It's time for America to choose -- a network to watch the elections on, that is.
And the coverage styles are even more diverse than you might think.
Though the polls have just opened for Tuesday’s midterms, the crush of television -- and online -- media covering them, “election night” started days ago.
With Republicans looking for a big turnout in 2010, Fox News led the early-bird election coverage among the major cable networks, dispatching its weekday lineup heavy-hitters (minus Bill O'Reilly) over the weekend.
Other strategies:
• ABC News is responding to the surging right by adding conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart online;
• CBS News will go with regular updates instead of wall-to-wall;
• NBC News is expanding its footprint by pre-empting its late-night slate;
• MSNBC plans TV's longest continuous coverage;
• and CNN will roll out yet another dizzying suite of new technology.
Here’s a closer look at the major cable and broadcast networks have planned for election night. (All times ET.)
ABC NEWS -- BREIT IDEAS (ONLINE)
Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos anchor live coverage of election results during ABC’s “Vote 2010,” beginning with a special edition of “World News with Diane Sawyer” at 6:30 p.m. Full coverage continues "until at least 4:00 a.m.” with special reports at the top and bottom of each hour, followed by a live, 90-minute special at 9:30 p.m.
ABC News also will live-stream not just its network coverage but a special online program -- anchored by Sawyer and Stephanopoulos. (ABC News’ iPad app will allow users to play a “What If” game in which players “imagine different scenarios for Senate and House races through an interactive touch-screen map.”)
And the network stirred up controversy over its election night plan by inviting Andrew Breitbart, the conservative publisher and provocateur, to participate. Breitbart wrote in a post on his website that he was invited to a planned ABC-Facebook “digital town hall” and would also be featured on TV, sparking the ire of liberal pundits, who lashed out at ABC for agreeing to give him an on-air platform. But according to ABC, Breitbart's role is online-only.
CBS NEWS -- WE INTERRUPT THIS NETWORK
CBS, with its top-rated primetime slate, is comparatively limiting its election-night coverage. “CBS Evening News” host Katie Couric anchors "Campaign 2010: Election Night" from 10 to 11 p.m., and again from 1to 2 a.m. -- providing updates at the top of each hour, including primetime. Politi-coverage veterans Bob Schieffer and Jeff Greenfield will be along to assist. The network also will produce a pair of hour-long webcasts on CBSNews.com -- one at 9 p.m. and another at midnight.
Online, CBS News is partnering with Google to “showcase election search trends, as well as data from YouTube about popular political videos, to provide insights into Americans' thoughts and interests.” CBS’ special election night coverage will also stream live on the news division’s YouTube channel.
