MEDIA ALERT -- PRESIDENT OBAMA TO APPEAR ON "60 MINUTES" IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMY, BAILOUTS AND U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN -- SUNDAY ON CBS

The president has agreed to appear on 60 MINUTES to discuss the most pressing issues of his first two months in office, including the economy, the bailouts, his budget and America's involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Steve Kroft will talk to Barack Obama in the Oval Office Friday (20) in the wide-ranging interview, expected to be longer than any other he has granted since taking office. The interview will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday March 22 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS television Network.

This is the second big Obama interview landed by Kroft and 60 MINUTES since he won the election last November. In his first post-election interview, Obama spoke with Kroft for the Nov. 16 edition of 60 MINUTES in a segment that also included First Lady Michelle Obama and comprised the broadcast's entire hour. It drew 25.1 million viewers - the largest television audience of the season to that date.

Kroft has been following Obama's political rise for over two years and has interviewed him for multiple 60 MINUTES segments, the first one broadcast in February 2007.