From Our Neighbors to the North

Obama fills TV screens Tuesday
Blanket coverage of swearing-in events planned

Maria Kubacki, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, January 18, 2009

With the much-anticipated U.S. presidential inauguration promising star-studded extravaganzas and a chance to witness history in the making, television networks will be competing to offer viewers a front-row seat to the swearing-in of Barack Obama on Tuesday.

On this side of the border, Global, CBC and CTV will be on the scene providing context and insight into what it all means for Canadians:

n Global National anchor Kevin Newman will report live from Washington from today through Jan. 21, along with Global's Washington bureau chief Eric Sorensen, and correspondents Paul Johnson and Mike Armstrong. The Global team will file daily reports of the main event and inauguration-related happenings.

Global coverage will include a two-hour live Global News special airing Tuesday at 8 a.m. directly before the inauguration, which begins at 8:30 a.m. Hosted by Newman, a former ABC News anchor, the special will feature former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Derek Burney, political expert Melissa Hausman and president of the Ontario Black History Society, Rosemary Sadlier.

n CBC and CBC Newsworld will air live coverage of the inauguration from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with The National host Peter Mansbridge anchoring the festivities from the Canadian Embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue. At 11 a.m., there will be live coverage of the inauguration parade. A two-hour inauguration highlights show will air with Harry Forestell at 7 p.m.

n CTV News anchor Lloyd Robertson will host a CTV News Special Report live from the Canadian Embassy in Washington starting at 7 a.m., with special guests including former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Frank McKenna; Avis Jones-DeWeever of the National Council of Negro Women and Eleanor Clift, Newsweek magazine's former White House correspondent. (The special will be simulcast on CTV Newsnet.)

Also on CTV, Canada AM co-host Beverly Thomson will be in Washington from Monday to Wednesday with guests including legendary White House press corps. veteran Helen Thomas and former U.S. ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin.

U.S. networks are pulling out all the stops to provide wall-to-wall coverage. Highlights include:

n On Tuesday, the networks will have coverage starting at 7 a.m. with anchor platforms set up around the National Mall in Washington. One of the highlights of the morning will be at 10:30 a.m. ET when the Obamas go to the White House for the traditional tea and then take the motorcade to Capitol Hill for the swearing-in ceremony at 11:30 a.m. ET.

n CNN coverage of Inauguration Day will include Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper anchoring throughout the day. A two-hour live special with Campbell Brown begins at 4 p.m. and a special Larry King Live will air at 9 p.m. Cooper will be back at 10 p.m.

© The Victoria Times Colonist 2009