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Network Programming or Disaster Coverage?

The networks went heavily on disaster coverage Monday afternoon and early evening. Most stations around the country postponed their early evening programming for Tornado Coverage. But at 8pm ET everyone, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, went into their usual prime time line ups.

This morning, Today, GMA, CBS, all had Tornado Coverage again. I notice on Tues. morning, CBS has cancelled Let's Make A Deal and Price Is Right to stay with CBS News This Morning. The View is also doing their own Tornado Coverage on ABC. (I didn't see if my local ABC station stayed with GMA or went to Kelly & Michael at 9 and Rachel Ray at 10.) Since forecasters knew this was going to be a bad storm, all the networks seemed to have gotten their reporters and satellite trucks to Oklahoma City before the tornado hit.

So, should the networks have cancelled last night's prime time programming? They'll cancel daytime game shows for the tornado the following day but not prime time programs that evening?
 
Channel 3 in Hartford pre-empted Kelly & Michael instead sticking with CBS This Morning until 11:55AM. At 11:55AM they started Eyewitness News at Noon.

Channel 8 in New Haven along with Channel 40 in Springfield carried their regular schedule - Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, and The View on Channel 8 - Rachael Ray, Katie Couric (Previous Day Encore), and The View on Channel 40.
 
CBS should still be providing "Let's Make a Deal" for stations that usually broadcast the program during midday hours unless they decide to provide more special news programming to those stations instead.
 
Mario500 said:
CBS should still be providing "Let's Make a Deal" for stations that usually broadcast the program during midday hours unless they decide to provide more special news programming to those stations instead.
They could air syndicated programs bumped by the expanded newscast in the LMAD timeslot.
 
While the storm damage (at that point) probably didn't warrant ABC, CBS, and NBC wiping-out all of prime-time last night (May 20th), I feel that each network should have had an hour-long prime-time special.

But had the storm moved through downtown Oklahoma City, destroying many buildings and killing hundreds (or maybe thousands), then there would have been no question about it: ABC, CBS, and NBC would have cancelled all prime-time programming last night and might have had nonstop, commercial-free storm coverage for much of the week.

BTW, NBC has announced that they will carry an hour-long prime-time special on the storm from 8 to 9 P.M. EDT (likely, there will be an updated version later in the night for the West Coast). ABC and CBS will offer expanded early-evening newscasts, but at this writing (1:55 P.M. EDT), neither is planning a prime-time special, although that could change.
 
Morgan Wick said:
Mario500 said:
CBS should still be providing "Let's Make a Deal" for stations that usually broadcast the program during midday hours unless they decide to provide more special news programming to those stations instead.
They could air syndicated programs bumped by the expanded newscast in the LMAD timeslot.

I have just seen part of "Let's Make a Deal" broadcast by my local CBS station after noon today.
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
While the storm damage (at that point) probably didn't warrant ABC, CBS, and NBC wiping-out all of prime-time last night (May 20th), I feel that each network should have had an hour-long prime-time special.

But had the storm moved through downtown Oklahoma City, destroying many buildings and killing hundreds (or maybe thousands), then there would have been no question about it: ABC, CBS, and NBC would have cancelled all prime-time programming last night and might have had nonstop, commercial-free storm coverage for much of the week.

BTW, NBC has announced that they will carry an hour-long prime-time special on the storm from 8 to 9 P.M. EDT (likely, there will be an updated version later in the night for the West Coast). ABC and CBS will offer expanded early-evening newscasts, but at this writing (1:55 P.M. EDT), neither is planning a prime-time special, although that could change.

I am so glad it did NOT go through downtown OKC. Like you, if that happened, 1000s could have been killed.

-crainbebo
 
The networks have a rotating pool. Each month, one network provides technical set up for everybody to use. I wish they'd do the same on wall to wall coverage. Each month, one network is designated to break programming for major news and the other can continue with regular shows - not forcing everybody to watch the same old talking heads repeating themselves and speculating over and over.
 
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