Local Stations Grab the Story

Flagships overshadow network coverage despite loss of transmitters

By Noel Holston and Diane Werts | STAFF WRITER

September 12, 2001

The strikes on the World Trade Center knocked out the transmission towers of the major TV stations in New York City yesterday, leaving viewers who don't subscribe to cable few places to observe the mounting devastation. Cable subscribers, meanwhile, found themselves hunting for the familiar network news anchors and correspondents they traditionally turn to in times of national tragedy.

Continuing to function, in effect, as cable-only stations, New York's network flagships, WCBS/2, WNBC/4 and WABC/7, treated the attack as a local story. They relied on their own reporters and camera crews and rarely cut away to the network coverage that the rest of the nation was seeing.

As a result, cable viewers encountered an unusual manifestation of the broadcast networks' cable synergy. ABC News' coverage was cablecast on two of ABC/Disney's other TV properties, ESPN and ESPN2, both of which pre-empted regularly scheduled sports programming. Any cable subscriber who wanted Dan Rather and CBS News' perspective had to tune to CBS' fellow Viacom property, VH1, normally a music channel.

For non-cable subscribers, Long Island's public TV station WLIW/21 was a godsend. Its transmission tower didn't go down with the Twin Towers, and it pre-empted regular programs to beam a mix of WNBC/4's coverage and reports from the BBC World service.

Of the Big Three network anchors, only NBC's Tom Brokaw was prominently visible. He joined WNBC's anchors shortly after 10 a.m.

"This is the most serious attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor," declared Brokaw, author of best sellers about the World War II generation. "Two of our most conspicuous symbols of capitalism have been attacked."

Brokaw, CBS' Dan Rather and ABC's Peter Jennings, were on the air at 6:30 p.m. to anchor their respective network newscasts.

Video coverage of the attack began shortly after the first plane hit Tower One, so several stations had helicopters in the air, transmitting live video of the smoke and flames when the second jet slammed into Tower Two. For much of the morning and early afternoon, video dominated. Anchors and reporters were mostly heard, not seen, and they could barely contain their astonishment.

The pictures viewers were seeing, however, often had the eerie look of an apocalyptic sci-fi movie.

By 10 a.m., reporting was being augmented with theorizing. Harvey Kushner, a terrorism expert, appeared on at least three different channels before noon, beginning with WNBC.

Some news channels slapped thematic logos over their coverage almost immediately after the tragedy. CNN characterized it "America Under Attack" (as WWOR/9 did later). MSNBC's label was "Attack on America" (which WABC/7 later echoed), while Court TV used "Assault on America." Fox News only added its "Terrorism Hits America" logo after 1:30 p.m. Spanish-language Univision network called it "Bajo Ataque!" ("Under Attack!").

Home shopping channels quickly suspended their retail programming. Home Shopping Network posted explanatory cards similar to QVC's expressing "our heartfelt concern with this national tragedy." Food Network and HGTV also broadcast suspension graphics "due to the nature of today's tragic events."

Coverage turned up in other unexpected ways. CNBC went live from the New York Stock Exchange, reporting the closure of financial markets and the personal tragedies felt by Wall Street companies. Bloomberg TV also aired emergency numbers for finance firms. The Weather Channel covered the disaster's travel impact with news of canceled flights and airline contact numbers. Court TV's Fred Graham anchored interviews and commentary over video from NY1. CSPAN took viewer calls from Sherman, Texas, to Bullhead City, Ariz., scattering them amid coverage picked up from American local stations, Canada's CBC and Britain's BBC World Service radio.

Meanwhile, in what network TV executives were calling an unprecedented arrangement, each of the major networks gave the others permission yesterday to share their video of the World Trade Center disaster.

Except for a long-established sharing agreement between Fox, ABC and CBS, each of the networks zealously guards its footage under normal news conditions. But, a CBS News spokeswoman said yesterday, CBS News president Andrew Heyward initiated calls to other network presidents offering to share footage.

Staff writer Verne Gay contributed to this story.