Trump’s Supreme Court selection show could start a battle with TV networks over prime-time air

President Donald Trump is breaking into prime time to reveal his Supreme Court nominee in the most Trumpian way possible — on live TV, with the biggest audience he can muster. Get ready for Feb 1 tweet about the ratings. NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox all confirmed that they will carry Trump's selection show live, in place of their regularly-scheduled programs. That means bumping "The Middle" on ABC, "New Girl" on Fox and a special about Super Bowl commercials on CBS.

Networks hate presidential prime-time addresses for one, obvious reason: money. The events can cost millions of dollars in lost advertising revenue. With a former reality TV star now in the Oval Office, broadcasters could be forced to choose between taking more losses than they have in the past and rejecting White House requests for air time. Speaking in prime time on just his 12th day in office, President Trump is already ahead of the pace of President Barack Obama, whose own, frequent addresses at the outset of his presidency irked the networks. The frequency with which Trump demands prime-time air — and the way the networks respond — will be worth monitoring.