Convention? What Convention?

Kos has a good post quoting Jim Lehrer on the absence of any significant network coverage of the Democratic Convention (I say 'Democratic' Convention, because I won't be surprised if somehow there is a change of heart between now and September and the Republicans garner more coverage).

Lehrer: This is one of the most important presidential elections we've had in a long time. Important issues with long-term implications are on the table to be resolved. The United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world. All Americans should be involved in the debate over how we exercise our enormous power. The vehicle to do that is the presidential election.

Is there anything going on that is more important than that?

No. There isn't. It is an embarrassment that the BBC and Al Jazeera will be giving the Convention greater coverage than our own networks. I won't pretend that everything that goes on at a Convention isn't pretty much scripted, rehearsed and not really "breaking" news, but if the conventional wisdom is that most of the public is unaware of the issues, not sure who one of the two choices for President is, and apathetic about voting in general, I think a week without CSI reruns is the least the network can do to fulfill their public service obligations for the free use of our airwaves...