Broadcast networks are preparing extended coverage for Tuesday’s midterm election results, giving viewers more options than they would have had in earlier election cycles. In 2014, ABC, CBS and NBC aired only an hour or two of live midterm coverage. This year, the networks are making results a much larger part of their schedules.
NBC will provide local stations with 13 consecutive hours of coverage, starting at 5 p.m. Eastern and running until 6 a.m. Wednesday. Affiliates can carry the full broadcast or break away for local news. CBS and ABC will devote their entire prime-time schedules to election results and return to coverage overnight.
The results involve hundreds of local races, which can make midterm coverage less predictable than a presidential election. But control of Congress is at stake, and network executives expect substantial viewer interest. The broader election-night lineup also includes cable networks and newer digital outlets.
Sources: The New York Times Business.