All Blog Posts from Public Eye

She’s been rushed off of “The Big Picture with Donnie Deutsch.”

She’s been criticized for consistent cheap shots that draw media attention.

She’s been denounced by the people she speaks for.

So what was Ann Coulter doing on C-SPAN last night?

If the cable networks are where we turn for some bombast and bloviation, C-SPAN is the calm and rational (if not occasionally soporific) voice of reason in the political conversation.

The content of C-SPAN might not always be thrilling, but it’s nearly always important. They’re the grown-ups in public affairs broadcasting. So why were they giving the queen of the political food fight a forum?

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I rejoice. And I know I rejoice alone.

Yesterday, XM announced it had reached an agreement with C-SPAN (throat clear—both Public Eye topics last week) to start a radio channel devoted entirely to the 2008 presidential race.

As the Associated Press reported:

XM Satellite Radio announced plans Monday to launch a station devoted completely to coverage of the 2008 election.

Dubbed "POTUS '08," the station will debut next month with a sort of sneak preview format that will include original programming as well as rebroadcasts of candidate debates. The station will formally launch in September and remain in place through November 2008.

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If you're interested in catching Fox News Channel's GOP Presidential Debate tonight, you better make a point of tuning in or TiVo'ing it. Unlike the two earlier debates hosted by MSNBC, you won't be able to find the debate anyplace else on the TV or radio dial.

Public Eye has learned that Fox News Channel refused C-SPAN's request to simulcast the debate on C-SPAN radio, as well as the opportunity to rebroadcast replays on any of the C-SPAN television channels. In the two MSNBC debates thus far, the cable network agreed to give the debates the added exposure through C-SPAN.

In an e-mail conversation, C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully informed Public Eye of Fox's stance.

As for the MSNBC and Fox Debates, only MS[NBC] has given C-SPAN rights (live on radio and tape delayed on C-SPAN.) Fox has said no to our request...and CNN's request is pending for its debates next month.

(In a follow-up to the CNN issue, Scully added that he expects a simulcast/rebroadcast agreement will be worked out.)

Why does this matter? Think about the fact that MSNBC and Fox News Channel already spend a large amount of prime time painting the other as a villianous partisan meany. Keith Olbermann regularly chastises Bill O'Reilly as the "Worst Person in the World," and O'Reilly returns the favor by calling NBC and MSNBC "unpatriotic" due to -- among other quote-unquote reasons -- NBC News decision to refer to the situation in Iraq as a 'Civil War.'

With all that back and forth, there is likely a constituency of viewers loyal to each channel who refuse to tune into their rival. So where does that leave them when it comes time to find out about the political beliefs of the Romneys and Bidens and Pauls and Gravels? (I tossed those last two in for the die-hards.)

Pre-Memorial Day 2007 is still way early for most Americans to be getting plugged into the political scene. And while making a potentially large political event property of one network or another may help your brand, it also diminishes overall public awareness. Shouldn't we be trying to expose presidential candidates to as many potential voters as possible?

I hate to say “I told you so,” but … I told you so. The seemingly endless controversy over Senator George Allen’s “macaca” comment directed at his opponent’s digitally-armed campaign worker has brought this discussion to a boil. How will the now-constant presence of digital cameras change the way politicians behave? If you read today’s CW Nevius column in the San Francisco Chronicle, you might think it won’t have any impact at all:

Is this the result of a Big Brother society in which everyone is subject to the prying lens? Has the new video world perverted the political process? Nonsense, the experts say.

"This will be better for the voters and better for democracy,'' says Steve Scully, political editor for C-SPAN, which pioneered the idea of airing raw footage of candidates. "It is impossible for the candidate to be scripted all the time. Your personality is going to come through.”

With all due respect, I think the “experts” are wrong. Scully can say that because C-SPAN has run thousands of hours of unedited footage featuring presidential candidates glad-handing and speaking of various groups with very little negative fallout. An exception came recently when Senator Joe Biden was caught in his own “macaca” moment when he discussed the monopoly held on 7/11 and Dunkin’ Donuts franchises by Indian immigrants. The comment was posted on YouTube and sent all over the Web, giving everyone the opportunity to pile on. Do you think every other prospective presidential candidate didn’t take notice of that? That they’re not going be a little more conscious of those C-SPAN cameras the next time they see them?

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