How the networks covered Ian’s destruction Sept. 28

Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Florida dominated the headlines on U.S. networks, with all but one “big three” anchor dispatched the region but all networks offering extended on-the-ground coverage.

CBS and NBC both sent Norah O’Donnell and Lester Holt, respectively, to Florida, with Holt in Bradenton, Florida, and O’Donnell in Tampa, Florida. It appears both anchors had been there much of the day Sept. 28, 2022, appearing throughout the day on various platforms run by their respective networks.

Only ABC’s David Muir stayed put in New York, anchor from the normal home in Studio TV3 — though the network still had correspondents in multiple locations throughout the region.

Telemundo and Univision, which both have primary studios in the Miami area, which avoided taking a direct hit from the storm, also covered the storm extensively.

Telemundo anchored from the region under the banner “La furia de Ian,” which translates to “Ian’s Fury.” 

Telemundo had a particularly dramatic look surrounding this name, also using the year “2022” as a prominent graphical element on-screen. There was also an extended stinger that showcased multiple words illustrating the impact of the storm plus a search-style box with this year’s list of hurricane names and a brief graphic simulating weather conditions, though it wasn’t clear if they were realtime or just illustrative.

Univision stuck with the more simple name of “Huracán Ian” (Hurricane Ian).

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