Networks to Reassess Convention Coverage for 1992

All three networks plan to rethink their convention coverage in 1992--and the great Republican roll call of 1988 may be a deciding factor.

“If ever an event will cause us to think about how we cover conventions, it was that roll call Wednesday night,” Jeff Gralnick, executive producer of ABC’s convention coverage, said in one of three telephone interviews with network executives in New Orleans.

“The roll call was a sham. They decided they wanted to use all those state delegations to make speeches. There was no reason to have that roll call. There was only one candidate whose name was placed in nomination.

“We had one hour of political message forced down our throats to get to the actual moment of historical fact that needed to be recorded live--George Bush actually getting the nomination.”

Gralnick said that while it is almost four years too early to predict what coverage will be like for the next set of presidential conventions, “when 1992 rolls around, it’s going to be one of those things that will always be remembered and will go into the thinking of how conventions will be covered in the future.”

Lane Venardos, executive producer of the CBS convention coverage, agreed.

“It was excruciatingly boring,” Venardos said. “Serious discussion and consideration of what happens in 1992 won’t take place for some time. I thought we put on a program with a lot of energy and life, but not because of what was happening on the podium.

“Rational, reasoned thought about what should go into covering conventions comes to a screeching halt when you have a night like Wednesday night.”

Lloyd Segal, senior producer for NBC News’ election year coverage, was more tolerant of the roll call, but he also had questions about 1992 coverage.

“The conventions are less and less a decision-making operation,” Segal said. “Primaries have become increasingly important.

“If the trend continues and the importance of the conventions further diminishes--well, I’m not saying we won’t cover them again or that there is not news there, but we will have to make our judgment in four years on what we think the relative value of the story is and the resources we have on hand.”