Media Is Sell

"Remember how the broadcast networks explained that they would cover only three hours of each of the four-day Democratic and Republican conventions because they are nothing more than infomercials?" asks Lisa de Moraes. Well, ABC and CBS will run "infomercials for products in which the networks have a financial interest" on their Friday newsmagazines. ABC will feature Victoria Gotti, of "Growing Up Gotti" on A&E, owned in part by ABC. CBS will feature Yoanna House, from the "America's Top Model" reality show on UPN, owned by CBS parent company Viacom. Fox will air a half-hour special on the "Alien vs. Predator" movie, from 20th Century Fox (although Fox News Channel, de Moraes notes, was "all over the convention").