Trump Can't Rely On Cable News Running His Rallies In Full Anymore

Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump’s rallies were once a surefire magnet for live TV, with cable news networks drawn to the chanting crowds, the unscripted candidate and even occasional fisticuffs in packed arenas.

Three years later, the novelty is waning and the events are drawing less airtime. Networks criticized for handing free airtime to Trump are cutting back, worrying some of the president’s backers.

“People have learned a lot from ’16 to ’19,” said Frank Sesno, a former Washington bureau chief for CNN and now the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. “I think every news organization will be applying a tighter standard this time.”

That was evident Thursday night when AT&T Inc.’s CNN and Comcast Corp.’s MSNBC stuck to scheduled news programming as Trump’s rally began in Minneapolis. Fox Corp.’s Fox News, known for its closeness to the Trump administration, carried the event live from its start to its finish more than 90 minutes later.

But even Fox’s ardor has waxed and waned. When the president’s viewership drops, the network may prefer to stick with its evening ratings powerhouse Sean Hannity, said Tom Bettag, former executive producer for ABC’s “Nightline with Ted Koppel.”

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-rallies-no-longer-assured-080000764.html?.tsrc=jtc_news_index