How are the Aussie TV networks covering the presidential election?
This Wednesday is a gift for Australian broadcasters: An entire day of US election day madness.
You just know Donald Trump will drop a dozen quotable quotes, that Joe Biden will drop his glasses-case off a lectern somewhere, and Kamala Harris will eye-roll the whole time. And, Barack Obama will probably sing.
Hell, Trump will definitely dance. But who will win the TV ratings battle in Australia? Who will offer the best coverage of the entire mess?
ABC
The ABC will deliver the “most extensive and engaging multi-platform US election day coverage”, starting at 5am with an extended ABC News Breakfast with Michael Rowland reporting live from Washington DC.
From 10am, Jeremy Fernandez, Bridget Brennan, Casey Briggs and Julia Baird taking over and bring rolling updates from the ABC Election Centre, with live reporting from ABC North America correspondents Jade Macmillan, Barbara Miller, and Carrington Clarke, plus former BBC correspondent Nick Bryant, former NBC correspondent and News Breakfast regular Sara James, and leading political scientist Simon Jackman.
David Speers will be joined in Washington DC by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Ambassador to the US, Arthur Sinodinos, and former deputy chief of staff to Trump, Emma Doyle.
Isabella Higgins and Elias Clure will be live from crucial battleground states Arizona and Michigan, while global affairs editor John Lyons will be in Washington DC to “give international reactions and perspective”. In addition, Planet America hosts John Barron and Chas Licciardello, Leigh Sales, and Lisa Millar will be provide insight and commentary.
David Speers
A 7PM USA Votes special, hosted by Sarah Ferguson and David Speers, will wrap the day’s key events from Washington DC, while the ABC News Channel continues special coverage with Girish Sawlani and Lorna Dunkley, plus former ABC North America correspondent Conor Duffy.
TEN
Network 10 will be broadcasting “extensive coverage” from 10am on Wednesday, with Hugh Riminton, national affairs editor, and The Project’s Waleed Aly reporting live from Washington, while US correspondent Katherine Firkin will follow the Trump campaign in Florida.
Waleed Aly
NINE
Nine is promising “the most comprehensive coverage of the US election, as it unfolds in real time”, starting from 10am on both Channel 9 and 9Now.
An extended edition of Today will offer “a front-row seat to this crucial race” with hosts and analysts: Karl Stefanovic, Liz Hayes, Charles Croucher and US political analyst Laura Schwartz, reporting live from Washington, DC.
Charles Croucher will offer deep insights and accessible analysis, while US correspondents Jonathan Kearsley, Alison Piotrowski and Lauren Tomasi, along with 60 Minutes correspondent Amelia Adams, will “report directly from key battleground states, giving audiences the latest, on-the-ground updates.”
Karl Stefanovic
Channel 9 also has a partnership with CNN giving “access to developments from both Democrat and Republican headquarters”.
SKY NEWS
For those who prefer to pay a subscription fee for their Stefanovic analysis, Sky News Australia is promising “unrivalled Australian coverage of every historic moment,” with live rolling coverage all day, Wednesday November 6.
Prior to the big day, Paul Murray Live will be broadcasting live from Dallas and Washington DC throughout the entire week, while James Morrow will be co-hosting Outsiders from the Mexican-US border, and present his weekly program The US Report from on location.
On election day, chief news anchor Kieran Gilbert will lead Sky’s ‘America Decides’ coverage, joined during the day by political editor Andrew Clennell, political contributor Chris Uhlmann, Chris Kenny, Andrew Bolt, Rita Panahi, and Ashleigh Gillon, while Danica De Giorgio will kick off the coverage with First Edition: America Decides.
Sky News Washington Correspondent Annelise Nielsen will be live from Washington DC, joined for analysis on the night by Paul Murray. First Edition Anchor Peter Stefanovic will report live from Trump headquarters in West Palm Beach, while AM Agenda Anchor Laura Jayes will bring updates from Harris headquarters.
James Morrow will be in the key swing state North Carolina, and from New York Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood will deliver the latest US and global market updates and reactions.
On top of this, contributions will be made by former Australian Ambassador to the United States Joe Hockey; former deputy press secretary to Bill Clinton, Jim Kennedy; Trump’s former White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and former press secretary, Sean Spicer; The Australian’s Greg Sheridan; and Sky News US analyst, Michael Ware.
Coverage will also be carried live on Sky News Regional and FAST channel Sky News Now which is available on Samsung TV Plus and LG Channels.
Janice Petersen
SBS
An SBS World News special hosted by Janice Petersen will start at 10.30am on the day, featuring election coverage from SBS’s American partner, PBS News. Co-anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett present “live and continuous coverage from every jurisdiction” as polls close for the Presidential, Vice Presidential, House of Representatives and Senate elections.
SEVEN
Finally, 7NEWS will “deliver Australia’s most in-depth coverage of the US Presidential Election”, featuring up-to-the-minute polling results, and “informed commentary and analysis from an unrivalled team of journalists and political experts live on air, on 7plus and across 7NEWS.com.au and social platforms.”
Seven’s all-day live coverage begins with a special edition of Sunrise from 5.30am, then Michael Usher and Angela Cox, alongside Natalie Barr in the US, will steer 7NEWS rolling coverage from 11.30am AEDT.
They’ll cross to David Woiwod and 7NEWS US correspondents Tim Lester and Mylee Hogan in key battleground states across America, while 7NEWS Foreign Editor Hugh Whitfeld will be joined by special guests in the studio, “as they unpack results in real-time and explain what it all means for Australia.”
Seven’s coverage will also be bolstered by the “exclusive resources” its of global broadcast news affiliates CNN and NBC.
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Why are The Australian media so interested in what happens in the USA? Tell us who won that is all we need to know! How about making more Australian content, documentaries, TV shows, drama, rom-com’s and content people want to watch rather than the endless US politics. Nothing to see here folks.