Source: Globe and Mail

First, take note that the paparazzi at that awful, celeb-chasing TMZ show reported recently that a certain bank, the recipient of U.S. government bailout money, threw a huge, glitzy party at which Tiffany gift bags were handed out. Also note that the syndicated, celeb-chasing show Extra went all out on covering the trial of disgraced investment guru Bernard Madoff.

Also, while I'm at it, ABC News recently reported with relish that Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis – whose company got about $45-billion U.S. in government support – flew to a meeting in a $50-million Gulfstream corporate jet. ABC noted that Bank of America has nine such planes.

Obviously, things ain't what they used to be. Alleged news about Charlie Sheen's marriage and Jessica Simpson's diet has been superseded by a national drama about greed, bailouts and the BS of corporate America.

There's a new reality. The din of outrage and indignation is noisy and everywhere. In these times, people long for a voice of reason, an explanation, an indication that there's a way out of this mess. And such a voice exists. He's back on TV tonight. Yeah, him. The Man. The American Idol.

President Barack Obama has scheduled a news conference for 8 tonight. It's his second prime-time Q&A since taking office just two months ago. CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox will carry all of it, live.

This means changes to tonight's TV. Fox, which usually airs the performance episode of American Idol, is moving the show to Wednesday.

Thus the Wednesday results show will air on Thursday at 8 p.m. It also means that Wednesday and Thursday night shows get moved. No new episodes of Lie to Me and Bones this week. Tomorrow, a special episode of Survivor on CBS will face American Idol in a competition for viewers. And on Thursday, Fox's Idol will compete for viewers with CBS's coverage of NCAA basketball. Oh yeah, tonight NBC is moving The Biggest Loser to 9 p.m., and because it's two hours long, it puts Law & Order: SVU on hiatus for a week. CBS is moving The Mentalist to 10 p.m. and bumping Without a Trace for a week. Got that?

I ask you: Just who does this Obama guy think he is?

A reasonable person would answer that he's the President of the United States and, as the country's economy is in tatters, still facing the threat of total collapse, he's entitled to get the eyeballs and attention of American citizens when and where he wants.

But an interesting sideshow is emerging. Obama was on Jay Leno's show last week, took up a lot of 60 Minutes on Sunday, and now here he is again, hogging prime-time TV. And, yes, there are some people who claim Obama fatigue. Who? Network executives, that's who. Speaking anonymously, of course. Oh yes, let the nitpicking begin.

Last week, the trade magazine TV Week quoted “one TV industry insider” as saying: “Every time the President disrupts prime time, the networks lose another couple million dollars. In this economy, that's the last thing we need.” Over at The Hollywood Reporter, “one network executive” was quoted as harrumphing: “At a time when we're struggling not only financially, but to build audiences, this doesn't help on either front. These repeated interruptions – and the rumour of even more to come – really make it difficult to build audience flow and loyalty. We will all lose one or two million dollars for this.”

Jeez, that's terrible. Oddly, I don't recall network execs complaining – anonymously or in public – when George W. Bush took up precious prime-time minutes to make declarations about Iraq, terrorists and related matters.

Also, it seems eerily eccentric for network execs to complain about a presidential address to the nation when the biggest story of the moment is, glaringly, the economic crisis. Somebody is way out of touch. Maybe that explains the horror that is most network drama and comedy. And why something such as According to Jim is still on the air.

The U.S. is in crisis. The crisis is unfolding on TV because television is the medium through which everybody grasps most everything that's happening in the world. It hasn't happened until it has happened on TV.

Obama knows that. You'd think some of the people who run TV networks would know it, too.

Lastly, let me put this in terms that network execs might understand:

Obama is the American Idol winner and this situation is about every U.S. citizen being a Survivor.

© Globe and Mail