Channel 4 switched to Bush U.N. speech too soon, exec says

John Kerry's chatty appearance on Tuesday morning's Live With Regis and Kelly went half-unseen locally after KDFW-TV (Channel 4) prematurely cut away to Fox News Channel coverage of President Bush's speech to the United Nations.

But the president initially was nowhere to be seen, and he didn't address the U.N. until a half-hour after Fox dropped out of Regis and Kelly at about 9:25 a.m. The Fox-owned station returned to the show just in time to hear hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa talking about how much fun they had had with the Democratic presidential nominee.

John Kerry started his day in New York with an appearance on Live With Regis and Kelly, where the topics mostly veered away from substance. "You're very, very handsome, Senator. Is that an inappropriate thing to say?" said co-host Kelly Ripa, after clasping both his hands and pulling him in to trade cheek kisses. Mr. Kerry seemed unfazed by the flirtation. "We're both married; it's OK," he said. He talked briefly about Iraq and joked through softball questions about the upcoming trio of debates with President Bush. "The big hang-up was that George Bush wanted to get lifelines so he could call" for help, the senator said, alluding to the game show Regis Philbin hosted, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:01 PM | | | Link |