This Monday, February 9, president Obama will hold a one hour news conference between 8pm-9pm ET, that will effect most of the broadcast prime-time TV network's schedules. We're getting some questions about this, especially from Chuck fans. My best schedule information, in the case of Chuck was that it wasn't schedule for this Monday, February 9 anyway. At least not with a new episode.
The NBC press site shows that two hours of Heroes were scheduled between 8p-10pm, but the regular NBC web site is already updated with the Monday news conference. My DVR program guide lists a repeat of Chuck vs. the Cougars. But it will be president Obama either way.
The following week, Monday, February 16, Obama is mulling a shorter appearance on the stimulus package, but this isn't firmed up yet. Whether shorter means 15 minutes, a half hour, or whatever I don't know, but if it's in the 15-30 minute range, I imagine the networks would just delay their normal broadcast schedule by 15-30 minutes. It's just a guess Chuck is scheduled for Monday February 16, according to the latest information available as of this writing.
Again, the 8pm-9pm block for this Monday February 9, is firm. But the shorter appearance on Monday February 16 is not firm yet. Additionally, it is expected Obama will take a two hour chunk in primetime on Tuesday, February 24.
Washington Post TV writer Lisa de Moraes suggests all of this adds up to costing the broadcast networks "millions, and millions, and millions of prime-time TV dollars."
Here’s some information about what will ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX will do..
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/02/hallmark-channel-reduces-i-love-lucy-in.html
cool, that info is at least a little stale as ABC announced today it will carry the press conference:
http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=020609_04
Do you think this will have a negative effect on Chuck and the show’s ratings for the rest of the season? I keep hearing people saying it will somehow completely destroy the rest of the season’s ratings…I don’t know if I agree. What do you think?
Jenna, to the degree that Chuck had any momentum at all, I don’t think it’s a great outcome, but nowhere near “completely destroy” territory.
I wonder how long it will be before Fox and NBC start covering primetime press conferences/addresses like this with just their cable news channels (MSNBC, Fox News) and leave their regular primetime programming on the broadcast networks. Economically it’s got to be better to do that, but it’s not clear they could handle the hurt egos in their broadcast “news” divisions.
I’m going to bet that once the digital transition happens, networks just air it on a subchannel.
What about the west coast? Since the speech will be 5PM our time, will we still get the regular prime time schedule? For the debates I think we ended up with infomercials.
Jason, you’ll likely end up with reruns at best.
this sucks
Can’t nominate a decent Cabinet member, lets the Cole mastermind off the hook, and now he’s pre-empting “House.” Not feeling the Obama love here, my friends.
Julia, if reruns are “at best” what’s “at worst’?
For the record, our Comcast (San Francisco) online schedule shows the “Chuck and the Cougars” rerun, but it still shows a new episodes for Fox, CBS and ABC shows, so my guess is that it’s not to be relied upon.
Bill, Jason said they got infomercials during the debates. I would think reruns would at least be better than that!
I love this headline!!!
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/blog/2009/02/hallmark-channel-reduces-i-love-lucy-in.html updated with full info on Feb. 9, 16 and 24 Obama speeches
GRD,
Is this a political forum or TV forum?
Shouldn’t he have talked to the country before completely blowing the package?
Another article i’m shocked to see open for comments.
I like how political themed topics are normally closed to comment. I have a low tolerance for people of the other party (not going to say which one), so not having to read their comments makes me a happy panda. I’m just sort of requesting the site go back to that policy.
Jesse, I feel the same way about the comments that we’re forced to moderate, and this week’s Olbermann/O’Reilly post is an exception to the rule because of the story. Since it’s not the typical weekly post, we thought we’d open it to comments. It’s not the beginning of a new policy, just a one time thing for that post.
I wish Obamaa could have sheduled his press conference for Tuesday night, or maybe just sent out a newsletter. Bummed out that its another two weeks for a new episode of Chuck.
Here, when the prime minister as something to say, he does it on the news networks, not on the other ones. I don’t know why obama has to scrap every schedule and costs millions to the network…