Broadcast Networks ABC, CBS and NBC Refused to Broadcast Biden's Speech

[xocetaceans]

Broadcast Networks Pass On Carrying Joe Biden’s Primetime Speech — Update

By Ted Johnson

September 1, 2022 2:27pm

UPDATE, 5 PM PT: Broadcast networks passed on carrying Joe Biden’s speech in Philadelphia, as the president cast MAGA Republicans as a threat to democracy.

ABC ran Press Your Luck, CBS went with a Young Sheldon rerun and NBC with a Law & Order replay. CNN and MSNBC carried the address, as did news division streaming channels, but Fox News stuck with Tucker Carlson and his critique of the speech as it was happening.

Biden, appearing against the backdrop of Independence Hall, argued that MAGA Republicans were embracing extremism

“They promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence,” Biden said.

...

https://deadline.com/2022/09/joe-biden-speech-primetime-broadcast-networks-1235105916/

WILL ABC, CBS and NBC broadcast reruns of democracy in the future if the MAGA-cult is allowed to destroy it?

Isn't there a requirement in the FCC broadcast license about supporting the public good/interest? I don't know that anything is specifically made mandatory: I don't know communications licensing or law. However, it's not hard to see that broadcasting Biden's speech would have been in the public's interest. (This assumes that it's a common goal to maintain the US as a democracy.)

FYI: Here is the FCC manual on "The Public and Broadcasting":

https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/public-and-broadcasting

OR is this all a moot point since almost no one seems to depend on broadcast news any longer?

[Kaleva]

1. Far more people watch broadcast news then cable news

ABC, CBS, and NBC each alone crush Fox News in the ratings and number of viewers every day.

[jimfields33]

2. Did they refuse or were they not asked to show it.

The reason they showed January 6th was the committee asked them. September I’m sure they will ask again.

[xocetaceans]

9. That's a fair question. "Refused" perhaps says too much. However,...

...it seems that the networks made the decision that Biden's speech was a purely political speech; thus, not important or not worthy of their airtime. At least, that is how I interpret the only two articles that I have seen. More specifically, the networks seem to be indicating by their choices that the theme of protecting democracy is merely an election-year political theme trotted out in the time of an election. So, why broadcast it? (Someone might need to point out the 1/6 Insurrection to the networks again. That makes this election cycle different than any other in recent history.)

"Refused" might be seen as shorthand for "Exercised a Form of Bothsiderism and Thus Did Not Open Up Primetime [to Broadcast Biden's Speech]".

As Biden warned about democracy’s collapse, TV networks aired reruns
While broadcasters typically air a prime-time address by the president, they determined that this speech was more ‘political’ than newsworthy for live coverage

By Paul Farhi
September 2, 2022 at 2:13 p.m. EDT


While President Biden warned the nation about threats to democracy in a prime-time address on Thursday, ABC was airing a game show, “Press Your Luck.”

As Biden spelled out his objections to former president Donald Trump and “MAGA Republicans,” NBC was broadcasting a rerun of “Law and Order.” CBS skipped the speech to show a rerun of “Young Sheldon.”

...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/09/02/biden-speech-network-coverage-independence-hall/

Thanks for the question.

[WVreaper]

3. Thanks main stream media

you have created your own irrelevance.

[Walleye]

4. They showed it here on the NBC channel. But it's a local Philadelphia station

[KarenS]

5. I was looking at listings late yesterday afternoon,,,

nothing said they were carrying the speech so I turned it on MSNBC and there it was....

Here in Arizona it was 5pm and the 'news' hour,,,, I am stunned that this was not considered a special event.

[Goonch]

6. 👇👇👇

[2naSalit]

7. NPR carried it.

But I watched on a livestream of MSNBC. And caught a few minutes of the Meidas broadcast who also carried it.

It's disappointing that it wasn't on the "the three".

[global1]

8. Have Any Of These Three Networks Issued Any Reason Why They Didn't Televise The Speech....nt

[xocetaceans]

10. As far as I know, they believed it was merely a "political" speech per the Washington Post article.

I just posted a link to that, but (my apologies) it's behind a paywall.

https://democraticunderground.com/100217113630#post9

[brooklynite]

11. Networks don't ever carry speeches like this.

They cover Presidential speeches from the White House dealing with important policy matters.

[xocetaceans]

12. Though you may be completely correct, this time should maybe have been the exception. n/t