Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, has died at the age of 95. His death was announced by Jacob Zuma, the current President of South Africa.
NBC News and CBS both produced special reports beginning at 4:45pmET, with Brian Williamsanchoring on NBC and Scott Pelley anchoring on CBS. David Muir anchored a special report on ABC News at 4:46pmET.
On the cable networks, CNN joined Zuma’s press conference at 4:44pmET. MNSBC began broadcasting NBC News’ special report at 4:45pmET, and Fox News joined Zuma’s press conference at 4:46pmET.
>More: President Obama will speak at 5:20pmET.
> “NBC Nightly News” will be expanded to an hour tonight.
> Anderson Cooper will anchor on CNN from 8pm-11pmET tonight. He will be joined by Wolf Blitzer, Christiane Amanpour and Robyn Curnow in Johannesburg.
>Fox News will preempt “The Five.” Shepard Smith will anchor from the Fox News deck. Juan Williams, who covered Mandela’s release from prison for The Washington Post, contributed to the breaking news coverage. Fox News senior correspondent Greg Palkot is headed to to South Africa and will report for FNC beginning this weekend.
>ABC’s “World News with Diane Sawyer” will be expanded to an hour tonight. ABC will also have a special edition of “Nightline” dedicated to Mandela’s life tonight. The show will be live on both coasts.
>Al Jazeera America will stay in breaking news coverage through midnight. Ali Velshi will join Tony Harris and John Siegenthaler, followed by “America Tonight” at 9pmET.
>ABC News has canceled the “Good Morning America” holiday party scheduled for tonight. “In light of tonight’s events and the death of Nelson Mandela, we will postpone the party tonight. We will reschedule,” senior EP Tom Cibrowski wrote in an email to “GMA” staffers. “Now let’s make a great GMA tribute to an incredible man who changed the world.”