DALLAS: Belo today said its TV stations provided free airtime to 151 congressional and gubernatorial candidates across the U.S. during the 2010 election season. The stations ran a program for candidates called, “It’s Your Time.” The Belo group ran an additional 162 hours of political coverage over 15 news-production TV station during the seven weeks leading up to the November election.
Belo said that from Sept. 19 to Nov. 1, its stations aired an average of 72 local and national election-related stories each week. The coverage included 14 debates. Belo stations rebroadcast an average of 144 stories weekly on the company’s six regional and local cable news channels. Belo also streamed and archived election-related stories and the debates on its 20 station Web sites through Election Day.
Other highlights included:
- A one-hour gubernatorial debate aired on KGW-TV, Belo’s NBC station in Portland, between incumbent Oregon Democrat Governor John Kitzhaber and Republican Chris Dudley;
- A one-hour Arizona U.S. Senate debate aired by KTVK, Belo’s independent station in Phoenix, between incumbent Republican John McCain and challengers Democrat Rodney Glassman, Libertarian David Nolan, and Green Party candidate Jerry Joslyn;
- A one-hour gubernatorial debate hosted by KTVB, Belo’s NBC station in Boise, between incumbent Idaho Republican Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter and challengers Democrat Keith Allred and Independent Jana Kemp; and
- A one-hour Kentucky U.S. Senate debate aired on WHAS-TV, Belo’s ABC station in Louisville, between Republican Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway.
Belo said several of its stations extended political coverage to multimedia platforms through Webcasts, mobile media and interactive polls. KGW was said to have broken “new ground “ with live coverage on multiple-media platforms. The station deployed 14 crews across Oregon and Washington, airing unique election coverage on its primary channel, its digital subchannels, its Web site and mobile applications.
“The political coverage our stations provide our local communities creates a more informed electorate and enhances dialogue with the voting public,” said Dunia A. Shive, Belo’s president and CEO. “Belo is pleased to give candidates a platform to air their positions on important issues through the ‘It’s Your Time’ program.”
-- Television Broadcast
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