For sweeps week, Scott Peterson's death sentence beats drilling in ANWR

No, it's not sweeps week. I don't even really understand what sweeps week means. During sweeps week, media behemoths must duke it out over ratings more ferociously than during non-sweeps weeks. The nuance beyond this simple explanation loses me.

Here are a few things I do understand.

If this week were a sweeps week, I would understand why the latest communiqué from a major network news local affiliate to my e-mail inbox can't wait to tell me all about how Scott Peterson has received the death penalty today for murdering his wife and their unborn child. I would also understand why the only word I've received this past week about today's final vote over oil drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has been from Democratic members of Congress whose e-mail distribution lists include my address.

These nuances I understand. If this were sweeps week, Scott Peterson's death sentence would be preferable, in the name of ratings, to ANWR drilling.

And yet, I understand we are not in the midst of sweeps week. Without even the excuse of needing an extra-special dose of big ratings, big media should understand they have no good excuse for ignoring the ANWR vote. How I wish they would understand.