The networks are railing about President Obama’s recent request for network time, especially given how frequently these requests have come in comparison to previous Presidents. In fact, the head of NBC recently attributed Chuck’s lackluster ratings to Obama’s preemption a few weeks ago. I somewhat understand their annoyance, their job is to get high ratings and when a show’s momentum is interrupted that can affect their ratings. But at the same time, there’s an easy solution in all of this: work with the White House ot make these a scheduled event. Like FDR’s fireside chats, give Obama a chance to inform America on a regular basis. So, with the White House, find a good time that the networks can all give away, and then schedule that for Obama. If Obama decides that there’s no need for an update any given week, then they can all fill the time with a repeat or something.

Maybe Fox will have to move American Idol one night out of the week, maybe some other network will have to switch a show. But in reality, any show which is sufficiently popular won’t suffer too much from a night switch. We often blame networks for constantly switching time slots of quality shows leading to their inevitable cancellation, but in reality it’s poor marketing of those new time slots that kills the shows. Any show they want people to keep watching they market the shit out of to inform its audience that it’s changed times. So give Obama his variety hour. And stop the fucking whining.