Pope: NBC’s Broadcast Plans

By Brian 

The following message was sent to NBC staffers via an internal message system today: “…When the Vatican announces the pope’s death or NBC News is able to confirm it independently, we will provide a live special report. The length of that report will be determined by events. We are also planning a special edition of Dateline to document John Paul’s life for the night that his death is announced or shortly afterward. Its exact scheduling will depend on the existing network broadcast schedule. Brian Williams will anchor Nightly News from Rome for several days. Matt Lauer has already arrived at the Vatican and a major portion of Today will originate from Rome as well. Timing of the coverage going forward is likely to be determined by the Vatican’s own schedule of events, from the period immediately following the pope’s death, through his funeral, and the selection and installation of his successor. While you will be receiving specific information about the coverage at the appropriate times, it is possible to provide some general guidance about the events expected in Rome related to the Pope’s death and the succession process… MORE AFTER THE JUMP…


“Much of what follows is based on information obtained from Vatican experts. It is, of course, subject to change. The Vatican will determine the timing of the Pope’s funeral Mass. It is likely to be held at the Vatican between four and six days following the announcement of his death. The conclave of cardinals to elect a new pope will be held in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican no sooner than the 15th day after John Paul’s death nor later than the 20th day after his passing. According to Vatican experts, because there is no obvious successor, it is possible that the election process could take three to five days. There are several days built into the voting schedule on which no ballots are cast. If the deliberations last longer than 13 days, special procedures are invoked to force a decision. The usual practice is for the cardinals to cast four ballots each day until the successor is elected. The ballots will be burned after each vote. As in years past, the election of the new pope will be signified by the release of white smoke from the burning ballots. The public announcement of the new pope’s identify would follow within hours. The new pope will appear on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica within hours following the announcement. He will select the date for his formal installation, which is likely to follow four to six days after his election. We will keep you advised of the actual schedule of events, as it becomes available. As we have for previous major events overseas, we suggest that you install a clock at your news desk set to Rome time for the guidance of your newsroom staff. For your planning, Rome time this week is seven hours ahead of the Eastern Time zone. When the U.S. goes on Daylight Saving Time this Sunday, Rome will be six hours ahead of Eastern time. You may wish to review your own preparations for this event, particularly access to Roman Catholic churches in your area and selection of experts to participate in your coverage. As always, please monitor Urgent Messages from NBC Network Operations and your News Channel Black Box for further information about special broadcasts. We will update you later today about our plans for weekend coverage…”

Advertisement
Advertisement