TV News Election Night Likely to Carry Over for  Days and Days

As a seasoned news junkie who has witnessed countless election nights unfold, I am nothing short of thrilled about this year’s upcoming coverage by NBC News. The sheer determination and commitment displayed by Janelle Rodriguez and her team to offer 24 hours of continuous coverage is truly inspiring. It’s not just about the election results; it’s about providing a platform for the American people to stay informed, engaged, and connected during these tumultuous times.


For NBC News, Election Night starts before the sun goes down.

Starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5th, various NBC anchor duos such as Tom Llamas & Hallie Jackson, Savannah Guthrie & Lester Holt, or Craig Melvin & Kate Snow will take turns to provide coverage of the 2024 presidential election results between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. NBC plans to provide a total of 24 hours of coverage across all stations and streaming platforms. This coverage may start at a time traditionally used for local programming, and it could even begin two hours before other broadcasters’ live telecasts.

Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News’ executive vice president of programming, stated that we will start earlier and stay on air longer than ever before on this network. Starting from 6 a.m., you can expect Guthrie to resume her role for an extended ‘Today’ broadcast, following her primetime coverage the previous night. Although specific plans end at 5 p.m. the day after the election, they are prepared to continue coverage for multiple days if necessary, as Rodriguez noted.

The outcome of this election might be clear by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, but it’s important to note that major TV news networks anticipate the process could take several days, much like in 2020. This is due to increased use of mail-in voting and varying rules for counting these ballots across different states. As a result, cable news channels may need to maintain continuous coverage for extended periods, while traditional broadcast news will have to switch back into special report mode at any given moment.

Marc Burstein, a senior producer at ABC News’ special events, states that they are ready to transition from ‘GMA’ to ‘GMA’ if necessary, spanning from Wednesday into Thursday. This could mean up to 24 hours of coverage on ABC’s main TV channel, following several hours the night before.

There are new reasons to keep Election Night coverage going into a series of Election Days.

During a presidential election period, news programs attract their largest and most diverse audiences. This can be advantageous during times when advertisers are hesitant to support opinion shows or news broadcasts that deliver challenging topics like climate change and divided electorates. If viewers enjoy the content, they might stay tuned for more. As Jessica Loker, Fox News Channel’s vice president of politics, puts it, “We understand that our work doesn’t stop on Election Day; instead, we start preparing for the transition, certification, Inauguration, and the first 100 days. In many ways, our real work is just beginning now.

Some outlets that aren’t known for election coverage hope to make a name for themselves.

On election night, CNBC is set to provide coverage centered around market implications, with Carl Quintanilla hosting live from the New York Stock Exchange starting at 7 p.m. Contessa Brewer will step in as anchor at midnight and continue until their popular “Squawk Box” program begins at 5 a.m., an hour earlier than its regular start time.

NewsNation is set to air its inaugural presidential-election coverage, marking a significant milestone for their relatively new Nexstar-supported network. Cherie Grzech, president and managing editor of news and politics, shares her anticipation saying, “We must be prepared to carry on the entire week’s events.” NewsNation aims to maintain continuous coverage throughout the week, extending to 24 hours if required.

Previously, a format was established for similar scenarios, which was applied during the 2020 election when Pennsylvania’s vote tally was one of the last to be announced. As Mary Hager, CBS News’ politics executive editor, explains, “We would revert back and update everything across the board whenever we became aware of something significant happening or when there was a major development that required reporting to the American public.” Although anchors won’t be confined to the studio for extended periods, reporters covering key states in the election will probably remain near their posts until the count is completed.

The prolonged tallying process during the 2020 elections was due to a surge in mail-in votes caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, many prominent figures believe that early voting has brought about a novel aspect in election coverage. David Challian, CNN’s political director, states, “I think we won’t witness the same high rate of mail-in ballots as we did during the peak of Covid. However, it will be more than any election other than 2022. It represents a new facet of American life.

Engaging viewers consistently requires having a top-notch group of popular news anchors on standby. For instance, Fox News audience anticipates election updates from Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier, while CNN fans have grown accustomed to Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer, together with a panel headed by Anderson Cooper. And MSNBC’s coverage wouldn’t be complete without Steve Kornacki managing an interactive map filled with data about U.S. constituents from every county.

I’m fortunate enough to have a place for rest when needed, as Steve does,” I might say, expressing similar sentiments to Rashida Jones, the president of MSNBC. However, she assures us that there are other team members ready to step in. Yet, she emphasizes, “Kornacki will be right there on set when that significant event unfolds.

At different points throughout the night, there will be changes in shifts. Following CBS News’ initial Election Night broadcast, Hager mentions that they have new personnel ready to step in for the following day. He explains that these fresh faces bring a renewed perspective, as they are eager and well-rested. If the count takes multiple days to complete, Hager is confident that the news division will be able to seamlessly interrupt programming when required.

As the election tally continues, there’s increased potential for misinformation to emerge, with some extended news coverage unintentionally fostering questionable theories that gain traction on social media. Reputable news outlets like CBS News and ABC News have dedicated teams working to trace the origins of suspicious information or problems with voting in certain regions. According to ABC News’ Burstein, such issues were not prevalent ten years ago but have become significant concerns today. He emphasizes that maintaining a balanced perspective involves consistently explaining what might occur, what remains unknown, why we don’t know it yet, and why the situation is developing as expected or unexpectedly.

Amidst the turmoil, it’s essential that networks are prepared for something unusual: Clarity or a definitive result. What if the election is declared within just a few hours after the voting ends? NBC News’ Rodriguez explains, “There might be a situation where it gets declared on Election Night. We could receive the announcement at 3 a.m. It could come at 5 p.m. the following day. It might take days.” In other words, we need to be prepared for any timing scenario.

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2024-10-24 18:21