May Sweeps more important than Iraq's future

[XZeroII]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5050891/

Networks won't air Bush's primetime speech

Updated: 9:21 a.m. ET May 24, 2004LOS ANGELES - The broadcast networks are not expected to carry President Bush?s primetime speech Monday night, in which he will lay out a ?clear strategy? for the future of Iraq.



The Bush administration has not requested the Big Four to air live the president?s address to an audience at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on the last Monday of the May sweep, a crucial period when networks chase high ratings in order to set ad rates.

NBC, Fox and ABC will proceed with their scheduled programming for the 8-9 p.m. hour -- an episode of ?Fear Factor,? the finale of ?The Swan? and the broadcast premiere of Oscar-winning ?A Beautiful Mind,? respectively.

NBC and Fox?s sibling cable channels, MSNBC and Fox News, will carry the speech.

CBS is not expected to make a final decision on whether to preempt its Monday 8-9 p.m. comedy block -- season finales of ?Yes, Dear? and ?Still Standing? -- until Monday but sources indicated the network was leaning toward sticking with its regular programming.

At least one network, Fox, has offered the speech to any of its affiliates that wish to carry it.

?The president looks forward on Monday evening to discussing with the American people and with a global audience a clear strategy on how we need to move forward,? White House spokesman Trent Duffy told reporters Friday. ?We hope that Americans will take the opportunity to listen.?

The speech is expected to be carried worldwide on cable networks, he said.

Last May, the Big Four had to reshuffle their Thursday lineups the second week of the sweep to carry Bush?s address announcing the end of major combat in Iraq.

 

[conjur]

It's that damn liberal media again, eh?

 

[XZeroII]

sure is

 

[Skitzer]

Why am I not surprised?

 

[arsbanned]

Does he have anything new to say, other than, "Staaaaaay the course...."???

 

[Red Dawn]

No big deal, those who are interested will just watch it on Cable.

Last May, the Big Four had to reshuffle their Thursday lineups the second week of the sweep to carry Bush?s address announcing the end of major combat in Iraq.

Maybe they are adhearing to the Dub's famous words "Fool me once shame on..shame on you..fool me twice yer not gonna fool me again!"

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Change your title to "re-election more important than Iraq's future" and you will have your answer as to why the broadcasters are not bothering with Bush's made for TV BS.

 

[Hugenstein]

You would think Fox would show the speech. Maybe if Bush got an Extreme Makeover and gave the speech during the reveal, then Fox might air this incredibly important speech.

When I say "incredibly important speech", what I really mean is waste of an hour.

 

[DanJ]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Change your title to "re-election more important than Iraq's future" and you will have your answer as to why the broadcasters are not bothering with Bush's made for TV BS.

Bingo.

 

[DealMonkey]

Who cares what Bush says anymore? It's always the same scripted bullsh!t designed to rally the idiots around the flag. If he's not outright lying to us, he's torturing the language and smirking inappropriately at car-bombing incidents. Besides, he's basically a lame-duck president at this point ... what's his approval rating these days? Below 40%?

 

[CaptnKirk]

Now if only FOX would decide to do the 'Iraqi Survivor' series - one 'Coalition of the Willing' at a time.

Spain has already voted themselves off the Island.

I'll bet that Bush would win when everyone else has left - by default.

 

[Kindjal]

Originally posted by: arsbanned
Does he have anything new to say, other than, "Staaaaaay the course...."???

Freedom loving and evil.

 

[DanJ]

Originally posted by: Kindjal

Originally posted by: arsbanned
Does he have anything new to say, other than, "Staaaaaay the course...."???

Freedom loving and evil.

don't forget 'terra'

 

[lozina]

Originally posted by: DanJ

Originally posted by: Kindjal

Originally posted by: arsbanned
Does he have anything new to say, other than, "Staaaaaay the course...."???

Freedom loving and evil.

don't forget 'terra'

or a reference to our quest to vanquish the evil-doers

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Why am I not surprised?

The White House has always asked the major networks to carry the President's primetime speeches. This time, for whatever reason, they didn't. Since the networks never got a request (Fox included), they won't show it. Shocking!

 

[SuperTool]

LOL, airhead Bush can't compete with "Beautiful Mind"

 

[Martin]

I suppose the networks don't like putting old reruns during prime time..

If anyone can't wait for the actual speech, here is a summary:

-God bless brave and freedom loving americans
-Everything in iraq is happy-go-lucky
-must kill terrorsts
-God bless america
-God bless americans
-God is great
-god this and god that and god etc
-God bless america
-other assorted god refereces.
-God bless america

 

[DealMonkey]

Meh, I guess I'll flip it on in the background so I can count how many times he uses the word "freedom" inappropriately. What time is it on? 5PM west coast, 8PM east coast, correct?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Skitzer
Why am I not surprised?

I bet I know

CkG

 

[SuperTool]

Rupert Murdoch's Fox broadcast channel is not airing it either, so there goes your liberal media nonsense.
It's all about the money. Also, Bush didn't request the time, so maybe he doesn't want to attract much attention to it himself.

 

[conjur]

The crux of Bush's speech....er....sorry....remarks tonight:


The ends justify the means.


He'll ignore the WMD claims and that Saddam was an urgent threat and focus on the "fact" that what he did was right to free the Iraqi people and give them democracy.


IOW, he's going to show us The Great Obfuscator!

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Quite the makeup job!