Obama TV

Was channel surfing last night on DISH Network and ran across Channel 73, which was unfamiliar to me. As yesterday was the first of October, I figured this was one of the month-long trial exposures that DISH routinely serves up to entice lower-tier subscribers to buck up for choice programming. This is how I was able to enjoy most of the past cycle of Top Chef on Bravo, and the hilarious Ninja Warrior on G3.

I squinted at the screen from across the room. The channel number, 73, was followed by one word in all caps: OBAMA. “No,” I said, smiling. But yes! Channel 73 is The Obama Channel, and it had blocked out programming from 7 pm (Central) to 2:30 am: Barack Obama’s Plan for America. Ben Smith at The Politico (pains me to link to him, but what can one do?) verifies that the Obama campaign has paid to run their advertising on the channel:

“DISH Network Channel 73 is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Senator Obama by DISH Network. DISH Network made the same offer to the McCain campaign, an offer that remains open,” Dish Network spokesman Parker McConachie emailed Politico.

Wonder if McCain’s public financing constraints will allow him to rent his own channel?

I pointed out the Obama channel to my wife. We laughed and laughed.

The reaction on the Right, in contrast, can be summed up as whine and jeez.

Excellent.

The funny thing, of course, is that while you might not expect that many people would notice an obscure all-Obama satellite channel, every mention of it - from this blog, from The Politico, and even from Michelle Malkin - is free advertising for Obama TV. Amusing!

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