Obama to Take Over NBC, CBS Primetime Slots on Oct. 29

Special to the NNPA from the St. Louis American (NNPA) - Barack Obama will be "Must See TV" for NBC and CBS Oct. 29. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Obama has purchased a half-hour of primetime television on CBS and NBC to air at 8 p.m. that Wednesday evening.

Senator Barack Obama The airing will take place less than a week before the general election and one night before the start of November sweeps.

Sources say the Obama camp also talked to Fox, but the network might not be able to accommodate the campaign as the time period might conflict with a potential Game 6 of the World Series.

The price tag is said to be in the ''tens of millions of dollars,'' according to NBC News. The networks are obligated to offer the similar time and the same price to Republican candidate John McCain but his campaign may not be able to afford it. He's already had to pull ads from battleground state Michigan after Obama moved way ahead in the polls.

Unlike Obama, who rejected public financing of the presidential campaign, McCain is accepting it. That means the McCain camp is limited in the amount of money that it can spend and raise.

Obama's ad buy will push CBS comedy ''The New Adventures of Old Christine'' to 8:30 p.m. and pre-empt ''Gary Unmarried.'' NBC typically airs the hourlong ''Knight Rider'' in the slot, and will likely throw in a comedy repeat at 8:30 p.m.

Information from Eurweb.com contributed to this report.