Networks Already Preparing for 9/11 Anniversary

Television is already planning for the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and it is safe to expect that there will be plenty of coverage.

ABC News, re-creating somewhat its successful 24 hours of millennium coverage, said Tuesday it will air a full day of Sept. 11 commemorative programming, starting with “Good Morning America” and going through midnight with “Nightline,” with breaks only for local news.

Other networks aren’t as far along in their preparations, although NBC News is planning to air an extended special in prime time, on Sept. 10, as well as coverage throughout the day of Sept. 11.

There will be special programming on entertainment cable networks too, including student films on the event that will be seen on Showtime.

“We knew that there will be a certain number of events to commemorate, so we decided to try to do the whole day, because it deserves it and because we can do a good job,” said Paul Friedman, executive vice president at ABC News.

Anchor Peter Jennings will moderate “Answering Children’s Questions,” a follow-up town hall meeting to the similar special he hosted on Sept. 15, 2001, the Saturday following the attacks. Many of the same children and panelists are expected to participate, and Jennings will look at how their questions and concerns have changed over the year.

In prime time, ABC is planning a minute-by-minute reconstruction of what happened before and during the attacks in New York and Washington. Friedman said there are also “a lot of really, really interesting stories about people, how they’ve survived and how they’re handling it.”

The ABC programming will include commercials--something ABC didn’t have in the days following the attack.