Networks Over Obama

The Fox network's snub of President Obama's 100-day press conference was portrayed as an affront to the administration, but other networks hope that Fox has paved the way for them to do the same in the future. The four biggest networks lost about $30 million in cumulative ad revenue by Obama's three prime time news conferences. "We will continue to make our decisions on White House requests on a case-by-case basis, but the Fox decision gives us cover to reject a request," said an executive who would not be named out of fear of the Obama administration's possible retribution. Since Ronald Reagan—who held more prime time pressers than any president before him—presidents have made a point of holding conferences in the daytime so as not to disrupt networks' revenue streams.