Opening the September 25 edition of NBC's Today, co-host Meredith Vieira said of Sen. John McCain: “His campaign on hold, political advertising suspended, and he's asking his rival to postpone tomorrow night's debate.” But according to a Media Matters for America search* of the TVEyes.com database, several NBC affiliates ran McCain ads during the hour prior to her statement on Today. Further, following her statement, dozens of NBC affiliates -- including flagship station WNBC in New York -- aired McCain ads during Today.
Media Matters has included video from WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, at approximately 7:30 a.m. ET.
From the September 25 edition of NBC's Today:
VIEIRA: Good morning. Crisis mode: President Bush, warning our economy is in danger, urges Congress to pass that $700 billion bailout package -- and fast -- while John McCain takes a dramatic step.
McCAIN [video clip]: I'll suspend my campaign and return to Washington.
VIEIRA: His campaign on hold, political advertising suspended, and he's asking his rival to postpone tomorrow night's debate. But Obama says, no way.
OBAMA [video clip]: It is going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once.
VIEIRA: Now, both candidates are headed to the White House for an extraordinary emergency meeting with the president as Congress tries to hammer out a deal to prevent an even bigger meltdown. Today, Thursday, September 25, 2008.
ANNOUNCER: From NBC News, this is Today, with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira, live from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza.
* Media Matters searched the TVEyes.com database for “I'm John McCain and I approve this message” from 6:00 a.m. ET to 11:00 a.m. ET.