UPDATE: CBS Reverses Plan To Air ‘Survivor’ During Prez. Press Conference

> UPDATE: 5:54pm: This post has been rewritten.

The CBS television network WILL broadcast President Bush’s primetime press conference tonight, the network said this evening, hours after releasing a statement to the contrary. Bob Schieffer will anchor the coverage. CBS had planned to go forward with a new episode of ‘Survivor’ at 8pm; the reality show will now air at 9pm.

Earlier in the afternoon, CBS said it would air the event live on the “CBS Digital Television Network,” as well as the CBS Radio News network and CBSNews.com. “Devoting all three platforms to the press conference will assure widespread access to viewers, listeners or Internet users seeking CBS News coverage of the event,” a network statement said.

Google the term “CBS Digital Television Network,” and you get ZERO results. “It’s essentially the HD version of CBS,” CBS spokesperson Dana McClintock explained. “For example, if you have HDTV through your cable operator here in NY like I do, you’ll see Survivor and CSI on Channel 2, but the President on channel 163 or whatever your CBS HD channel is. The same is true throughout the country.”

> Update: 6:06pm: “You have to wonder what the White House said to CBS,” an e-mailer remarks…

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