CINCINNATI– In its commitment to deliver more political coverage in the weeks leading up to Election Day, The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) is debuting a new weekend program called, “The Race.” The show will air in the majority of Scripps television markets beginning Sept. 11.
Mike Sacks, political correspondent based at the Scripps News Washington Bureau, will host the 30-minute recorded show. Corey Rangel will serve as the show’s political producer. “The Race” will feature interviews with political experts and politicians talking about the biggest topics gripping the nation. Viewers will get an in-depth look at the race for the White House with information that could help determine which candidate gets their vote.
The 2016 presidential election is unlike any we’ve seen in our lifetime,” said Sean McLaughlin, vice president of news for Scripps. “Voters have an insatiable appetite for information on the candidates, and we see this final stretch as a prime opportunity to deliver accurate and unbiased political coverage that delves beyond talking points and rhetoric. We are well-positioned with Mike Sacks in D.C. and stations in key swing states to reach audiences that will have a critical impact on who is elected as the next president.”
Before joining Scripps earlier this year, Sacks covered Congress for the National Law Journal/Legal Times. Prior to that he was one of the founding hosts of HuffPost Live and covered the Supreme Court for The Huffington Post. Sacks is a graduate of Duke University and Georgetown Law and is a member of the D.C. and Pennsylvania bars.
Scripps has an impressive footprint in key battleground states. There are eight Scripps stations in the pivotal states of Florida, Ohio, Nevada and Arizona. Political attention is high in these states and Scripps intends to maximize political advertising opportunities as well as be the market leader for political coverage.
The following Scripps stations will air “The Race” at varying weekend times:
WTVF – Nashville – Noon Saturday
KNXV – Phoenix – 11 p.m. Sunday
WFTS – Tampa – 10 a.m. Sunday
WEWS – Cleveland – 5:30 a.m. Sunday
KSHB – Kansas City – 4:30 a.m. Sunday
WXYZ – Detroit – 11:30 a.m. Sunday
KGUN – Tucson – 10:35-11:05 p.m. Sunday
WMAR – Baltimore – 12:35-1:05 a.m. Monday
WKBW – Buffalo – 7:30 a.m. Sunday
WTMJ – Milwaukee – 5 a.m. Sunday
WGBA – Green Bay – 9 a.m. Sunday
WRTV – Indianapolis – 2:30 p.m. Sunday
WCPO – Cincinnati – 11:30 a.m. Sunday
KTNV – Las Vegas – Between 2-4 p.m./Sunday 4-5 p.m.
KGTV – San Diego – 10:30 a.m. Sunday
WPTV – West Palm – 10:30 a.m. Sunday
KERO – Bakersfield – 4 p.m. Sunday
KJRH – Tulsa – 1:30-2 a.m. Sunday
KMTV – Omaha – 6 a.m. Sunday
WFTX – Fort Myers – 11 p.m. Sunday
“The Race” will include contributions from several Scripps media brands including stations WFTS in Tampa and WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida; Newsy, the over-the-top video news service; Decode DC, the political podcast and reporting service; and Politifact, the fact-checking resource from the Tampa Bay Times. The Now national desk, which is based at KMGH in Denver and reports on national stories for multiple Scripps markets, will produce the show and distribute it to other Scripps stations.