Exclusive: Obama buys half-hour of network primetime

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Obama TV
Published 10/9/2008 by James Poniewozik at Tuned In - TIME.com
... Reports The Hollywood Reporter, Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of primetime on CBS on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Obama is close to a deal with NBC as well, it says, and may strike one with Fox, depending on a possible baseball conflict. Smart idea or waste of money? I guess it depends what you do with it. If you're not roadblocking every network, you may just be driving ratings up for whatever network isn't carrying your mega-ad—unless you offer something that stokes genuine curiosity. (Hey, maybe he could get Sarah Palin to show up!) If you do roadblock every ...

The Ticker (p.m. edition): CBS, ABC, FBN...
Published 10/9/2008 at mediabistro.com: TVNewser
... has bought a half-hour of prime time programming on October 29 at 8pmET on CBS. Hibberd reports the Obama campaign is in talks for similar deals with NBC and FOX. ...

Obama Buys Your TV, Cancels 'Knight Rider' [TV]
Published 10/9/2008 by Pareene at Gawker
... Barack Obama purchased a full half-hour of airtime on CBS and NBC. His very special infomercial is set to air Wednesday, October 29. John McCain probably can't afford to do this! It's also not unprecedented: Ross Perot did it, and it was hilarious and awesome. Also they used to do it all the time in the 1960s. But jeez, a half-hour is a long time! We hope he has a musical guest or something? Here is the best part of this news: ...

Broadcast Networks and Horny Craigslister Want To Get In Bed With Obama [Change Will Come]
Published 10/9/2008 by Kyle Buchanan at Defamer
... It was announced today that Barack Obama will be buying a half-hour of primetime television on both CBS and NBC just a few days before the November 4 election. The political infomercial reps good news for both networks (which can pre-empt low-rated shows like Gary Unmarried and Knight Rider in favor of a pre-sold half hour), but it may be even better news for the ...

Idle Chatter: Obama Owns Primetime, 'Esquire'
Published 10/10/2008 by Jeff Bercovici at Portfolio.com: Mixed Media
... -Barack Obama bought a half-hour block of air in primetime on CBS and NBC. He'll use it for a special about how great he is that will run six days before the election. [THR] ...

Set Your Clock for Barack's Super Secret Network Announcement
Published 10/10/2008 by drew at Jossip
... BIG NEWS you guys: President Barack Obama bought up a half an hour of national airtime on CBS and NBC to address U.S. voters less than a week before elections: ...

Why Does Barack Obama Hate Ben Silverman?
Published 10/10/2008 at Vulture
... Images Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour block of airtime on NBC on October 29, a week before the election. Obama will run an extended campaign commercial at 8 p.m., preempting Knight Rider. Lest you need reminding, Knight Rider is part of Ben Silverman's awesometastic fall lineup and if it's not a hit, he'll probably get shitcanned. We're feeling better and better about our endorsement of Mike Huckabee every day. [HR] ...

Obama to interrupt Knight Rider and Gary Unmarried
Published 10/10/2008 by Bob Sassone at TV Squad
... Senator Barack Obama has bought 30 minutes of airtime on NBC on October 29 at 8pm, which means that he'll knock Knight Rider off the air for the night (no idea what NBC will put in the other 30 minutes, perhaps a repeat). Obama has also bought 30 minutes at the same time on CBS, which means that The New Adventures of Old Christine will air at 8:30 and the new Jay Mohr sitcom Gary Unmarried won't be on that night at all. FOX won't air the ads because of the World Series, and ABC said they'd air it only if Obama would dance with someone and/or get an ...

ABC Cancels 'The Barack Obama Show' For Regularly Scheduled Programming [Defamer Decides 2008]
Published 10/28/2008 by STV at Defamer
... Obama picked up a half-hour of prime-time air from CBS, NBC and Fox on Oct. 9 for $1 million apiece. The Live Feed reports that ABC offered its own 8 o'clock block around the same time, only to be rebuffed by the campaign for unknown reasons. Meanwhile, the participating networks have yet to learn what the candidate has in mind for his special — whether he might stick with Ross Perot's tried-and-true " ...