CBS, ABC and NBC have announced their official plans for covering the funeral of former president Gerald R. Ford who died this week at his home in California at the age of 93.
On CBS, Katie Couric will anchor "Gerald Ford: Death of a President" and the special news coverage will include the ceremonies surrounding the state funeral beginning on Friday December 29. Couric will also anchor on December 30th and January 2nd.
Live coverage planned includes footage of the family heading to the private ceremony, Ford's coffin arriving at the church, the arrival of Ford's body in Washington D.C., the service at the National Cathedral and ceremonies in Michigan. The coverage will also include analysis from CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer and reports from correspondents in California and Michigan.
Beginning on Friday, December 29th, ABC will broadcast comprehensive live coverage of the former presidents funeral including ceremonies in California, Washington D.C. and Michigan. Charlie Gibson will anchor the coverage during the weekend of the funeral and the following week. He will be aided by other ABC journalists, analysts and consultants including Barbara Walters, John Cochran, George Stephanopoulos, Ford biographer Richard Norton Smith, among others.
In addition, Gibson will anchor World News from Washington D.C. beginning January 2nd, and Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts and Chris Cuomo will anchor a special edition of Good Morning America.
NBC will begin their coverage of the events on December 30th with Brian Williams anchoring NBC News live from the State Funeral Ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda in D.C. and he will be joined by NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert and special correspondent Tom Brokaw. The network will also cover the January 2nd services at the National Cathedral and, on that day, Williams will be joined once again by Russert and Brokaw--and by Campbell Brown who will report live from the Cathedral.
The Tuesday Today show will be a split edition with Matt Lauer live in D.C. and Meredith Vieira in New York, and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will also originate from D.C.
