ABC picks "Daisies" while rivals show Obama

By James Hibberd

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - ABC will air "Pushing Daisies" in its usual time period Wednesday night -- not the Barack Obama ad.

The news ends a guessing game that has been going on for nearly a month. The Obama campaign bought a half-hour of airtime on NBC, Fox and CBS on October 9, spending about $1 million per network. ABC was absent from the list, and the network had remained silent about its programing intentions. With ratings for "Daisies" slipping, some have wondered whether the network would air the comedy-drama as usual, also air the Obama ad or run something else entirely.

One source said ABC offered the airtime, but the Obama campaign, for whatever reason, declined to buy an ad.

The move gives Obama near domination of the major broadcast networks at 8 p.m. Wednesday, six days before Election Day. Fifth broadcaster the CW will counter program with its usual show in the time period, "America's Next Top Model."

Obama's increasingly mysterious special has not yet been delivered to networks. Sources said the ad is almost certainly taped, rather than a live telecast, and can be submitted as late as the morning of its broadcast.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter