CNN wants to ban conservative YouTube streamers from live streaming Thursday's debate in order to protect Biden

Any chance that Thursday’s presidential debate between Biden and former President Trump will see more than a couple hundred viewers has been dealt a blow by CNN, which is threatening YouTube channels intent on simulcasting the debate with commentary that any such broadcast is not permitted under copyright regulations, The Post Millennial reported. 

On Monday’s episode of Timcast, host Tim Pool revealed CNN’s warning to viewers. 

“Confirming that we are offering digital platforms the ability to stream the debate only via CNN YouTube,” a CNN spokesman told Pool in a message that was reviewed by The Post Millennial. “We are not granting digital entities the right to stream the debate on their own YouTube channels. I hope that helps.” 

Pool also participated in a phone call with CNN that was arranged by YouTube, which he aired on his podcast. He said he received a message from YouTube last week which asked “to hop on  a phone call to discuss the RNC and the presidential cycle.” It was during that call that Pool spoke to “some individuals at YouTube…who made it clear that CNN reached out and is expressing concern, I don’t know the full extent, but making it known that YouTube better contact their news programs over the CNN debate.” 

The policy is a change from past debates, where Pool and his team streamed and commented on presidential debates. It would appear that CNN, which is nothing more than a PR network for the Biden administration, is trying to give Biden, who is clearly suffering from cognitive issues, cover. After one debate broadcast on Fox News, the network threatened several YouTube channels, claiming it had copyright protection. However, Fox never followed through on those threats. 

“Now of course, like all presidential debates, which is the epitome of civic responsibility of civic participation. We will provide live commentary and fact-checking on this presidential debate as we have done for every other so long as the show has been around.

“In a show of good faith,” Pool continued, YouTube asked me to reach out to CNN to see if there was anything they would be looking for in this regard. Because apparently they are asking other networks who are doing the exact same thing to abide by certain restrictions.” When Pool reached out, he found out that only those streamers with explicit permission would be permitted to stream the debate. 

It is expected that other YouTube channels, including The Daily Wire, The Blaze, and others will be similarly affected. 

Sara Higdon of The Post Millennial, who will attend the debate, confirmed what Pool was reporting. She received an email from CNN concerning digital use, which is clearly being done to protect Biden from getting slammed online, as follows:

Streaming Use: CNN’s debates are exclusive to CNN and may not be streamed or streamed with verbal or digital commentary on any platform or social media site by another party, other than the embeddable YouTube player via the CNN YouTube channel.” 

Podcast Use: Similar to broadcast rules, news organizations may use audio clips (up to 3:00 minutes at a time) on their shows after the debate conclude[s] and must credit the “CNN Presidential Debate” verbally in introducing the clip.

In yet another bizarre rule, this one demanded by the Biden camp, no press will be permitted inside the debate hall. Microphones will be cut at the end of two-minute time periods and there will be absolutely no audience. Press will be allowed to watch from a “Spin Room” and although some photographers will be permitted inside the debate hall, they “are required to remain stationary throughout the debate,” no doubt to make sure Biden doesn’t yell out “squirrell” and point at the cameras. 

CNN’s demands are unprecedented in presidential debates, and as Post Millennial wrote, that since they were granted hosting responsibilities for the debate, “they are entitled to ownership of all the footage of the debate.” CNN also “seem[s] to feel that they are creators of the content instead of broadcasters of content that would exist in some form even if the network did not.” In the case of Pool, he would “be a creator, a pundit, while streaming and commenting on the debate.” 

Pool, however, disagrees with CNN, noting that “commentary on a presidential debate is the epitome of fair use and we fully intend to provide insight and real time fact checking Thursday LIVE.” 

In his podcast, Pool said the following:

“We have two people running for president of this country, one of them the current president, and we’re going to fact-check and we’re going to comment and we are going to call them out in real time. If we can’t do that, if no one else can, then that's strict, that’s severely limiting civic participation,” he said. 

“And it’s allowing a biased network, that in the past has likened Trump to Hitler, to control who can and cannot fact check this man. And as we know it special rules for this debate. They are seeking to control that narrative. And I believe that is exactly why they reached out to YouTube, and why YouTube reached out to me, because they don’t want anyone to break their narrative. That’s the dirty game. They’re playing. It’s going to be fun Thursday.”