Katrina Anniversary Coverage

Katrina anniversary TV coverage kicks into high gear

By Dave WalkerTV columnist
Katie's already been here and Brian and Anderson are on their way, so you know the K+Y2 anniversary is knocking.
Following is a selected overview of planned network coverage of the Gulf Coast's recovery, such as it is, two years after It. (Local news-providing broadcasters have plans of their own, to be detailed in Living later this week.)
What follows are the tentative and subject-to-change network plans, as supplied by network publicity departments to varying degrees of detail.
ABC The network's branded coverage -- slogan: "Katrina: Where Things Stand" -- begins at 7 a.m. today (Sunday) on WGNO-Channel 26 with a "Good Morning America" report by correspondent Jim Avila on the state of mental health in New Orleans. The coverage continues at 10:30 a.m. in the "Voices" segment on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," which will feature Pass Christian, Miss., native Robin Roberts discussing her involvement with the Pink Hearts Fund, an organization founded by a survivor of both breast cancer and Katrina who has helped other similar survivors. At 5:30 p.m., "World News" Sunday anchor Dan Harris will report on Lower 9th Ward residents struggling to rebuild, and Avila will report on the St. Rita's nursing home trial.
On Tuesday's "Good Morning America," Avila will examine the Road Home mess. On Wednesday's "GMA," Diane Sawyer and Roberts will co-anchor the show's anniversary coverage.
Also Wednesday, "World News with Charles Gibson" (5:30 p.m.) and/or its Webcast will feature reports from Steve Osunsami (violent crime in the city) and Avila (levees). Later, on "Nightline" (delayed a half-hour to 11:05 p.m. due to extended local news on WGNO), Harris reports on coastal erosion.
CBS Tonight at 6 on WWL-Channel 4, "60 Minutes" repeats Morley Safer's story about Dr. Anna Pou's prosecution. The "CBS Evening News" (5:30 p.m. weekdays) plans a Katrina anniversary series to run throughout the week, for which anchor Katie Couric visited New Orleans last week. Two stories by Harry Smith, tentatively scheduled to run Thursday and Friday on "The Early Show" (7 a.m., WUPL-Channel 54) examine recovery obstacles and rebuilding volunteerism.
"48 Hours Mystery" has been in town working on two episodes -- one apparently about the murders of Dinerral Shavers and Helen Hill, the other about the St. Rita's case. Airdates for both are not set.
CNN "Children of the Storm," the result of a yearlong project overseen by Soledad O'Brien and filmmaker Spike Lee, airs at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Eleven local teenagers were outfitted with video gear to tell their own recovery stories for the program, which repeats at the same time Saturday and Sept. 2.
With its title star reporting live from New Orleans, a special edition of "Anderson Cooper 360" titled "Katrina, Two Years Later: Keeping Them Honest" will air at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Fox News Channel Reporters Jeff Golblatt and Kris Gutierrez will file live updates from New Orleans throughout the day Wednesday for Fox's regularly scheduled news programming. Story topics are expected to include recovery progress, relief funding allocation and levee repair. During "Studio B with Shepard Smith" (2 p.m.) and "The Fox Report with Shepard Smith" (6 p.m.), Trace Gallagher will report on New Orleans recovery challenges. Also on Fox, Marianne Silber will look at "voluntourism" in Mississippi.
HBO All 270 minutes of Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" will rerun at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
NBC At 9 tonight, the cable network CNBC premieres "Against the Tide: The Battle for New Orleans," a documentary analyzing the New Orleans business community's recovery. It repeats at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Tuesday, Brian Williams will anchor the "NBC Nightly News" from Waveland, Miss. Wednesday, he's here -- for the 14th time. Also on the story: NBC New Orleans Bureau correspondent Martin Savidge.
The Weather ChannelAt 4 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 1) on "Forecast Earth: This Week," host Heidi Cullen will revisit New Orleans to take stock of recovery efforts.
Public radio A special edition of "American Routes" -- titled "After the Storm IX: Recovery Routes" -- airs at 6 p.m. today on WWNO FM-89.9. Profiled artists include Irma Thomas, James Andrews, members of the Rebirth Brass Band and Lionel Ferbos.
At 8 tonight, WWNO will air "Routes to Recovery," a documentary by American RadioWorks, a segment for which will examine the recovery role of the city's vernacular culture, including brass bands and Mardi Gras Indians.
The week's Katrina slate for NPR News, carried by WWNO, is full. Stories will air on most of the network's news programs (and reviewable after the fact, as always, at www.npr.org).
Expected coverage highlights: On Monday's "All Things Considered" (4 p.m.), Wade Goodwyn reports on the nearly 100,000 Katrina evacuees still in Houston. On Wednesday's "Morning Edition" (5 a.m.), Pam Fessler tracks recovery dollars. Thursday, "Morning Edition" profiles Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas. On Friday's "All Things Considered," Ari Shapiro looks at New Orleans' criminal justice system, and Noah Adams profiles Eddie Bo.
TV columnist Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune