Networks train their guns on US election coverage
Billed as the most important US election in decades, Australian television networks are preparing to fight for broadcasting bragging rights.
Billed as the most important US election in decades, Australian television networks are preparing to fight for broadcasting bragging rights on Wednesday as they commit unprecedented resources to the square-off between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Sky News will have uninterrupted coverage of the election, from 5am AEST, involving more than a dozen journalists and commentators with its on-the-ground team comprising of Peter Stefanovic, Annelise Nielsen, Chris Kenny, Rita Panahi and Miranda Devine.
Such is the uncertainty surrounding the election aftermath, Sky News boss Paul Whittaker said contingencies are in place should the result remain unclear for weeks.
“We’ll stay on it as long as we have to stay on it, and we’ll have our people there on the ground as long as they have to be there,” Whittaker said.
The new graphics that will be used to show the latest poll and voting data in the studio are “pretty slick”, according to Whittaker.
Sky News’ Kieran Gilbert and Tom Connell will host the network’s coverage from News Corp Australia’s Sydney headquarters in Surry Hills.
“We‘ve got some fantastic technology that we’re using for the first time in the context of the US election,” Gilbert said.
“My colleague Tom Connell will be at the screen and basically whenever we get a result on one of the states or some numbers on one of the key states, he‘ll break down those numbers.”
The ABC will start its dedicated coverage of election day on Wednesday from 10am with Ellen Fanning, Stan Grant and David Speers, alongside its chief elections analyst Antony Green.
SBS World News will be running live coverage from late Wednesday morning, in conjunction with its broadcast partner ABC America.
Seven’s all-day rolling coverage will be hosted by Michael Usher and Angela Cox.
Nine Network’s election coverage starts from 11am, hosted by Peter Overton and Charles Croucher, with regular updates from its political analysts, including Chris Uhlmann.
Network Ten, which is owned by US giant ViacomCBS, will run some of CBS News’ coverage, but will also feature local talent including Hugh Riminton, Peter van Onselen and Sandra Sully.
The Australian’s website will have rolling live coverage, featuring Washington correspondent Cameron Stewart and a raft of locally-based reporters and commentators.
The masthead will also have a US election hub, plus a live count graphic and video as well as an interactive map.
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