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    • Fox, CNN, C-SPAN Barred From Live Coverage of South Carolina 2020 Convention

    By on June 18, 2019
    by Paul Bedard
     | June 18, 2019 01:36 PM

    In a first, only one TV outlet — MSNBC — will be allowed to deliver live coverage of Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic Convention where 21 presidential candidates are expected to speak, drawing heated complaints from other networks.

    C-SPAN, which has never been denied live coverage of a state convention in the network’s 40 years, has reluctantly pulled out of the convention and other weekend events sponsored by the party. CNN has filed a complaint. Fox will also be barred from providing live coverage to its viewers.

    The decision by the South Carolina Democratic Party was a surprise to the outlets and came just yesterday, long after all three had begun to ready for live coverage of the nine-hour event, one of the biggest on the Democratic presidential calendar so far.

    In an email to the media, the party announced that MSNBC had the exclusive rights to cover the event live. It did not explain why.

    “IMPORTANT: MSNBC has exclusive rights to broadcast the 2019 South Carolina Democratic Convention. Any footage of the convention taken by other outlets may not be aired live, and is EMBARGOED FOR THREE HOURS after the close of the convention. This embargo includes any live-streaming from social media platforms,” said the note from the party press office.

    Unlike network-sponsored debates, conventions have always been considered “open press,” allowing any outlet to broadcast live.

    The blackout shocked C-SPAN Political Director Steve Scully. “Never has what is an open event given exclusive rights to a single network,” he told Secrets.

    Scully, whose network gave gavel-to-gavel coverage of a similar Democratic candidate beauty contest in Iowa two weeks ago, said that the party was “shooting itself in the foot” by barring live coverage from other outlets.

    And he said that by denying live coverage to C-SPAN, the party is losing a chance at having all of its officials covered. He predicted that MSNBC will break away from non-stop coverage for any breaking news and interviews.

    “Maybe they think that they are going to get better coverage. But they are losing out on Fox, C-SPAN and CNN who all intended to carry parts of the speeches live,” he said, adding, “Live is a key factor. We could put it on Sunday, but by that point, who cares?”

    What’s more, he said that C-SPAN won’t be quick to cover future South Carolina Democratic Party events.

    “We will not be coving, absolutely not, and I also told them in no uncertain terms you better think long and hard before you reach out to us to cover something else. We’ll deal with 49 other state Democratic Parties. It’s ridiculous. It’s an open event,” said Scully. “We’re not happy.”

    In its email, the party said it is turning over the event to MSNBC. It said, “After each candidate speaks, they will be interviewed by MSNBC on their stage in the rear of the hall. After this, the candidate may choose to go to the designated press avail area. There will be no scrums in the Convention Hall, or outside of the area designated by SCDP staff inside the Convention Center. Footage taken outside the convention hall is not under embargo. Members of the press are free to speak to convention attendees throughout the convention hall, so long as they are not disrupting normal business or interfering with the counting of delegate votes. Please do not enter the delegate seating area near the front of the conventional hall.”

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