9/3 Update: When I wrote this on Wednesday I was certain Fox would decline to broadcast the address, but today Fox sent out a press release on the SYTYCD premiere, but *nothing* on the Glee premiere. When I asked our friends at Fox to clarify, I heard nothing back. I am betting now they will carry the address, and push the Glee premiere back.
President Obama is now scheduled to address a joint session of Congress during prime-time on September 9. Exactly when hasn't been set, but it's likely to be 9pm Eastern (although the last Obama prime-time address/press conference was quickly rescheduled from 9pm to 8pm after some of the broadcasters balked, and Fox Broadcasting didn't carry the address, but Fox News did).
But the fall premieres of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and Glee are both currently scheduled for September 9. Whether the address is at 8pm or 9pm, it completely screws up Fox's night since those shows are scheduled for synergy.
For that reason, and the fact that Fox Broadcasting declined to carry the last address, I'd expect them to decline this time as well. The CW has the season premiere of America's Next Top Model, but they never carry news conferences, so they will benefit regardless.
Since the address will likely happen at 9pm, I'd expect Glee, and to a lesser extent America's Next Top Model to benefit in the ratings. Primarily because if NBC carries the address (which I'd expect them to), they'll have to move the 9pm results episode of America's Got Talent to either 8pm or 10pm, getting it out of Glee's way. (if the address is at 8pm, So You Think You Can Dance will be the beneficiary, but much less so, since it would only have faced a repeat AGT). America's Next Top Model is going to face the new AGT for an hour either way, so its boost would likely be much less.
FOX will surely not air Obama’s press conference besides that they will lose a lot of money by pre-empting So You Think You Can Dance and Glee this is definitely a good opportunity for ratings gain for the shows especially with the massive publicity campaign FOX had for GLEE they will never preempt that show
you live on a different planet
since most networks multicast can’t they just put it on one of their useless digital subchannels, that way everyone wins, i seriously don’t get why they don’t do that
I honestly don’t think NBC is going to air this address this time around – NBC will finally put their foot down and shift coverage to MSNBC (where it belongs). Sept 9th is the start of the fall season, and I don’t think NBC will want to mess with that in ANY way, coming off a horrendous half-decade of declines.
i hope everything FOX flops. i hate them. they let go of the most entertaining girl (you know who i mean) on TV and i will never forgive them. (unless they bring her back for live shows- then i will quickly forgive them lol)
Please let FOX succeed.
Probably only CBS will do it. They have all repeats on Wednesdays so it wont hurt them. ABC has all new programming on Wednesday and I doubt they want to mess that up and air it another time.
@hmm:you wrote
“they let go of the most entertaining girl”
I’m sorry, who is she?
The President addressing a joint session of Congress is VERY DIFFERENT than a news conference at the White House with the press corps. Expect all 4 networks, including FOX, to carry it live…….season premieres of a little dance show and “Glee” be damned. Only CW will have regular programming.
If FOX doesnt air it they would be doing the smart thing since it will be on 3 other networks plus FOX News, CNN, MSNBC.
The joint session is just another speech to plead with Americans to get on board with his healthcare plan. Hasnt he realized the more he tries to push his healthcare agenda by staging these prime time events the lower his poll numbers go? He could have learned this would happen from the 1993 Hillary Care fiasco. Why couldnt our first black President have been a moderate like Colin Powell? What a wasted moment in history.
Why not put these political speeches and sales pitches on at 7pm? Why keep screwing with the prime time schedule?
I’ll be watching “Glee”, gleefully.
I know I will be watching Glee, no matter what!
ill be reading at that time.
I hope none of the major networks air it, though I expect at least two will. Regardless, I won’t watch it. I’ll watch something else. Probably Dance and Glee. Fox won’t want to push them at this late date, and shouldn’t have to.
I’m sure FOX won’t air the presser, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fauxnews, and PBS will air it though.
Why are the comments closed in today’s ratings section?
Anon, random checkbox error. Now fixed.
I assume hmm is talking about Summer Glau, but she’s going to be on Dollhouse next season. Or maybe she/he means Paula Abdul?
The truth is President Obama is being extremely short sighted with all these speeches because eventually the networks will be forced to stop carrying them. Then he’ll have deprived himeself of a very valuable communication channel.
I mean, this is (I believe) his 5th televised speech since taking office about 230 days ago. That’s one every 6 weeks and almost all of them have been during the main season and during primetime.
Given networks make (very roughly) about $3.5 million dollars per night of primetime these speeches really start to add up.
That’s a good point Tom, I will say that I find it refreshing to have a President that actually wants to talk to the American People about the issues facing the country. If there was another way to reach millions of Americans without interrupting Network programming I would be all for it. But in the mean time I don’t mind the occasional interruption when the leader of our country wants to tell us what he’s planning for the future that affects all of us. I’m not concerned with the financial impact this has on the broadcast networks. They were designed with the intention of getting information to the masses, with a secondary focus on Entertainment.