News
Corporation Press Release
FOX Begins Airing Bush, Kerry Spots as Part of Its Free Airtime Offer
60-second spots to air during
primetime programming and post-season baseball on FOX
New York, NY (October
19, 2004) - News
Corporation announced today that President George W. Bush and Senator
John Kerry have accepted the Company’s offer of free airtime on the FOX
network. Mr. Kerry’s spots began airing Saturday. President Bush has
largely completed the taping of his spots and they will begin airing
tomorrow night on FOX, alongside Mr. Kerry’s.
The free airtime provided by FOX gives both candidates a unique
opportunity to reach voters directly, without any editing or comment
from an intermediary. Millions of viewers of FOX’s high-rating Major
League Baseball playoff and primetime entertainment broadcasts will be
able to see and gauge both candidates’ views on the critical issues of
this election in a format that airs their answers nationally within
minutes of one another.
The free airtime will comprise ten 60-second spots for each candidate
to give uninterrupted statements answering questions on the key issues
of the current campaign. Both sides agreed on the list of questions to
be answered, and the answers are being broadcast unedited on FOX.
The questions answered by President Bush and Senator Kerry are:
1. What are your plans to address the issue of jobs moving overseas?
2. What steps will you take to provide more access for Americans
without health insurance?
3. What steps need to be taken to increase the security of the U.S.
homeland?
4. What is your plan for winning the war in Iraq?
5. What steps can be taken to advance the cause of peace in the Middle
East?
6. What is the best way to tackle the issue of illegal immigration?
7. How do you strike the right balance between protecting civil
liberties and increasing security in the U.S.?
8. What can be done to bring Americans together and decrease partisan
divisions?
9. Are your religious beliefs important in your decision-making?
10. Is our educational system improving or deteriorating?
In 1996, FOX was the first and only broadcast network to offer free
primetime spots to candidates. The offer was repeated to, and accepted
by, former Vice President Al Gore and then Governor George W. Bush in
2000 as part of FOX’s policy of promoting the vigorous exchange of
ideas on matters vital to the future of the nation.
The News Corporation Limited (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NCP, NCPDP) had
total assets as of June 30, 2004 of approximately US$52 billion and
total annual revenues of approximately US$21 billion. News Corporation
is a diversified international media and entertainment company with
operations in eight industry segments: filmed entertainment;
television; cable network programming; direct broadcast satellite
television; magazines and inserts; newspapers; book publishing; and
other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in
the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia,
Asia and the Pacific Basin.
For more information about News Corporation, please visit www.newscorp.com.
Contact:
Andrew Butcher