What's on your local news stations right now!

This president doesn't hold many televised press conferences, so when he decides to hold one during the day, I like to check in and see if those TV stations that are constantly promoting themselves as Your News Leaders are, well, leading with the news.

I mean, what with being threatened with "World War III" to our East in Iran (the president's words, not mine), a raving would-be dictator to the south in Venezuela, a non-raving dictator to the west in Russia, and Santa's roost starting to look like a frozen margarita that's been sitting at poolside too long, it takes talent to look in any direction and NOT see news happening.

But that's just what happened today. See if you can guess which station was NOT airing the presidential news conference at 9 a.m.:

NBC Action News

KMBC-9 ("Where the News Comes FIrst")

Fox 4 ("Working For You")

KCTV-5 ("Live. Late-Breaking.")

Comments

[Aaron]

Now, let me anticipate someone pointing out that Fox operates a 24-hour news service right over there on the cable dial.

1. Well, so does NBC. For that matter, all four networks have robust websites, as does CNN, and though I didn't confirm this, I'm pretty sure many of them were streaming the conference online. The point is, this is what broadcasters do — they broadcast vital news events even when their competitors are doing the same damn thing.

2. Remember Barack Obama's coming out moment? Remember how he wowed millions of viewers on TV with his stirring speech at the 2004 DNC? No? That's because no broadcast network aired it, and thus no local broadcaster aired it. The same excuses were trotted out -- "it's on cable if people want to see it" and "those things are all staged anyway," -- but the fact is, the potentially biggest political debut in a generation was missed because broadcasters abandoned their public social responsibility.

To quote David Letterman, you're not dealing with a chimp here.

[Mark Jeffries]

Was that Mike or Juliet in the WDAF picture, Aaron? :)

[Mark Jeffries]

Last week CBS cancelled a Presidential candidate debate that was going to be telecast live from TV City in LA because of the possible WGA strike against CBS News (separate from the other strike). The interesting thing here is that even though it was being done for the network, it was given a spot on the network schedule--the affiliates were going to be free to air it live on their main station or a digital subchannel, air it on delay, stream it on their web site or not air it at all. As much as there are too many debates, I'm afraid that too many stations would've chosen the last alternative.

[Patriot]

I'd rather watch the chimp...he's more articulate!

[Troy]

Myself, I get more ticked off when GWB holds press conferences at 10am, because it preempts TPiR.

[Aaron]

Yeah, me too, but there's always another one the next day, unlike Shrubathons.

Today they had the largest contestant in TPIR history. I thought he was going to crush that game under his feet like so many grapes.

Aaron,
This is lazy goofiness.
Do you ever actually *watch* TV news?
FOX4 does not have a *national news* presence. They have Phil Witt at 5:30.
Why did the actual "net affiliates" have the news conference?

ANSWER - they had a 5:30 News *PROGRAM* to promote.
By promoting Katie, Brian and Charlie as "journalists" they elevate their news "personalities" as the same.
Ever done a "Treasure hunt"?
Try and find "FACE THE NATION" on KCTV-5.

[Aaron]

Oh, right — like when the Iraq War was starting, I love how Fox 4 popped in that American Idol repeat.

Aaron,
Which station was OFF THE AIR with local programming on Sep 11?

[Mark Jeffries]

Fox News televises the State of the Union address on the mainline Fox network every year, along with presidential addresses and news conferences in prime time. I would assume that the press conference yesterday was made available to affiliates to carry if they wanted to through the Fox News Edge service, although in the Central time zone if most affiliates aren't running Mike and Juliet at 9 a.m. (syndicated, but produced by Fox News) or they have Regis and Kelly, they're running infomercials, paid religion or "The 700 Club" in that hour, since they know that Reege and "Today" will kick their ratings butts.

And most, if not all, Fox affiliates simulcast FNC in whole or part on Sept. 11 and the next few days afterwards. For the rest of that week, FNC simulcasts were all that ran in prime time on the mainline network, IIRC.

[Shawn Levasseur]

Aaron, your point about Obama's debut on the national stage I think is a bit much.

Lots of politicians who are touted as having bright futures are talking at the major party conventions. I think the broadcast networks' choice to feature the speakers most relevant to today's news is a legitimate call.

Obama's not being on the network news was also in part due to choices that the DNC made. The parties are told what hours the major networks plan on having coverage, and they schedule the speakers accordingly.

Remember, though there was some buzz about him being a possible future presidential candidate, it wasn't a given that he'd be where he is today. Remember, Obama wasn't even a candidate for the US Senate yet, and half the active membership of that legislative body also have the same ambition.