# Entertainers for Obama's inauguration start Sunday 1/18 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924 "2009-01-19T02:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/1 "2009-01-19T02:11:34Z")
I watched some of the inauguration festivities on CNN today (Sunday, 1/18), and kept wondering why CNN wasn’t showing the many entertainers. After Biden’s and Obama’s speeches and just about everything was over, Wolf Blitzer announces that HBO has the rights to the entertainment portion of the broadcast. WTF?? I know that Obama cannot be concerned with such trivialities, but I suspect he would not have gone along with that. I resent that I can’t see the entertainers at this public event. I don’t have HBO and it really pisses me off that I can’t see the many talented entertainers who performed for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/2 "2009-01-19T04:18:45Z")
Not to rub salt in the wound, but it really is pretty awesome. Very much worth having my Directtv account, if for no other reason than Garth Brooks doing “Shout” with a full choir behind him. And the crowd goes wild. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/3 "2009-01-19T05:25:11Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Betcey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/betcey/32/3413_2.png) [@Betcey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Betcey)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/4 "2009-01-19T05:26:55Z")
If you happen to have Direct TV service, this weekend is a free HBO “preview”. A little late, I know, but I just discovered this and am now watching the festivities as well! ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/5 "2009-01-19T18:05:34Z")
IIRC HBO gave the local cable providers the right to make the show available to all customers. I know Cox in northern VA did. It was available both live and in the replay to non-HBO subscribers. ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/6 "2009-01-19T18:40:57Z")
I think you can also watch it at [HBO.com](http://HBO.com) ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entertainers-for-obamas-inauguration-start-sunday-1-18/481924/7 "2009-01-19T18:52:48Z")
Oh, okay – never mind. Thanks for the info