THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 4, 1996 TAG: 9609040557
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
LENGTH: 50 lines
Republicans and Democrats stage-managed and scripted their nominating conventions so thoroughly that the heads of the three major television networks are dubious about covering them live in the year 2000, except for possibly the candidates' acceptance speeches.
TV executives seem inclined to leave the main coverage of political conventions to talk radio, cable companies, newspapers and various electronic outlets.
Republican Party leaders didn't let the most interesting speakers even get to the podium in San Diego.
Whatever else you may say of Pat Buchanan, he is never dull. Outrageous now and then, yes, but adore him or detest him, you listen to his every sentence.
To hear him in San Diego, you either had to turn to C-Span or travel a half-hour or so up the California coast, where Buchanan had hired a hall.
And it proved to be a virtuoso performance in that during the first half of Buchanan's speech he stirred his followers to a fighting pitch and in the latter half soothed them to the point they wouldn't bolt the party. He turned tigers into tabbies.
There's curiosity about Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson of the Christian Coalition such as that aroused by exotic rarities in the wild or in the zoo. It went unsatisfied in San Diego.
It's like going to the zoo and finding the elephant is absent.
Nor were the Democrats much better. Their two best orators, Jesse Jackson and Mario Cuomo, were scheduled at first to emote at 6:30 p.m. Then word got around that both were taking a positive tack about the Democratic ticket, and they were allotted a more desirable hour at 8:30 p.m. but still short of the prime-time hour with the network coverage.
One schedule change was a notable improvement. Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh, who was bumped out of prime time, proved to be an even more dismal keynoter than the Republican, Rep. Susan Molinari.
``I can't imagine devoting as much time or as many resources to convention coverage in the year 2000 unless there is a substantial and hard-to-imagine sea change,'' CBS President Andrew Heyward has said as reported by Knight-Ridder.
NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw says that, barring a change, the coverage is ``headed directly for cable.'' And ABC news correspondent Jeff Greenfield noted that the debates provide the opportunity to hear the candidates unscripted.
To the contention that conventions define what the parties stand for, Greenfield said that takes place in the primaries.
Apparently, the only copious coverage in 2000 will occur on PBS, bless its heart. by CNB