Network News: All Hands in New Orleans
There will be - and effectively has been the last few hours - a pretty amazing concentration of network news talent down in New Orleans as Gustav approaches. Herewith some of the full coverage plans now and at least over the next 24 hours, if you're tracking network news crews. What's notable in this rush to cover? That so many people - including WilliamsCouricGibson - will be in New Orleans that there will hardly be anyone around to cover the Twin Cities convention. The RNC has no choice but to scale back or postpone altogether if they hope to get ANY coverage this week.
The press release facts, beginning with NBC:
NBC: "Nightly News" Anchor and Managing Editor, Brian Williams will report live from the region beginning this evening with an exclusive interview with Presidential
hopeful Senator John McCain. NBC News' Ann Curry, Lester Holt, Al Roker and a team of correspondents including Contessa Brewer, Don Teague, Janet Shamlian, Kerry Sanders, Lee Cowan, Mark Potter, Mary Murray, Michelle Kosinski, and others, will also be on location. Coverage will extend across MSNBC, and the networks of NBC News will benefit from Weather Plus and a preliminary agreement with The Weather Channel by utilizing their expert teams on and off air.
NBC News' Tom Brokaw will head up the network's coverage of the RNC live from St. Paul. He will be joined by the network's political team of Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, David Gregory, John Yang, Luke Russert, Kelly O'Donnell, Mike Taibbi, Savannah Guthrie, Tom Costello, among others.
CBS: CBS Evening News Anchor and Managing Editor Katie Couric will report from the Gulf coast beginning tomorrow ...at 6:30...CBS News Correspondents Cynthia Bowers, Randall Pinkston, Byron Pitts, Dave Price, Tracy Smithari Sreenivasan will report from the area for all CBS News broadcasts....Harry Smith will anchor from the area beginning tomorrow morning (7:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), along with Earrly Show weather anchor Dave Price...CBS News’ live Republican National Convention primetime specials—Monday, Sept. 1 through Thursday, Sept. 4 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET; check local listings) will include coverage of both the hurricane and the RNC....(Sunday's) EN will be anchored by Russ Mitchell from New York, with Bob Schieffer contributing from St. Paul.
ABC: As Hurricane Gustav nears the Gulf Coast, ABC News continues to bring viewers up-to-the-minute reports from the storm front. This evening, "World News" anchor Charles Gibson will report live from New Orleans - just hours before the storm is expected to hit. Further plans to be announced as news develops.
ABC News will continue to report from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. "This Week" host and Chief Washington Correspondent, George Stephanopoulos, will anchor and report from the RNC and ABC News correspondent David Wright - who has been covering the McCain campaign for ABC News - will continue to report from the trail for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms.
On Monday, September 1, "GMA" weather and news anchors, Sam Champion and Chris Cuomo, will bring morning viewers reports on Hurricane Gustav and the damage and destruction that Hurricane Gustav is expected to bring to the Gulf Coast area during the morning broadcast. In addition to reports on the ground, co-anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts will anchor the morning Labor Day broadcast from Times Square Studios in New York.
ABC News will have complete coverage from throughout the New Orleans, Mississippi, Texas and Florida regions with reports from ABC News anchors and correspondents, including: Bill Weir; Dan Harris; David Kerley; Jeffrey Kofman; Terry McCarthy; Steve Osunsami; Barbara Pinto and Mike von Fremd.
"Nightline" co-anchor, Terry Moran, will also anchor the evening news broadcast live from New Orleans with reports on the storm's latest developments.