Except their comunity organizing .Weird phenomenon this cult of personality fixation the masses have.

[jake]

itttot

its time to turn off tv on tuesdays. he makes me puke.