Protesters Gather Outside Channel 9 To Protest ABC

President Obama is taking his push for health care reform to primetime tonight.

ABC News will televise what's being called a "Primetime Conversation With The President."

Many in the health care industry will agree the system we currently have new to be fixed. What's up for debate is how to fix the system.

In the Tri-State as well as nationwide, the numbers are on the rise with hospitals seeing more and more uninsured people needing health care.

Hospitals are struggling to meet those needs as they are finding more people losing jobs and most insurance coverage is tied to a job.

In Greater Cincinnati, local health experts say adding to the problem is that our area has even higher rates when it comes to obesity and smoking.

Collen O'Toole, President of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council says, "We've seen a 40 percent increase in the charity and bad debt the hospitals have provided over the past two years. A 40 percent increase, were at $239 million now that the hospitals together have contributed to the coverage and the care of people who can't pay for it themselves."

You can watch the ABC News special: Questions for the President: Prescription for America" tonight at 10 p.m. on Channel 9.

Nearly 250 members of the Cincinnati Tea Party are out in front of the Channel 9 studios to protest the ABC special saying it's one-sided and amounts to "government-run media."  They are chanting "No Obama Care" and "No State Controlled Media."

What are your thoughts on the current health care system and what should we do to fix it? Share your thoughts by adding a comment below.

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The following is the official response to the Republican National Committee from ABC News regarding the special about health care with President Barack Obama:

Dear Mr. McKay:

I am in receipt of your letter of June 15, 2009 and wanted to respond to a number of false premises you raise regarding our ongoing and upcoming coverage of health care.

I hope we can all agree that a robust debate of health care issues and potential policies is in order.

To that end, ABC News announced plans to broadcast a primetime hour from the White House devoted to exploring and probing the President's position and the giving voice to questions and criticisms of that position. We hope that any American concerned about health care will find our efforts to informative, fair and civil.

Second, ABC News prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions -- even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.

Third, there already has been extensive coverage of the upcoming health care debates, on ABC and elsewhere, and there will be much, much more. Indeed, we've already had many critics of the President's health care proposals on the air -- and that's before a real plan has even been put before the country.

In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions.

Thank you for your interest