Hurricane Sandy

Same here, elmarko. We first had access to CNN in the mid-90s and we used to watch it regularly as a source of American and world news. But I can't watch it anymore. The camera work is wobbly, the promos are needlessly berserk and many of the presenters are way over the top. I also can't stand all this "i-reporter" business and the fixation with Twitter; the other night Quest and Gorani were actually competing as to who got in the last plug for their Twitter page. Pathetic.

Brekkie said earlier that watching CNN makes him thankful for British television news. Never a truer word said. We've miles to go before we reach American levels of hysteria; let's hope we never get there.

100% seconded. It was required viewing during Gulf War 1, and the fall of the Iron Curtain.

It's best forgotten now, a total waste of electricity.

The sad thing is - for Americans themselves, what is the alternative? The Fox News Channel is, well . . . we all know what it is. And MSNBC, great as it is, is mainly politics. At the height of the storm the other night, the Rachel Maddow Show was concentrating on the impact on the Presidential Elections.

CNN really is the only balanced domestic rolling news network in the US. Maybe they need some proper competition to buck their ideas up.

PBS news channel would be good.

Would probably be accused of "left wing bias" though

I said that yesterday. It's just such an awful idea I don't know which idiot thought it was good and why they continue to use it. Fools.

CBS News' Chip Reid got taken out and knocked over by a huge tidal wave, taking his OB off the air on 'This Morning'

They have some proper competition - that's why it's audience figures have dwindled over the last few years. CNN also have HLN, but that's left it's original remit and gone the same way as the others.

From what I've seen/heard about CNN US they've fallen into the trap of relying on gimmicks to try and get an audience, not a new thing of course people will remember 4 years ago they tried out a holographic reporter for the election.

Sky News have a special programme "The Story of the Storm" tonight at 20:30, with reports from correspondents in America.

Mark Austin managed to get out there for the ITV News at 6.30, probably into Boston and drove down.

CNBC have been promoting a benefit concert today to air across the NBC networks... Don't know if any broadcasters are planning to show it here... CNBC say they are showing it at 7pm Eastern (US) time but it doesn't appear to be listed in their Sky EPG....

It's on CNBC now

It's just started live on CNBC at midnight (8pm in New York). Matt Lauer presenting incidentally.