Networks to Cover Conventions on Web

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ABC and CBS said Monday they would offer gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions this year over the Internet as well as periods of prime-time coverage over their broadcast networks.

Both ABC News and CBS News will offer one hour of prime-time coverage on three nights of each convention.


Last week, NBC said it would offer one hour of prime-time coverage each night of both conventions, supplemented by five hours of coverage each night on cable channel MSNBC.

Political conventions have become staged ``publicity making machines'' for both parties and thus inappropriate for the television networks to cover to the extent they once did, ``Nightline'' host Ted Koppel told the Television Critics Association Monday.

Koppel walked out of the Republican convention in 1996 and did not attend the Democratic convention that year to ``make a statement that conventions had significantly changed,'' he said.

But both he and ``World News Tonight'' anchor Peter Jennings said it was proper to use new technology to bring more extensive coverage to those who want it.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-TV-Convention-Coverage.html

[Penndems]

1. Thank God for CSPAN

They offer gavel-to-gavel coverage.

When I was growing up, the conventions were a big deal. The networks covered everything and stayed on the air well into the night into the next morning.

Guess that sort of thing is passe to them now.