Medved: The networks owe us more convention coverage

Tropical Storm Isaac turned out to be a non-event in Tampa at the Republic National Convention, making the cancellation of night one seemingly unnecessary.
But with barely a rain squall in sight Monday evening, longtime political analyst and talk show host Michael Medved blamed the media, not mother nature.

“This whole tropical storm Isaac seems to be a media overplayed story,” said Medved in an interview from Tampa with Seattle’s Morning News. “I think that decision to cancel had as much to do with the major networks not to cover the first night of the convention anyway.”

Medved is critical of the limited coverage dedicated by the major networks to this week’s convention in Tampa along with next week’s Democratic gathering in Charlotte.

“When you think about how important this election is and the fact that rather than covering the opening night of the Republican convention CBS determined they were going to do a rerun of Hawaii 5-0, ‘Come on guys’,” Medved complained.

“Conventions only happen once every four years and I think for both parties they’re important because they send to the American people a message of what each party thinks the election is about.”

Medved argued broadcast networks should be obligated to cover the conventions much fuller throughout the week as they once did, while co-host Bill Radke wondered why the parties couldn’t do it all in one day.

“Why should you? It’s once every four years,” responded Medved.

“I do think these big news organizations that depend upon FCC licensing do have, at least according to their FCC licenses, they have a public obligation to cover important news and there’s no more important public purpose for broadcasters it seems to me than trying to give fair and complex and complete coverage to some of the political issues.”

The Michael Medved Show is heard Monday through Friday from Noon-3 p.m. on AM 770 The Truth