Networks Balk at Another Primetime Obama Egofest

You would think the most overexposed president in history would be satisfied with the nonstop slobbering media coverage and magazine covers. Although in the case of Barack Obama, his vanity knows no limits. Now for the fourth time in his brief presidency he asking the networks to shelve primetime programming during sweeps month so his TelePrompter can congratulate him on how wonderful his first 100 days were.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you a special address from President Barack Obama. Again.

For the fourth time since he took office, Obama's camp is asking the major TV networks to set aside their schedules for another of his primetime press conferences, costing them ad dollars.

With rare exceptions, the networks -- ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- accommodate such presidential requests, partly out of a sense of duty and partly to avoid getting on the wrong side of the Oval Office.

Getting on the wrong side of the White House wasn't a concern during Bush's presidency. Some of the networks refused to air his primetime pressers for one simple reason: they hated his guts.

Obama's supposed to be such a swell guy, so he wouldn't hold it against network executives trying to make some money if they skip this, right?

But programmers are starting to act peeved at Obama's primetime interruptions -- one a month since January -- because every speech and press conference results in a loss of ad revenue and scheduling problems.

Assuming a 30-second primetime spot runs an average of $150,000, media buyers estimate it costs the broadcast networks a combined $10 million per hour. The economy has already crimped TV ad revenue.

"It's really cutting into them, especially with what's going on with the advertising market," said Brad Adgate, head of research for Horizon Media, a media-buying firm. "I don't think their revenue models anticipated these monthly State of the Unions."

So the networks created this monster and are now concerned about it? Should have thought about that when they built this guy into some god-like figure.

CBS and ABC have lined up new episodes of their comedies, while Fox planned to air a new episode of "Lie to Me."

Quite the quandary for Fox. Either show "Lie to Me" or have Obama lie to us.

In the end, you know they'll all cave and give in to Obama. Fear is a powerful motivator.