[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVcbasIb8lQ[/youtube]

Fox has officially given the axe to the idea of selling campaign advertising spots to presidential candidates during the Super Bowl next weekend.  A resounding “Thank God” could be heard from those of us in early-voting primary states.

While no candidate has yet requested time, the network has declared it won’t sell Super Bowl spots to their campaigns.

The reasons: The show is sold out and equal opportunities couldn’t be provided to all candidates, even if some additional time could be found for one to buy in.

Fox is saying it will comply with Federal Communications Commission rules.

“We comply with all legal requirements when it comes to selling time to candidates, including any requirements that might apply to a unique broadcast like the Super Bowl,” the network said.

Sources close to the situation said that because ad time in the Super Bowl is essentially sold out, Fox will choose to not sell time to a candidate, citing an FCC ruling that a network can reasonably refuse to sell political time in “unique, one-time-only” broadcasts where equal ad time can’t be offered to all candidates.

In a decision in another case, the FCC said, “Although a candidate for federal office is entitled … to varied broadcast times, such a candidate is not entitled to a particular placement of his or her political announcement on [a] station’s broadcast schedule.”

Speculation about the presidential candidates buying into the game sprang from the unusual timing of this year’s game on Feb. 3, two days before Super Tuesday. [TV Week]

There won’t be any political ads, but is there any chance that Arizona senator John McCain might “stop by” since the game is being played in his home state?  Hmm…

This entry was posted on Friday, January 25th, 2008 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Democrats, Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.