Obama purchases half hour of primetime on CBS, also in talks with FOX, NBC

[TeamJordan23]

Exclusive: Obama buys half-hour of network primetime

Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of airtime on CBS, sources confirm.

The Obama campaign will air a half-hour primetime special on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.

Sources say the Obama camp is also in talks with NBC and Fox. It’s not yet clear if an ad buy is locked on any other network, however, or if the special's duration or time period is the same.

A CBS spokesperson declined comment. The buy will push comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine" to 8:30 p.m. and pre-empt "Gary Unmarried."

The direct purchase of such a large block of time is considered unusual in modern presidential politics, though not without precedent -- Ross Perot did a similar purchase in 1992.

This year has seen the first time in many years that presidential campaigns have bought national broadcast TV advertisements. In the past 12 years, much of the billions of dollars in political advertising spent has gone to local TV stations in battleground states. While some money has gone to national cable channels, the thinking has always been that it would be more prudent to target battleground states' voters instead of addressing the entire nation, including states that reliably vote for one party or another.

The first instance was in August, when both Obama and McCain ponied up about $5 million each to advertise in NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics from Beijing. The networks' evening newscasts have also seen campaign ads for the first time in years. Before that, the last nationally broadcast campaign ad ran in the 1996 campaign.

The Obama campaign earlier this year opted out of the public financing system, which meant that it was free to raise and spend as much as it could. It has, in states like Michigan, outspent the publicly financed McCain campaign by a margin of at least 3-to-1.

It's not unprecedented for a candidate to buy longform broadcast network time, though it hasn't happened in a while. In October 1992, Perot drew audiences of 16.5 million and 10.5 million for 30-minute lectures/campaign ad aimed at voters. But in Perot's second run in 1996, the candidate was rebuffed by the Big Four networks in an attempt to sell air time. The FCC backed the networks in denying Perot air time, saying that they acted legally in refusing.

Earlier this year, the Hillary Clinton campaign bought time on the Hallmark Channel, a nearly fully distributed cable channel, for a town-hall meeting before Super Tuesday.

http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/10/obama-primetime.html

[Renew Deal]

1. For when?

[TeamJordan23]

5. updated w/ story. nm

[high density]

2. What?! No buys on the Hallmark Channel?

:)

My Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned CBS affiliate is going to love this! :rofl:

[wildflower]

21. I want Lifetime :(

Just kidding. I'm really glad he's doing this.

[ShortnFiery]

3. Screw DRUDGE! Please consider referencing *any* other source?

I wish he'd slink back under that rock for whence Rove pulled him out. :grr:

[ShortnFiery]

28. Thank you kindly TJ.

:hi:

[grannie4peace]

4. hell, yes!!!!!

[Thrill]

6. Lets keep donating folks!!

[Bigleaf]

13. YES!!!! Keep Donating! This money is helping Tremendously!

[AllentownJake]

7. Wow I guess he really did raise 100 million last month

:evilgrin:

[Cattledog]

8. Here's the real source

http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/10/obama-primetime.html

[Occam Bandage]

9. Wow! Glad to see my money's being spent.

[tabatha]

20. and well!

[wishlist]

10. Wed Oct 29 at 8 pm- I'm glad, he needs strong message against the smears

I was enjoying the campaign here in NC with all of the positive Obama ads on TV until two days ago when all of the McCain slime ads started running constantly.

[MichDem10]

19. Oct 29th - That will be the best birthday present I will get on that day!!

:party: :toast: :beer:

[The Wielding Truth]

11. So this is why it's hard to get yard signs. I'm so proud of this

man and his campaign.The country needs a steady hand and smart actions.

[TheDonkey]

15. This is AWESOME. CBS is also targeting older voters too

[slinkerwink]

12. wow! that is fantastic!

[Brotherjohn]

14. I say 15 minutes before McCain cries "WAAAH!" about "equal time" (not that he has a case). nt

[onenote]

45. he has a claim for equal time, He just doesn't have the money.

If Obama buys 1/2 hour,McCain is entitled to get a half hour as well. But he has to pay for it, just like Obama is paying for it.

[sharp_stick]

16. He's Pre-empting Gary Unmarried?!!

Damn him, I'm voting for McCain now, Gary Unmarried is the funniest thing to hit TV since....

What the hell is Gary Unmarried? I guess I'm out of touch on this seasons new shows.

I'll be more than happy to watch future President Obama for half an hour on the 29th.

[DCBob]

17. This is the beginning of the Obama campaign's October offensive they have alluded to before.

They are going to blow old angry warmonger out of the water.

[WeDidIt]

18. This is SO COOL!

Hopefully he'll be able to get ABC. NBC, and Fox, too. Then air at the same time on all of them!

WOO HOO! Less than one week before the election, too!

[Skidmore]

22. A pleasant October surprise!

[KathieG]

23. Yeah! Money well spent...getting the message out there!

:woohoo:
:woohoo:
:woohoo:

[onenote]

24. if my recollection serves me right, this has been done before

Maybe Dukakis?

Anyone remember?

[Drunken Irishman]

27. Perot in 1992.

[blueclown]

29. Ross Perot did it.

It was one of the reasons why he won almost 20% of the popular vote in 1992.

[onenote]

40. I know about Perot, but I think its been done several times

The article makes it sound like its virtually unheard of, but I am pretty certain Reagan did it in 1980 and I think Dukakis did it in 1984;

Found this reference:

11/3/80, Ronald Reagan Election Eve Address "A Vision for America" Televised Campaign Address, (WHCA R30, 27:00)

And this article suggests Dukakis did the same thing

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DF1238F933A15753C1A96E948260

[Matariki]

25. I wish politics wasn't so revolved around TV advertising.

While I'm glad Obama is better funded, especially via more numerous, smaller donations - still I'd love to see all TV ads banned. They tend to be manipulative and usually allow the richest person to win.

[Indenturedebtor]

36. I agree, though we could fix that problem by requiring stations to run equal air time ads

in equally good time slots. They are OUR airwaves after all.

[onenote]

the equal opportunities rule (correct name) does require comparable time slot sales

[Indenturedebtor]

51. But it doesn't require tv stations to run ads for free :D n/t

[onenote]

54. you are correct about that --

The reasaonable access rule requires stations make time available to federal candidates. The EO rule requires that the time be sold at the "lowest unit rate" for that type of time sale and that a comparable amount of time at the lowest unit rate be made available to other candidates. If the other candidate can't afford the time, they're out of luck.

[OneGrassRoot]

26. THAT's what I'm talking about. Woot!!!! n/t

[WeDidIt]

30. It'll be a thirty minute deal closer

The Freepers are calling it depseration.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2101642/posts

I call it pushing for the full blown landslide.

I'm betting he's going to speak about how all of us, Republcians and Democrats, must come together to solve the financial mess we find ourselves in regardless of the outcome on November 4.

He's pre-empting rightwingnut angst over an Obama win by going directly to the vast majority of Americans who demand this economy situation be resolved.

[Bluenorthwest]

31. Great move

Money well spent. Yippeee!

[MadrasT]

32. Yeah, baby!!! Just this morning, I was wondering how much

it would cost to do that, and if the campaign has the $$ to do that.

YAY!!! :bounce:

[JimWis]

33. Great news - I'm going to note on my calendar to email as many

people as I can to watch it - some may be undecided. And I better donate today. Thanks for the info.

[BigAnth]

34. Excellent timing, six days before the election.

Unfortunately for me, I'm scheduled to be on a flight that will be landing at 8:00 Eastern. Maybe I'll be able to catch the end of the show on a TV at the airport.

[nxylas]

35. Not sure this is the best "strategery", if the story is true

Surely only people who are already hardcore Obama supporters would want to watch a half-hour campaign ad for him. Everyone else will just change the channel.

[WeDidIt]

39. Nope, it'll be hyped. People will watch. n/t

[FatDave]

43. Who says it'll be a half hour campaign ad?

Could be a lot of things. Could just be a big speech. Just looking presidential a week before the election will be a huge benefit.

[NotThisTime]

37. Yes! I can't wait to watch :)

[Hope And Change]

38. Obama Aims TV Ads at Younger Voters...

Obama Aims TV Ads at Younger Voters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7384829&mesg_id=7384829

[WI_DEM]

41. It's a good idea. This used to be common practice in the 50's thru early 70's.

[weezie1317]

42. Hell ya!!!! This is great. It's 6 days before voting and it will give him time...

to talk about his ideas and for the American people who are slow to see him as the President he is again!

[Bake]

44. I think it's GREAT! and I'm glad he has the $$ to do it!!

Too bad Johnny Boy doesn't ...

Bake

[Toucano]

46. This is great news!

I don't like "Gary Unmarried" anyway. It's way too derivative.

[blogslut]

47. I like it

Of course, that means that the 527's and/or FoxSnooze will have to scramble to put together some sort of hatey hate hate counter program, because Johny McSame totally can't afford to buy a half hour of primetime television.

[graywarrior]

48. Good!

[MagickMuffin]

49. Way to GO... OBAMA

This is an EXCELLLENT strategy.

Of course McCain/Palin will head back over to Faux Noise to get their "equal" time. After all as Sarah exclaims "We're an open book." This is an exact quote when she appeared on Laura Ingraham's program.

[AlinPA]

50. I don't think he should waste money on Fox "News" viewers. They would never vote for a Democrat.

[SDJay]

52. True, and Faux will likely give McCrap

30 minutes of time anyway, even though it'd be illegal. In fact, they'll probably give him a whole day. We could watch all of his naps and tantrums.

McCrap has to be shitting his poop bag over this one. Love it.

[Usrename]

53. This will be good.

Really, really good.

[LiberalAndProud]

55. ABC is conspicuous by its absence. -nt