Yes. It was all about Watergate. People who didn't live through it cannot fathom what a big story Watergate was at the time. Aside from the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01, no story in recent times is even close.
It was everywhere: the TV news, newspapers, sitcoms, billboards, talk shows......everywhere. Afternoon soap operas and game shows were canceled for weeks at a time so witness after witness could testify on live TV, hour after hour after hour. It was the most pervasive news story of my lifetime.
I remember watching the Tonight Show with my mom. David Steinberg was the guest host, and when he walked on stage my mom said "If he says something about Watergate, I'll scream! I'm sick of hearing about it!"
The first words out of his mouth: "The Watergate investigation........." That's just the way it was in 1973-1974.
By 1976, people were sick of it. Most viewed Nixon as a crook and Ford as his enabler for:
1. being hand picked by Nixon to succeed him; and
2. pardoning Nixon for any crimes he may have committed during the Watergate scandal.
Most just wanted to sweep the whole thing away, and Carter was a fresh face who smiled a lot and promised change.
Even then, it was a very close election, with Carter barely pulling out a win late in the night.
You pretty much nailed it according to my memory of Watergate. 24/7 coverage on all 100% of TV channels (three national TV channels and 1 local), newspapers, magazines, and many radio stations. Remember folks no cable, satellite or internet in those days. You couldn't get away from it.
I got so tired of seeing John Dean I could spit and I was not a fan of Nixon.