Not Ready for Prime Time News

But executives at the Big Four broadcast networks are seething behind the scenes that President Obama has cost them about $30 million in cumulative ad revenue this year with his three primetime news conference pre-emptions.

Now top network execs quietly are hoping that Fox's well-publicized rejection of the president's April 29 presser will serve as precedent for denying future White House requests for prime airtime.

"If the president wants to make it tough for your network, he can," the exec added.

Another network executive confided, "Nobody wants to take on the White House, so we'll have to tiptoe through this."

What do you mean, "If the president wants to make it tough?" For God's sake, what is going to do, yank NBC's broadcast license because they refused to broadcast one of his press conferences during prime time?

But you know, guys, you made your bed - now lie in it. This is the monster you helped to create. My issue is that I don't know what I find more disturbing - the lack of spine by network officials or the fact that Obama can make such a demand of media and get away with it. I am reminded of stories how Cubans would turn on their television sets, to find the only thing on was a 3-hour rant from Castro, to which they were expected to listen.