Unlike broadcasters, cable TV networks eagerly await political conventions

By David Bauder, Associated Press, 07/15/00

NEW YORK -- After viewing a report on the reluctance of broadcast networks to pre-empt prime-time entertainment for the national political conventions, CNN's Bernard Shaw let it be known that things were different on cable.

CNN, he said, "will cover the Republican and Democratic conventions until the lights burn out."

Whether that's a promise or threat will be better known in a month. Cable news networks are planning exhaustive coverage, because the same economic factors that punish ABC, CBS and NBC for covering politics reward the cable stations for every hour on the air.

CNN vows to spend nearly 100 hours on each gathering, nearly a third more time than in 1996. Fox News Channel will devote about 10 hours a day to its first conventions. MSNBC, in its infancy in 1996, also promises to increase the volume.

Republicans are meeting in Philadelphia from July 31 to Aug. 3. Democrats gather in Los Angeles from Aug. 14-17.

"If you're really interested in the political process, you're not going to get enough from the broadcast networks," said Rick Kaplan, CNN USA president. "In fact, the broadcast networks themselves will be watching CNN when they're not on the air."

With the nominations of Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Democrat Vice President Al Gore a certainty, the broadcast networks are expected to devote an hour or two a night to the conventions -- and maybe less. ABC has consigned opening night coverage for both conventions to halftime of exhibition football games.

The broadcast networks can get more viewers and advertising revenue by showing "Survivor" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

"The more news that they have that forces them to pre-empt their entertainment, the more money they lose," Kaplan said. "With us, the more news we have, the better things are for us."

CNN, whose ratings are down dramatically in a slow news year, has learned that the hard way. The network recently slipped behind CNBC in viewership for the first time.

Conventions offer hope: in 1996, CNN's viewership increased by about 10 percent above the day-to-day average during the gatherings, more in prime-time. Key political nights this year also saw a viewership bump. More than 1 million households tuned in to watch the Super Tuesday primary results in March, double CNN's prime-time average of 513,000 households this year.

CNN will charge roughly 20 percent more for advertisements during the conventions, said Larry Goodman, the network's vice president of sales. Advertisers believe it's a good opportunity to reach an affluent and educated audience, he said.

With worries that the nightly convention sessions will be programmed to look like infomercials, the networks say they will frequently break away from the podium. The convention will be a platform for in-depth stories on where the candidates stand, who's financing their campaigns and how the parties define themselves, Kaplan said.

Fox News Channel, aggressively competing with CNN to be the destination channel for political junkies, also expects more viewers, said Marty Ryan, executive producer of its political coverage.

"It's an opportunity for us with the broadcast networks not doing as much as they used to," Ryan said.

MSNBC was basically happy to be on the air four years ago. This year's coverage, with the full resources of NBC News, will be more focused and extensive, said Steve Capus, executive producer of the network's political coverage.

"NBC has to make the same kind of commitment they've always made, the only question is what platform it will be on," he said. "The cable and Internet platforms are naturally more appropriate for extended coverage. On the broadcast network, you pick and choose your spots."

Because of the cable networks, the conventions should actually see more airtime than any others. Critics say, however, that with much of the time consigned to niche networks, casual viewers will have less of an opportunity to learn about the candidates.

Marc Burstein, executive producer of ABC's political coverage, said his network makes its coverage decisions independently from what's happening on cable. But, he said, "you can never discount the fact that all of the broadcast networks are aware that there are many more outlets than there were in previous cycles."