Posted on 08/27/2004 4:50:10 AM PDT by M 91 u2 K
The broadcast networks won't air Rudy Giuliani's speech before the Republican National Convention Monday night, but WCBS/Ch. 2 will. Ch. 2 officials have gotten permission from CBS higherups to alter the network's regular entertainment programming Monday night to carry the former mayor's speech.
And so far, Ch. 2 is the only local broadcast station to do so.
"It's a local story and it's especially important for people in the tristate area to hear this," said Dianne Doctor, Ch. 2's vice president of news. "What he has to say is important and it transcends the fact that it's purely political."
CBS News' Dan Rather will anchor Ch. 2's coverage of Giuliani, with Andrew Kirtzman and Marcia Kramer also on the show.
Cable's New York 1 News also will carry Giuliani's speech. The all-news cable channels are expected to carry the speech as well.
But locally, it's just Ch. 2 for those without cable.
WABC/Ch. 7 can't because it's stuck airing coverage of a preseason "Monday Night Football" game, while WNBC/Ch. 4 is sticking with NBC News' coverage pattern, which, like ABC and CBS, will carry live coverage Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10 p.m.
"We have to be careful about cherry-picking coverage out of fairness and balance," said Dan Forman, senior vice president of news at Ch. 4. "We leave the coverage of the political part to our network."
The speech will air on Ch. 4's Web site, though.
Besides adding the Giuliani speech, Ch. 2 will add an hour of local news each day at 9 a.m.
Ch. 7 will add half an hour to its 11 p.m. newscast each night to accommodate the convention coverage. The first extended telecast airs Sunday night. Ch. 7 also will air an hour-long special on the convention - and its impact - tonight at 7, anchored by Liz Cho and Bill Ritter. The station also will air a newscast during halftime on Monday's game. WWOR-Ch. 9, WNYW-Ch. 5 and WPIX- Ch. 11 will based their newscasts from the convention.
"There's a lot going on, politically speaking; there's a lot going on with how New Yorkers and the surrounding areas are dealing with security and restrictions," said Kenny Plotnik, Ch. 7's news director.
Ch. 4 will keep the same schedule for its newscasts but is ready to expand if necessary.
"We're going to put ourselves in the position to be flexible and expand if it makes sense," Forman said. "We're not going to make that decision by rote going in."
Each of the local stations will have an anchor stationed inside a skybox studio, while the anchors will remain in their regular studios. Each will flood the area in and around Madison Square Garden with correspondents.
And, while they're loath to talk about it, each station has a backup plan should something terrible make it impossible to broadcast from Manhattan.
Rudy should go out in the street, then he might get some coverage.
And you know the majority of "Convention Coverage" will be about the protests
Can we assume all cable stations will show the speech? CNN, FOX, MSNBC? I know FOX will but... The speech ought to be memorable along with Zell's!
It's no surprise the liberal networks don't want to air it.
Something else to ponder. It has been said that if Guiliani runs against Hellary in 2006, he'll win.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, considering the looks of some of the protesters! By default, they will be associated with the Democrats. ;o)
My bet is that the ultra-left wingers will NOT show tape of the kerrorist attacks on NYC because thay might tend to beat the drum for Bush.
Rudi is a real memory of that time and Rather wants no stirring visions of leadership to contrast with Traitor John.
On the same token, why do the survivors of the victims get such a say? They each got several million dollars, what makes them qualified to make judgments on policy? Each time one of them says, "Oh, we do not want to use the WTC in political tapes or show the tapes around the election because that would politicize the tragedy," they are politicizing the tragedy by taking a liberal stance.
Any one who wants can watch Rudi on cable and give the left-wingers the opportunity to whine about losing market share.
That I would like to see! Get her name and pic off TV.
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