Is buying advertising “sort of Soviet”?
posted at 12:30 pm on October 28, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Well, far be it from me to interrupt MS-NBC when they’re actually sounding critical of their favored candidate, but this is somewhat silly. Willie Geist and and Courtney Hazlett debate the significance of Barack Obama’s prime-time informercial buys, and come up with a silly verdict:
GEIST: Coming back to the Obama thing. Does it strike anyone else as creepy? Obama’s taking over every network? It’s sort of like when you imagined the Soviet invasion, it would take over the airwaves. Something weird about it.
HAZLETT: Seriously. Exactly, exactly. I mean, it’s even going to be on Telemundo – Spanish television. It’s everywhere — except for ABC. Now, I do want to be fair, ABC said that they offered their air to Obama and for whatever reason, he declined.
GEIST: Ok. It makes me a little uncomfortable.
If anything, the ad buys represent the free market at work. Obama has the money to purchase air time, and he’s using it to promote himself and his politics. If he can buy simultaneous network slots to do it, why not? It’s his money, and he’s making business decisions that he sees in his best interest. There’s nothing Soviet about it. If MS-NBC wants an example of creeping socialism, there are a lot better places to look than this.
We can certainly question the business decision, though, and analyze it for what it says about Obama. He has repeatedly demonstrated an odd predilection for pomposity and grandeur, whether it be his juvenile Vero Possumus faux presidential seal, the Barackopolis at Invesco Field that cost over $5 million extra for a convention already struggling to pay the bills, or a rally in Germany for people ineligible to vote for Obama. Now he wants to launch The Barack Obama Variety Show. Maybe he should call Sid & Marty Krofft to produce it.
Who does Obama imagine will watch these infomercials? Most voters have tired of the 30-second campaign spots that interrupt their favorite programs and beer commercials. Only the deeply committed will bother to tune into a stump speech they could easily download off of YouTube. The rest of the public will just skip to another channel until the infomercial ends.
It’s worth pointing out that under the Fairness Doctrine, Obama could never have bought the time. It would have forced the networks to give John McCain an equal amount of time for a rebuttal — which would have meant that they simply would have refused Obama’s offer at any price.
Blowback
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You know what I most feared about a soviet invasion?
Bad Eastern European commercials.
lorien1973 on October 28, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Silly Ed, the fairness doctrine is about fairness.
Republicans aren’t fair.
BKennedy on October 28, 2008 at 12:33 PM
i dunno what comes on abc at that time, but i’ll be finding out tomorrow
hump1201 on October 28, 2008 at 12:34 PM
I think the infomercial is a bad move.
forest on October 28, 2008 at 12:34 PM
I don’t think that’s true.
lorien1973 on October 28, 2008 at 12:34 PM
I am not watching. It may move some people.
unseen on October 28, 2008 at 12:35 PM
It will add momentum to Senator Government’s trainwreck.
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Apparently, the revolution WILL be televised.
robblefarian on October 28, 2008 at 12:35 PM
I guess neither of these “experts” has watched a network newscast before. Doesn’t Obarry get a full half hour every night?
TugboatPhil on October 28, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Will Oborg make it a variety show with singing and dancing, perhaps a comedy skit or two, ala “The Captain & Tennille Show”?
If Obarky and Biden sing a duet of ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’, they have my vote.
Bishop on October 28, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I’m pretty sure that this infomercial is going to be an extended Celebrities for Obama piece. Pushing Daisies FTW!
Dead Hand Control on October 28, 2008 at 12:37 PM
This is just one more affectation of playing POTUS.
I’m amazed he hasn’t arranged a photo-op of him exiting a Sea Stallion painted with the Obama-Seal, sort of like a Marine One moment.
Exit, salute, wave to the make believe crowd and staff and cross the lawn. Might still happen.
moxie_neanderthal on October 28, 2008 at 12:40 PM
The infomercial allows him to be very detailed without interruption.
It will be sliced and diced into bits that will flood the internet for the rest of the campaign.
His words and numbers will be so carefully chosen that it will be difficult to twist them into something they’re not.
Expensive but brilliant move.
Dave Rywall on October 28, 2008 at 12:40 PM
O/T This is the song played at the Palin rally that some of you have been searching for:
“She’s Not Just A Pretty Face” by Shania Twain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWNtLt-pJik
I couldn’t find a more appropriate thread to post it today.
nyrofan on October 28, 2008 at 12:41 PM
That was my first, second, and third reaction: silly waste of money, but he’s clearly got money to burn, and perhaps he hopes it will panic the McCain camp into trying to match it.
Now, I suspect its main purpose is to shape narrative — the news people need something “new” to talk about this week, to drown out McCain’s narratives. This gives them that opportunity.
The risk, of course, it that they give the McCain camp a new “teaching moment” — some pomposity or arrogance or accidental revelation of radicalism. I doubt the Obama camp is unaware of this risk, though… so I’m not that hopeful.
ClintACK on October 28, 2008 at 12:41 PM
However, some Western European commercials can be, um, er, entertaining.
Kini on October 28, 2008 at 12:41 PM
If Obarky and Biden sing a duet of ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’, I will vomit, burn my Captain & Tenille 8-track tapes and then kill every love-struck muskrat I see.
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:42 PM
I don’t know…Ex-Lax works just as well :) Maybe not…he scares the #(*# out of me every time I have to look at his mug!
Matt Helm on October 28, 2008 at 12:42 PM
This infomercial is going to backfire.
He is on everything all hours of the day. It will annoy people.
jencab on October 28, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Yeah I dont think the Fairness Doctrine will ever apply to the networks or Cable News.
Those are fair, except Fox of course.
broker1 on October 28, 2008 at 12:43 PM
True, but their porn starlets are phenomenal. Uh…that’s what my…um…my friends tell me.
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:43 PM
B.H. Pufnstuf?
With Hilary Clinton as Witchiepoo?
apostic on October 28, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Maybe the real president, as opposed to The pretend One, should conveniently schedule a presidential address during that time.
I just hope that wouldn’t require a major crisis.
Abby Adams on October 28, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Agreed, I will tune in just to see an overview and the “flavor”.
If done right, and it will be, it will help. I expect something very Kennedyesque, Reaganesque…pictures of his family, outline his desire to work across the aisle, his many many different people that have influenced his life, some with unusual backgrounds, but you have to work with many people as you work your way through life, and you can’t always control who you are surrounded by as you move through life and leave people behind.
How nasty the campaign has been, and how important it is to move away from that.
His working in the cities to help people down and out, his concern to protecting America, but no having a trigger finger. Keeping money here at home, rather then sending it overseas, not ruining the environment, etc.
I think most will tune in, then tune out…I expect maybe someone like Oprah or others to introduce him.
This will be his final thrust, and it will be effective at least to his base…but more effective to getting out the vote, he knows his election depends on how many democrats get to the polls.
I say about 14% more “lower income” voters will vote this year.
We, as Republicans, have to show up in record numbers to combat that.
right2bright on October 28, 2008 at 12:44 PM
BarBar: I make great speeches
Qui Gon: The ability to give speeches does not make one a leader.
- The Cat
MirCat on October 28, 2008 at 12:45 PM
I disagree with you, Ed.
While “Soviet” may be best the
“TV/Hollywood/superficial” crew can articulate,
I tend to see it more like a “MONOPOLY”
(…and, NO, NOT the board game…).
Click every channel, and up pops ZerObama.
That *I*S* a scary thought.
BOO!
heh.
Lockstein13 on October 28, 2008 at 12:45 PM
That or Bambi and Slow Joe doing their imitation of Pink Lady…
(Got to have lived through the 70s to get that one!)
Matt Helm on October 28, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Don’t tempt Fate, my friend.
Or you could just take the remote and turn it off ;)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:46 PM
It will backfire. Details to follow after it does.
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:46 PM
IS THERE ANYTHING ORGANIZED TO PROTEST THIS?? I mean, I want to make a LOUD statement with NUMBERS who is disgusted by this. Is there a petition to start or something we can do to counter it?
Mommypundit on October 28, 2008 at 12:46 PM
I think it will creep people out too.
Oh, also…
Fixed it for ya, Ed.
CP on October 28, 2008 at 12:46 PM
This whole “anyone left of center is a commie” stuffs gotta stop. With that, I provide a refreshing Adam Smith quote,
“The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. . . . The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. . . . It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.”
Well wasnt he just one hell of a communist…that adam smith.
ernesto on October 28, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Because at this point he has to buy it. If he becomes President he won’t have to buy it anymore. He’ll just go on whenever he feels like it and the networks won’t mind interrupting their programs for Messiah.
vcferlita on October 28, 2008 at 12:47 PM
*smacks forehead* Good point. Whew…*inserts 8-track tape into antique 8-track tape player and grooves out, dancing like Steve Martin in The Jerk*
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:48 PM
What is soviet is Dish Network keeps setting my receiver to the Obama Channel 73 overnight. When I turn on the TV in the morning, I get to wake up to Barry’s non-stop infomercial. They have done it three times in the last two weeks.
txsurveyor on October 28, 2008 at 12:48 PM
+10!
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:48 PM
So what’s new Captain Obvious?
That’s been going on for well over a year now.
fogw on October 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Yes such an ad buy is the free market at work. And yes the Obama campaign can do whatever it wants with its money. And yes, an infomercial that takes over all networks for a half-hour does reek of ‘state television’ and feeds the idea of ‘The One’, ‘Der Fuhrer’, ‘His Most High Excellency’ and ‘The High Chancellor’ from V for Vandetta.
Politically I don’t think this is good move. It fuels all of the negative aspects of Obama and won’t create any new positives. Americans like log cabins and a sense of humility, not styrofoam temples and audacious ad buys.
JonPrichard on October 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Nah, only the first ten to fifteen minutes. On the other hand, it is from supposedly neutral sources.
How much does he expect this to help him?
Count to 10 on October 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM
I hear screwing with the station ratings by not watching can do this. :)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM
I agree with Geist. Obama has underestimated the creepiness factor.
nyrofan on October 28, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Or Wayland and Madame…
apostic on October 28, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Except that he didn’t advocate the government taking charge of this transaction but that the wealthy do so voluntarily, you farking moron.
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Exit question:
Will we be able to see Chris Matthews’ feet sticking out from under the desk?
moxie_neanderthal on October 28, 2008 at 12:51 PM
There is a model for how Obama is going to rule us: Hugo Chavez.
Expect to see:
- Nationalization of large swaths of the economy (banks, health care, retirement & 401(k) plans);
- Increased unionization (Card Check); and
- Crushing of dissent (Fairness Doctrine, FBI investigations of critics); and
- The continued deification of Obama by Congress and the Press,
All done in the name of protecting the people from libelous untruths and the vicious greed of Big Business and the Republicans.
Very, very scary stuff. VOTE, VOLUNTEER, AND DONATE MONEY TO AND FOR REPUBLICAN HOUSE AND SENATE CANDIDATES NOW!!
Outlander on October 28, 2008 at 12:51 PM
If we do have European tv type stuff, satellites are going to be the business to be in! When in Italy it was beyond PBS type stuff! SCARY TV! Only way around it was satellite tv service!
Add me to the THE MESSIAH backfire vote. This is not going to help, although I am sure within 15 seconds after it airs MSNBC, CNN and others will say that THE ONE is now up by 50 points because the tv special was sooooooo awesome, cool, well tempered, articulate, composed, and highly intellectual! YUCK!
freeus on October 28, 2008 at 12:51 PM
With the elction “in the bag” this is a huge waste of money.
I believe Obama isn’t doing as well nationally as we are constantly being told. Would someone so intelligent spend this much money just to increase his margin of victory? I don’t think so.
Mord on October 28, 2008 at 12:52 PM
But the ability to give cool sounding speeches entrances the ignorant masses (& undecided voters). Snake oil salesmen have been doing it since the dawn of man.
Just give a man a fish, he’ll follow you around all day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll resent it, and then go around following the slick guy for a hand out.
There are so many stupid people out there, sometimes I lose hope.
Badger40 on October 28, 2008 at 12:53 PM
There appears to be some chaffing on the Socialist -Wealth Redistribution question- Marxist are you joking of course not there are no Marxist here.
http://chickaboomer.blogspot.com/2008/10/media-conflict-of-interest.html
Dr Evil on October 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I believe that is accurate.
The “fairness doctrine” was specifically designed so one party (which was the Republican then) could not “buy” the election.
There were only, CBS, NBC, ABC, and a few local stations. Only AM, FM was basically music. And of the AM stations only one or two in every major city had any “talk” radio. And most of the talk radio was non-political.
Michael Jackson was the big deal, very liberal and hated the fairness doctrine, and even went to testify against it. He could never get his liberal friends enough time, or advertisement. I remember the local station had to give equal time to the Democrat, because of bought commercial time by the Republican.
They even had to balance the time of day, that is 1 minute of drive time, could not be equal to 1 minute of 2 am time.
The government was obsessive…
right2bright on October 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Ed your continuing effort to rehabilitate the MSM is nauseating and misplaced.
McCain has a better chance of winning than the MSM has a chance of being balanced, yet you waste your effort casting pearls to swine.
The MSM is a cancer, cut it out or shrink it.
Angry Dumbo on October 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM
It’s arrogance. The Barackopolis did not help him, and neither will this. I think there’s a serious risk of a backfire here from overexposure — Obama ads air constantly, and now an infomercial. Most of the 30 minute spot will be dedicated to other people waxing poetic about how wonderful Obama is. Nobody’s going to want to watch that, and baseball fans are going to be irritated about the delay in the start of the World Series game.
Outlander on October 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I prefer “Set a man a fire and you will warm him for a day, set a man on fire and you will warm him the rest of his life.”
I keed, I keed :P
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Sounds like a good time to wade through all the stuff I dvr but never have time to watch!
HawaiiLwyr on October 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
ernesto…ernesto…ernesto…
You obviously have not read your Wealth of Nations. Bad libbie…Bad libbie! Adams does not call for government to force the wealthy to contribute to the public weal. He contends that they will do so voluntarily because it is in their best interests to do so. Smith is stating what we conservatives have been trying to tell you forever and a day–the wealthy produce wealth which then finds its way to the poor through a variety of venues such as wages and charity. Oh, and another important element you forgot–since the wealthy and middle classes are the ones who own property and have a viable stake in the nation’s success, then it is only fitting and proper according to Smith and other classical liberals to place property qualifications on voting. You on board with that? I didn’t think so…
Matt Helm on October 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
My dear friends, you can count on it by Friday. Unless you have Manly’s nerves of steel or a sizable quantity of tranquilizers, I recommend that you not watch any television from now until November 5.
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Focus. Do you think these guys are going to shed a tear for HotAir when the Dems bring the fairness doctrine to the Internet?
Angry Dumbo on October 28, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Fixed…
Romeo13 on October 28, 2008 at 12:57 PM
A great joke, my friend….FOR ME TO POOP ON! :-)
ManlyRash on October 28, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Already in the works for 2012:
In an effort to simplify the election process, a car will be dispatched to your residence to pick up both your political contribution and vote.
moxie_neanderthal on October 28, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Is Obama selling “mighty putty” or something? Maybe he can get the guy with the beard to grin for him also. Call toll free now – operators are standing by…
Enough of this empty suit’s rhetoric spewing lies to the American public. I’m sick of Obama and his portrayal of Hope. There is no hope, there is only despair in his principles.
I’ll watch ABC
Kevin in Washington State on October 28, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Bingo.
It would make more sense to funnel his fat bankroll into Dem congressional and senate races.
fogw on October 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
To stimulate the economy, I went out and got a smaller tv so I can throw things at it and smash it.
marklmail on October 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
If he has the money to spend on it, go for it. I think it will be so carefully written that it couldn’t possibly hurt his standing.
If the Phillies win the Series tonight there will obviously be less people tuning into Fox tomorrow to stumble upon his speech. I’m also picturing non-political voters tuning into to see the World Series and saying “what the hell is this?”, tuning somewhere else, coming back a couple minutes later and saying “WTF! Who does this guy think he is?”.
But the downside is a lot lower than the upside for this move.
But they can still donate to him.
BadgerHawk on October 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
SEVEN DAYS…!!!
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 12:59 PM
I thought the fairness doctrine applied to content; not advertising. So a radio station could not run all of one side’s programming without the other side getting a retort.
I can’t imagine it being for advertisers as well?
Then, really, you could have Coke demanding equal time for every Pepsi spot?
lorien1973 on October 28, 2008 at 12:59 PM
I blocked mine so it can’t do that.
Corsair on October 28, 2008 at 12:59 PM
The Fairness Doctrine was allowed for TV and Radio because of scarcity — there’s only so much spectrum, so the government owns it “in trust” for the public interest. I think that if a Fairness Doctrine were ever imposed again, it would only apply to radio. Most people get TV from cable or satellite, so broadcast TV would be able to say “hey wait a minute, you’re interfering in my First Amendment rights just for the 5% of Americans that still get TV from rabbit ears – this is unconstitutional.” And they’d be right. But most people still listen to terrestrial RADIO… Hence, I think that argument would fail for radio.
Ironic, wouldn’t it be? Talk radio being the only medium subject to a Fairness Doctrine.
Outlander on October 28, 2008 at 12:59 PM
How long til Olberdouche and Alter declare it the most magnificent speech of all time?
lodge on October 28, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Pushing Daisies. I’ve never seen it before, but it sounds like a good night to check it out.
Connie on October 28, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Let’s see, 8 pm tomorrow Good Eats is rerunning their Chilies show. The Biography Channel has a show entitled “The Horrors of Hussein”, which is about Saddam Hussein.
rbj on October 28, 2008 at 1:01 PM
I’m rehabilitating them by criticizing them? Come again? Where is this “continuing effort”?
Put the bong down for a little while. It’ll clear your mind.
Ed Morrissey on October 28, 2008 at 1:01 PM
If Obama is able to get enough false votes to win, I’m sure the next half hour will be free on all networks, and there will be a curfew during the broadcast.
Wandering squads of Obamatons will be rounding up those who are not watching.
Hening on October 28, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Things you can do instead of watching Bambi strut…
1) Play Mass Effect or Fallout 3
2) Read–I would suggest any book by Poul Anderson starring Nicholas Van Rijn–a hero who’s a hedonistic capitalist merchant!
3) Make love to your significant other
4) Keep on doing number 3 until you’re both (or more if you’re into that) are tired.
5) Write the Great American Novel
6) Make up your own…you get the idea…
Matt Helm on October 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I really don’t think he needed this….People really don’t like their shows disrupted…but hey…All Hail
tomas on October 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
No one, but no one, who isn’t already voting for Obama is going to tune into this. I get 260 other channels. Undecideds are not going to watch. They haven’t paid enough attention up til now to not be undecided, so why in the hell would they devote a half hour of their lives to this? It is a collosal waste of money that I am glad to see him spend. Talk away, Messiah. No one will be listening.
JAM on October 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Pushing Daisies vs Pushing Marxism. What to watch?
fogw on October 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Were they resetting your receiver to Obama channel before you blocked it? It is really creepy.
txsurveyor on October 28, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Perhaps your have a mole in your house(-:
Mulligan on October 28, 2008 at 1:03 PM
well, get out everything he’s gonna cover in this infomercial into these forums and sit back and watch him stumble over it all for 30 minutes if he chooses to address any of it that is.
Or maybe enough is out there now that he’ll do more damage to himself than good.
He certainly is counting on slick tactics thus far to edge his way in with taking voting machines to the rallies etc.
If he is so far ahead why does he even need to do any of that sort of thing?
One thing for sure, whats gonna happen is gonna happen.
I’d say Repubs need to quit whining, and spell out the most intense of the faults of the opponent and spell out how this place is gonna turn around. Thing is, the place is beginning to turn around a little already. The fixes are beginning to work slowly.
johnnyU on October 28, 2008 at 1:03 PM
So, is this when we expect the guy from the NSA to come save us from our folly?
Count to 10 on October 28, 2008 at 1:03 PM
He is going to reveal his new plane, his new seal, his new dress code, and get more use out of the columns he bought.
Lit by candlelight, to save energy, he will inspire us with his words and deeds…all hail Obama…
right2bright on October 28, 2008 at 1:03 PM
1) Play Mass Effect or Fallout 3 – WoW count? :P
2) Read–I would suggest any book by Poul Anderson starring Nicholas Van Rijn–a hero who’s a hedonistic capitalist merchant! – Still in the middle of Atlas Shrugged, but that might be my next pickup ;)
3) Make love to your significant other
4) Keep on doing number 3 until you’re both (or more if you’re into that) are tired. – Have none, so… :)
5) Write the Great American Novel – I should get back to writing…
6) Make up your own…you get the idea… – I think I’m gonna be busy enough as it is LOL!
Thanks! :)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Just me and my border collie. And she despises Obama.
txsurveyor on October 28, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Of what year?
Connie on October 28, 2008 at 1:05 PM
What if he raised a couple of billion and bought a few stations?
WOBA-TV, AM, FM, 24/7/365
When does it become Soviet?
drjohn on October 28, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Now he’s in favor of a living wage
ConservativePartyNow on October 28, 2008 at 1:06 PM
I plan to turn all the TV’s in my house to ABC–just to give them the ratings.
labwriter on October 28, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Outlander on October 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM
With all due respect, I think arrogance is too simplistic an argument for doing this. It’s a dismissive lable. I think you are right that the infomercial will consist largely of other people talking about Obama, less of Obama himself setting out actual policy, since he has made it this far solely by chanting CHANGE. He is very arrogant, but I don’t think he is dumb.
fogw on October 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Agreed. Obama is in trouble and the media is just whistling in the graveyard until Nov. 4th
Mord on October 28, 2008 at 1:07 PM
I wonder if this would be the right time for Palin to make herself available to Diane Sawyer, provided the interview airs during that timeslot…
Or will it be bad enough that more people watch Pushing Daisies than Obama?
ClintACK on October 28, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Interesting bit of quantum physics: according to one theory, all possibilities happen, with all possible “you”s experiencing them. So there will be a you that sees a president McCain, and a you that sees a president Obama.
Unfortunately, the two are isolated, so the you that witnesses the tragedy of the Obama presidency won’t be able to tell the you that gets the McCain presidency how lucky you are.
Count to 10 on October 28, 2008 at 1:08 PM
I thought abortion was his top priority. /iSarc
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Dimentional theorism and time-space relativism… last I read up on that I got my head spinning, but it was interesting at least in theory. :)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 28, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Cute, but ratings are generated by “Nealson Families.” Otherwise, no one knows what station your watching.
Count to 10 on October 28, 2008 at 1:10 PM
ClintACK on October 28, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Yeah, how about that? Do the same thing he did for McCain’s convention speech when he went on O’Reilly.
Get Sarah on w/someone on ABC pronto!
JAM on October 28, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Ed:
The free market at work? Oh please, there is nothing free about this. The guy gets his money by questionable means and then he turns running for the presidency into some tacky money driven freak show where all you do need is money. That is all, you can find the bucks, you can buy the job.
I watch very little TV anymore because I am so completely sick and tired of all this crap. The commercials, all of it.
Now that we have decided this is just the free market, no doubt the next campaign will begin five minutes after this one ends with all sorts of politicians running around begging for money.
I think it sucks.
Terrye on October 28, 2008 at 1:11 PM
lorien1973
The Fairness Doctrine did apply to pol. advertising insofar as equal time had to be offered. It was up to the candidate to decide whether to accept or decline.
Another rule few folks outside the biz know about is that political ads get the lowest rate charged any advertiser in a specific time slot. For example, the political ad would get the same rate as the company buying 10,000 ads a year on a given station. It’s often a significantly lower rate than the rate card would suggest, given the number of ads the candidate would buy.
either orr on October 28, 2008 at 1:13 PM
You are correct, but like most things, it became corrupted. The legal “interpretations” began and they included advertisements, because they felt they were “bypassing” the doctrine.
It was for political purposes specifically, not commercial enterprises.
The argument that
makes is probably pretty accurate. However the argument could be made that cable tv and satellite radio is similar. Plus the many more FM stations that carry syndicated shows may make it more difficult to implement.
The one irony, is that out of the original bill, they left a loophole that government sponsored radio or tv was not covered by the fairness doctrine. Therefore PBS could be as slanted as they wanted.
And they always, out of “fairness”, allowed rebuttal from the other side during State of the Union addresses, and the weekly radio statement from the White House, but never for equal time. But it wasn’t mandated by the official Doctrine.
right2bright on October 28, 2008 at 1:13 PM
Not sure, I blocked it as soon as I heard about other people having the problem. My son is usually the first one up in the morning and he watches TV a little before heading to school. I also don’t keep it plugged into a phone jack because I don’t want them tracking what I watch and record.
Corsair on October 28, 2008 at 1:13 PM
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