As Bernie Sanders took the stage on Tuesday night, the cable networks continued doing what they do best -- talking.
Fox News, CNN and MSNBC all declined to carry Sanders' speech, instead offering punditry about the evening, with the chyrons promising, "AWAITING TRUMP" and "STANDING BY FOR TRUMP."
Hillary Clinton last week got similarly dissed by the networks in favor of Trump.
Earlier Tuesday, The Huffington Post's Michael Calderone reported that the media have collectively given Trump some $2 billion worth of free air time.
Thanks to Trump's ability to drive ratings and generate controversy, as well as his unmatched accessibility -- notablyby phone -- TV networks have covered the candidate nonstop since he entered the race last summer. Numerous rallies and press conferences have been aired live, while sexist and bigotedremarks typically result in a flurry of TV interviews. After canceling a rally Friday night, Trump dominated cable news by calling into CNN, MSNBC and Fox News for a total of 48 minutes in under an hour.
Sanders' Tuesday speech was available online from CSPAN.
The corporate media spends enormous time and energy diverting our attention away from the most important issues facing us.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 23, 2015