Obama goes prime time

Updated: October 9, 2008 - 11:29 PM

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Sen. Barack Obama has become the first presidential candidate in 16 years to buy a half-hour of prime time network television for a campaign infomercial.

Officials at the Obama campaign and at several television networks said Thursday that Obama had completed deals to show a program about his candidacy at 8 p.m. Oct. 29 on CBS and NBC, less than a week before Election Day. The campaign is also talking to ABC and Fox, though the potential of a World Series Game 6 may make a deal impossible on Fox.

It was an extraordinary move illustrating the spending flexibility Obama enjoys by not participating in the federal campaign finance system, which imposes spending limits in return for matching funds. As a participant, Sen. John McCain would have a hard time matching the move, though there were indications that he might try to do so on at least one network.

Neither network officials nor Obama campaign aides would discuss the cost of the television time. Commercial time alone between 8 and 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night would cost about $2 million per network.

NEW YORK TIMES