Election-hungry viewers have many options

Local network affiliates, unable or unwilling to give up their popular prime-time lineups to broadcast Tuesday night's primary campaign returns, have found other avenues such as cable and public television to satisfy the more politically inclined.

For those who can't wait until the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts to find out which candidates won their primaries, KLAS-TV Channel 8 (CBS) and KVBC-TV Channel 3 (NBC) are offering extended early coverage via alternative avenues.

KLAS is teaming with the Sun and Las Vegas 1, the city's only 24-hour cable news network, to provide coverage and analysis from when the polls close at 7 p.m. until about 11:30 p.m., when the last of the votes are expected to be counted.

Subscribers to Prime Cable can view the coverage until 10 p.m. on channels 1 and 39. After that, coverage will be simulcast on channels 1, 8 and 39.

"Cable allows stations a chance to expand programming and satisfy both groups of viewers -- those who want only the (brief) updates (on the network affiliates) and those who want the expanded coverage to satisfy a hungrier political appetite," said Channel 8's Tracy Bower, elections producer.

Among those featured on the Las Vegas 1/Channel 8 broadcast will be Sun Executive Editor Mike O'Callaghan, a former two-term Nevada governor, with in-depth commentary; Sun columnist Jeff German, with special analysis; and Sun editorial cartoonist Mike Smith, with imaginative illustrations.

"This is the first of many opportunities Las Vegas 1 will have to unite with its partners to take in-depth news coverage on important local issues to a new, higher level," said Bob Stoldal, Las Vegas 1 general manager.

KVBC is joining forces with KLVX-TV Channel 10 (PBS) to provide coverage on Channel 10 from 8 to 10 p.m., in addition to its own 11 p.m. newscast.

"Channel 10 has a commitment to serve the citizens of our community by providing in-depth, accessible information about the most important issues of the campaign," KLVX General Manager Tom Axtell said. "Our collaboration with Channel 3, a primary news source for many of our viewers, is a ... strong statement to support this mission."

KTNV-TV Channel 13 (ABC) will provide 30-second cut-ins from 7 to 11 p.m. as well as "squeezebacks," a process during which the network feed is reduced to a slightly smaller screen while results are printed at the bottom of the frame.

Channel 13 Managing Editor Fred DeSousa said the station plans to run squeezebacks every 15 minutes with full coverage during the 11 p.m. regular newscast.

The other network affiliates say they, too, will utilize squeezebacks or "crawlers" -- words running across the bottom of the screen.

KVVU-TV Channel 5 (Fox), covering its first election ever, will have full coverage of the results from 10 to 11 p.m.

"We will keep it fairly simple," said News Director Gwen Castaldi, a longtime local newswoman who has in her department's brief history offered a no-nonsense approach to newscasts.

"The other stations snatched up the political observers, so we will steer clear of analysis. But we will offer interesting packages. We won't be like everyone else."

All of the stations say they will have crews at four to six key campaign headquarters around the valley for live reactions from the candidates.

Viewers who want to watch the returns without commentary from analysts or reporters can turn off their TV screens and turn on their computer screens. The Sun's website, lasvegassun.com, will have the most immediate results posted as the returns come in.

The Sun website will feature Clark County totals and statewide returns, including county-by-county breakdowns of pertinent contests.

The Wednesday editions of the Sun will feature extensive coverage including complete election results, stories and photos.

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