A national news program is a television broadcast that covers current events in the United States and often around the world. Many of these programs feature a single anchor, while others have multiple anchors and co-anchors. These shows usually air on weeknights and sometimes on weekend mornings. They may cover topics as diverse as local and international politics, sports, weather, business news, and lifestyle events. They also frequently feature interviews with politicians and celebrities. In addition to traditional television broadcasts, a number of network and cable news channels now offer national news coverage.
The first regularly scheduled, nationally distributed network news program in the United States was the weekly news show See It Now on CBS. This program, which began in 1948, featured reports from journalists on both the east and west coasts of the country and was the first to be simulcast from coast to coast. It was anchored by Edward R. Murrow, who is credited with helping to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.
In the early days of television, local newscasts tended to be fairly simple and slow-paced, with stories that were not necessarily sensationalized. This was a necessity to attract a large enough audience to sell expensive advertising space on the broadcasts.
Today, national newscasts are much faster paced and often use video footage captured by journalists in the field. Electronic news gathering also allows for quick editing and a reduction in production costs, both of which have contributed to the rapid growth of network and cable news outlets.