Fox Won’t Air Obama Press Conference

The Fox network issued a statement Monday saying it will air regular programming Wednesday night instead of President Obama’s 100-day news conference.

“The Fox Broadcasting Company will not air the Presidential News Conference on Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00 PM (ET),” Fox said via a carefully worded statement. “Fox’s sister networks, Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network, will air the press conference in its entirety. Fox will be alerting viewers with an onscreen graphic at the top of the 8:00 PM (ET) hour that the press conference is available on Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network.”

This is the first time since Barack Obama took office that one of the big four broadcast networks has refused the President’s request for primetime coverage.

The decision not to cover the presser was most likely made because Fox, unlike ABC, CBS and NBC, does not have its own news division to offer varied opinions on the press conference. Fox News Channel gets more viewers for its coverage of these events than the Fox network.

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There’s also this little thing…it is understood that broadcasting a Presidential news conference costs the networks an estimated $10 million in lost advertising revenue. With Obama’s news conference slated for the start of ratings “sweeps” weeks - where advertising rates are generally set - Fox won’t lose the revenue-generating hour as ‘Lie to Me‘ is scheduled to run with (Boom!) ‘American Idol‘ just after - and on time.

ABC, CBS and NBC will carry President Obama’s telecast as will the aforementioned Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network.

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