Democratic National Convention Monday, August 17 – Thursday, August 20 9pm-11pm.
WATCH WGCU TV over the air at 30.1, Comcast channels 3 & 440. Check https://www.wgcu.org/tvschedules/ to access WGCU through other providers. Special coverage begins with PBS NewsHour starting at 8pm.
LISTEN NPR on WGCU FM (90.1 FM Fort Myers/Naples, 91.7 FM Marco Island) or through news.wgcu.org.
READ Uncertainty. It may be the best word to describe everything right now, from the best way to educate children to when it’s safe to travel and for some people, how they’ll get by without a job or unemployment assistance.
And smack in the middle of all these pandemic questions comes the Democratic National Convention, which begins Monday, Aug. 17 at 9pm.
PBS NewsHour plans coverage, and WGCU TV will begin coverage at 8pm Monday through Thursday. Tune in to WGCU over the air at 30.1, Comcast channels 3 or 440, or check https://www.wgcu.org/tvschedules/ to access WGCU through other providers.
Judy Woodruff will anchor the Democratic Convention coverage for PBS NewsHour.
The shape of this convention has been uncertain for a while. Under the specter of Covid-19, convention organizers announced Aug. 5 that all of the event will take place virtually. According to NPR, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will remain in his home state of Delaware to accept the Democratic nomination, convention organizers said, citing “the worsening coronavirus pandemic.” Listen to NPR’s coverage on WGCU FM, 90.1 or 91.7.
Also according to NPR, citing the convention organizers’ statement: “Speakers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention will no longer travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to prevent risking the health of our host community as well as the convention’s production teams, security officials, community partners, media and others necessary to orchestrate the event.”
The decision was not entirely a surprise. In June, organizers told state delegations not to travel to Milwaukee and instead plan to conduct convention business remotely. The event will include a mixture of pre-recorded and live broadcasts from various locations across the country.
The Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, takes place the following week, Aug. 24-27. Much or all of that will be virtual as well.
What is not uncertain? PBS & NPR will cover it.
The conventions will be streaming on wgcu.org. The most up-to-date information about them will be available there as well.
See a convention promo for more.