The Wall Street Journal looks at the coverage plans for the Republican and Democratic national conventions, and notes that everyone is going big on digital and streaming content. It also notes that NBC is unlikely to carry the DNC on Wednesday, September 5, as it controls the rights to the NFL season kickoff game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. As it happens the NFL moved the game from Thursday to Wednesday to accommodate President Obama’s speech.
In response, organizers of the Democratic convention moved Vice President Joe Biden’s speech from its traditional Wednesday night slot to Thursday. NBC’s website and its sibling cable channel MSNBC plan to cover Wednesday’s events live, including a speech by former President Bill Clinton.
More highlights:
Although not all schedules are set, the networks are expected to cover both parties’ gatherings for the equivalent of just one hour a night in prime time—the same as four years ago but down from about two hours a night in the 1990s.
The total hours broadcast this year may be reduced, however, because the Democratic convention is only three days long and, to maintain balance, at least some of the networks are expected to reduce their coverage of the Republican convention.