NewsBusters has been all over the liberal media’s double standard when it comes to accusations of liberal impropriety versus conservative wrongdoings, most recently the mountain of coverage for the historic indictment of former President Trump and not even a scintilla of acknowledgment on the flagship morning, evening, and Sunday political talk shows of ABC, CBS, and NBC for allegations of foreign bribery centering around the Biden family.
But over the last two days, the networks have been focused on something Biden-related, which has been gushing over President Biden as a champion of American consumers by targeting ticket distributors for concerts, flights, and sporting events. Between their morning and evening shows, the “big three” networks have spent 16 minutes and 33 seconds.
If you go back to February when Biden touted this fight during the State of the Union, that number grows to 20 minutes and 11 seconds (including the semi-newsy 3rd Hour of Today) on NBC. With the 3rd Hour inclusion, NBC emerged at the top with 12 minutes and 31 seconds, followed by CBS at four minutes and 59 seconds. ABC was in back with two minutes and 41 seconds.
“Today, the White House executives from Live Nation, SeatGeek, and other companies joined President Biden, pledging to provide the total cost of tickets up front,” bragged CBS correspondent Meg Oliver on the June 15 CBS Evening News.
Hours earlier on NBC’s Today, correspondent Kaylee Hartung played White House press aide:
President Biden amplifying his call for transparency, meeting with representatives from several companies, including Live Nation entertainment, Seat Geek and AirBnB, all of which the White House says has committed to end surprise fees by fully disclosing fees to consumers up front. Something he first tackled in his State of the Union.
Speaking of stenographers for power, one of Biden’s top apple polishers in ABC’s Mary Bruce was a fill-in co-host for Good Morning America: “Now to the latest move from the White House to tackle so called junk fees. President Biden meeting with top executives to reduce those hidden costs.”
Correspondent Elizabeth Schulze did her best Bruce impression (click “expand”):
We've all been there. You're buying concert or event tickets thinking you locked in a price only to be blindsided by big fees when you check out. Well, now under direct pressure form President Biden, some major ticketing companies are agreeing to be more transparent about those junk fees. This issue exploded during Ticketmaster's botched presale for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Upset fans were shocked to discover marketed up fees to those already expensive ticket prices.
Well, during a meeting here with president Biden yesterday executives from Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, and from other ticketing companies, agreed to disclose those surprise fees up front. So, this means that, for 200 Live Nation venues starting in September, you will see the full ticket price, fees included, before you go to the checkout window. Seat geek and Ticketmaster will offer similar up front options. The White House is touting this as a big win for consumers. But, of course, these companies are not agreeing to eliminate the fees or even lower the ticket prices that you pay.
How committed to the bit were they? Well, ABC brought it back in the second hour for a nearly-identical segment.
Just as they did numerous times last year in the pits of skyrocketing gas prices and inflation, GMA was on the case for Joe.
After a segment earlier in the week touting the Biden administration’s (genuinely admirable) attempt to ensure Americans in rural areas such as West Virginia have high-speed internet, Friday’s CBS Mornings was even more obsequious on this junk fee spat. Here’s a sampling (click “expand”):
DOKOUPIL: President Biden met with executives from major ticket and travel companies yesterday as part of an effort to crack down on so-called junk fees, commonly known as junk fees anyway. Those are the hidden fees that don’t show up until you go to check out when you actually buy the tickets, then you see them, there they are. Mr. Biden has been urging a more transparent approach and some companies including Ticketmaster, they may be coming around.
(....)
NANCY CORDES: At the White House Thursday, executives from some of the biggest ticketing and travel companies vowed to change the way they disclose fees. SeatGeek said it will roll out a new toggle feature this summer to make it easier for customers to see the all-in price. Right now SeatGeek’s extra fees for a re-sold Taylor Swift ticket only show up at the end, un-itemized. In this case $300.00 fees per ticket. Executives from Airbnb and Live Nation also agreed to show fees upfront. It comes after a sustained campaign from President Biden who even worked the issue into his State of the Union address.
The show’s co-hosts touted this fight in a discussion after chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes’ report. Co-host Tony Dokoupil noted “it is a lot of money” and reiterated the significance of the fact that “[t]he resources of the U.S. government are being put to use on this question.”
“[I]t affects a lot of people and [these fees] do affect a lot of people,” said fill-in co-host Adriana Diaz.
Were either one of those fights worth it? Sure.
But it should then be followed by another question: Would this be covered if it were a DeSantis, Tim Scott, or second Trump administration? Not a chance.
