Last but not least is our preview of Spectrum Networks’ midterm election night coverage.
Spectrum News will present live, comprehensive linear and digital coverage of local and statewide elections across its 12-state local news footprint tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Coverage will be led by political anchors in each market who will be joined by reporters on the ground covering the big races and issues facing voters.
In addition to local coverage, for the first time the Spectrum News National team will provide updates and analysis on the races, including balance of power in Congress. National updates will air twice each hour and complement local election night coverage. Spectrum News’ digital-only markets – St. Louis, Maine and Hawaii – also will have comprehensive local coverage on the Spectrum News mobile app.
Spectrum News local anchors anchoring election night coverage are: Alex Cohen, Giselle Fernandez and Amrit Singh in California; Amber Smith, Lachlan McLean and Mario Anderson in Kentucky; Olivia Lemmon in Massachusetts; Errol Louis and Susan Arbetter in New York State; Philip Klint in New York City (NY1 Noticias); Tim Boyum, Claudine Chalfant and Loretta Boniti in North Carolina; Curtis Jackson and MaryLee Melendez in Ohio; Ybeth Bruzual, Greg Angel and Tammie Fields in Orlando; Holly Gregory, Rick Elmhorst and Roy de Jesus in Tampa Bay; Brett Shipp, Dr. Nicole Cross and Karina Kling in Texas; and Jason Fechner and Courtny Gerrish in Wisconsin.
Additionally, Spectrum News local market journalists will be on the ground reporting in the communities they regularly cover to bring coverage and perspective on the races, and issues for local audiences.
We recently caught up with Spectrum News Group vice president of editorial Sam Singal to learn more about the company’s plans for Tuesday night. Singal is an executive well-versed in national TV news coverage. Before joining Spectrum in February 2020, he was the executive producer of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
TVNewser: What can the viewer expect from your network’s election night coverage that he or she didn’t see in 2020 or 2018?
Singal: Our audience can expect comprehensive coverage of every local and statewide election in their area. More importantly, they will get analysis of and context on the impact of the elections – how what happens on Tuesday evening will affect their daily lives.
We are in a unique position as politics is at our core and we have been covering the local and state races every day for months. Many of our stations hosted exclusive debates and town halls with candidates, so I have no doubt our coverage will reflect our commitment and dedication to this year’s mid-terms.
The biggest difference this year will be the addition of our national news coverage. Capitalizing on our national political team and our Washington DC bureau, we also will provide coverage of all the big races across the country.
What lessons did you take away from 2020 and 2018 that you’re keeping in mind for this year’s coverage?
The big lesson from previous elections is to always expect the unexpected. We have been preparing for this night for months. Whether it’s editorial, technical or production – our local and national teams along with our network operations have been collaborating and practicing. We are ready for a big night.
Where will you be spending most of election night? If it’s in the control room, who will you be seated near/next to?
I will be at our New York City station, NY1, where our team will be producing local and statewide election night coverage. In addition, this will be homebase for our NYC election coverage in Spanish for NY1 Noticias. It is also where our national television and digital operations are housed. I will be in all of the control rooms alongside our very talented producers, directors and technical teams.
If past is prologue, some of these races may not be decided on Nov. 8, or even Nov. 9. Do you have contingency plans set if this goes on for multiple days, and if so, what are they?
Our networks are all 24-hour news operations, which is very unique in local news. We are always prepared for the unforeseen. Our coverage and reporting on politics won’t stop when election night ends, or when the votes are counted. We will continue to add context, offer objective analysis, and illuminate the issues, races and candidates that matter to the local communities we serve. Our audience relies on our reporting 24/7, 365 days a year.
