To: mph who wrote (68970 ) 7/21/2009 1:45:48 AM From: FJB 2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 224704 July 20, 2009 Most will carry Obama conference; time shifted after NBC balked UPDATED: After some hesitation and a time shift, three major broadcast networks have agreed to carry Barack Obama's The event was announced Friday afternoon as Obama battles to bolster congressional support for an ambitious health-care overhaul while facing dropping approval ratings. But broadcasters are struggling with falling approval ratings of their own; Nielsen's audience measurements show viewership in a summertime slump. The conference will mark the president's fourth primetime press event since he took office six months ago. Such interruptions tend to wreak havoc with network schedules and can cost millions in lost advertising. CBS, which airs only repeats that evening, agreed early Monday to cover the conference. But for NBC, Fox and ABC, the decision was tougher. During a summer that's otherwise strewn with repeats, Wednesday includes all their top-rated reality programs. Fox declined outright to air the news conference. NBC and ABC fell into line late Monday after the White House shifted the event's time from the previously announced 9 p.m. to the lesser-watched hour of 8 p.m. The stakes were particularly high for NBC, which airs the most-watched show of the summer, "America's Got Talent," at 9 p.m. and this week, it includes a heavily promoted interview with "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation Susan Boyle. Sources said that NBC demonstrated reluctance to carry Obama's news conference live. Faced with the prospect of only one or two major broadcasters -- CBS and ABC -- covering the event, the White House moved its start time to 8 p.m...thrfeed.com