TV Networks Prepared for a Long Wait That Didnt Come

In the run-up to election night, and throughout the early hours of their broadcasts, television news anchors urged viewers to settle in for a long wait.Leading polls showed a dead heat.Ballots are often counted slowly.

Correspondents joked about sleeping in their studios.“It’s a tight race, it’s a tight race, it’s a tight race,” Rachel Maddow said on MSNBC at 9:46 p.m.Eastern on Tuesday.

About 40 minutes later, Bret Baier cautioned his Fox News viewers that “we’re not there yet,” pledging that the network would “wait and see.”But as midnight approached on the East Coast, the daylight between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J.Trump was growing.

And in swing state after swing state, the advantage was moving in the same direction: Trumpward.“This does feel more like 2016 than 2020,” Chris Wallace said on CNN, signaling that the four-day wait that preceded President Biden being declared the winner was unlikely to be repeated.Shortly before 2:30 a.m., every network switched to a live feed from Florida: a speech from Mr.Trump declaring victory.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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