September 9, 2022

How the U.S. broadcast networks covered Queen Elizabeth’s death Sept. 8

The major U.S. networks all offered extended coverage the evening of Sept. 8, 2022, after the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

U.S. morning newscasts continue extended coverage of Queen Elizabeth II

‘ABC World News Tonight’

“ABC World News Tonight” notably used its typically lengthy tease headline to include previews of other news of the day, unlike CBS and NBC.

‘CBS Evening News’

Like NBC, “CBS Evening News” devoted its entire headline tease segment to the death of Elizabeth II. Although its open remained the same, the look first used during its special report on the queen’s death earlier in the day was used in packages.

U.S. networks interrupt coverage for news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death

‘NBC Nightly News’

“NBC Nightly News” had an extended intro from anchor Lester Holt that showcased multiple historic photos of the queen using Studio 1A’s multiple video walls in both standup and “video on video” shots. At times, the secondary video wall tucked behind the small anchor desk Holt typically moves to after the top story showed the “Remember Queen Elizabeth II” graphic that MSNBC started using earlier in the day, which itself is similar to the one used when Prince Philip died in 2021.

‘PBS NewsHour’

‘Noticias Telemundo’

Spanish-language Telemundo used a unique look that included an extended animation of Buckingham Palace with the headline “Reina Isabel,” the Spanish translation of the queen’s name. Anchor Julio Vaqueiro was out Sept. 8 with Arantxa Loizaga filling in for him. She was seated in front of the network’s large video will with a blue-tinted graphic similar to the open. Later in the broadcast, she would move over to the smaller, touchscreen panel to present a timeline of what is to come.

In its design, “Reina” used a wide, elegant serif while “Isabel” was in a script typeface. The network inserted a horizontal version of the design in a bar running across the bottom of the screen.

‘Noticiero Univisión’ and ‘Noticiero Univision: Edición Nocturna’

Univision’s early evening network newscast featured co-anchor Ilia Calderón solo anchoring live from London (Londres, Inglaterra). For the later broadcaster, Patricia Janiot and Leon Krauze anchored from Florida, with the network using distinct video wall backgrounds featured a muted image of Buckingham palace in a teal tone, ray of light effects and a serif rendition of the queen’s name. Other options included graphics in the broadcast’s standard condensed sans serif.

Both broadcasts featured a matching bar running along the bottom of the screen with a curve on the left that integrated with the broadcast’s standard tulip-inspired lower thirds.