Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 31, 2008 at 09:39:43:
Chicago TV election night plans
Local TV stations are gearing up for Election Night. So far we've heard from WBBM-Ch. 2, WMAQ-Ch. 5, WGN-Ch. 9, WFLD-Ch. 32 and we'll update station plans below as we get them.
Channel 2: Besides regularly scheduled newscasts at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., there will be four-minute local updates at :25 past and :55 past the hour between 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m, during CBS News' "Campaign 2008: Election Night" coverage. Rob Johnson and Anne State will co-anchor extended coverage, joined in-studio by political editor Mike Flannery.
The station's 10 p.m. newscast will run an hour, followed by CBS News national coverage and local cut-ins.Updates will be available through cbs2chicago.com.
Channel 5: The station's 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts will air as normal,followed by "The NBC Nightly News" at 5:30p.m. and NBC News' election coverage at 6 p.m. Allison Rosati and Warner Saunders will anchor local updates every half hour as well as the 10 p.m. news.
WMAQ's "Election Night Raw" coverage already has been detailed here, and additional information will be available through nbcchicago.com.
Channel 9: Besides the station's 5:30 p.m. newscast, Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.'s WGN plans to expand its 9 p.m. news at least until the presidential race is decided. Although the station does plan to air its regular CW prime-time schedule, it will offer cut-in reports to update viewers.
Former Chicago Tribune Washington Bureau Chief James Warren will serve as Channel 9's political analyst, joined on-set by former State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and Alderman Toni Preckwinkle.
Channel 32: The station plans two hours of local news beginning at 5 p.m., followed by Fox Broadcasting's election night coverage anchored by Shepard Smith of Fox News Channel at 7 p.m., with WFLD going local from 9 p.m. to midnight.
MyFoxChicago.com will stream the station's election coverage, as well as a raw feed of Sen. Obama's Grant Park event. WFLD also intends to convert the station's Obamatracker.com Web site to an event-focused page from noon Monday to noon Wednesday.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)