Networks to Usher In Historic Presidency; "ambitious coverage plans"

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

With less than two weeks to go until a historic presidential inauguration, the nation’s television networks are finalizing ambitious coverage plans, but the camera platforms will be more crowded than usual. At least a dozen networks, including relative political neophytes like BET and MTV, will be broadcasting from Washington. Nickelodeon is even sending two pint-size reporters, and QVC, a shopping channel, is setting up at one of the inaugural balls while it tries to sell memorabilia associated with the swearing-in of Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

“You can feel the excitement in the air,” said Phil Alongi, the executive producer of specials for NBC News.

Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, said the network’s stations have shown strong interest in televising every hour of the proceedings. In fact, when the news division floated the possibility of ending network coverage in the early afternoon, under the assumption that the parade would start to seem repetitious, some of the stations objected. “We had a lot of affiliates who said that on this historic day they’d rather be doing inauguration coverage than pretty much anything else,” Mr. McManus said.

David Bohrman, the Washington bureau chief for CNN, said the network’s coverage would be longer and more exhaustive than in previous years. “People around the world are going to watch this event,” he said.

As in previous years, the coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC and the cable news networks will run from 10 a.m. until the early evening. The day will be bookended with special editions of morning shows and special reports in prime time. Fox will offer a feed of the Fox News Channel to its affiliates.

Networks also see entertainment value in the inauguration week. HBO will be the exclusive broadcaster of an “opening celebration” on Sunday, Jan. 18, the inaugural committee said on Tuesday. That concert event will be available to all cable subscribers....

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C-SPAN, the cable channel of record on Capitol Hill, will telecast the inauguration in full, beginning with Mr. Obama’s train ride on Jan. 17 from Philadelphia to Washington....

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The cable networks can also be expected to offer late-night coverage of the inaugural balls. MSNBC expects to be live until at least midnight....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/arts/television/07netw.html

[Connie_Corleone]

1. And I'll be watching every minute of it.

I took that Monday and Tuesday off work just for this.

[jaxx]

2. Me too, I can't wait.