Facilitating broadcast coverage on the frontlines of a high-stakes U.S. presidential election requires exceptional agility and flexibility. International television channels demand dependable solutions in multiple venues that place their correspondents at the heart of the election story. AP 360 boasts decades of experience covering elections, with key political contacts, second-to-none live reporting locations and lightning reactions to campaign developments – all essential components for successful event management during the lengthy U.S. election cycle.
The Associated Press (AP) has played a key role in covering U.S. elections for more than 170 years: counting votes, declaring winners, breaking down voter profiles and reporting on political races from the local to the national level. At AP 360, we have built on this unrivalled expertise to offer broadcasters front row access to elections in the United States. Our 18-month-long, complex planning process for each election cycle ensures we can provide solid and trusted broadcast coverage solutions before, during and after votes are cast on polling day.
We are the one-stop-shop for foreign broadcasters, news agencies, television networks and any other group with a stake in the U.S. electoral process.
Trusted solutions at the heart of the election story
Every four years, the United States provides high-stakes political drama, with presidential candidates facing off in caucuses, primaries and, eventually, on Election Day. In between, presidential and vice-presidential nominees take part in televised debates and their parties’ big national conventions, ahead of the traditional early November voting day.
At all these pivotal events – the rallies, the primaries, the conventions and the debates – AP 360 provides extensive broadcast facilities and key access opportunities. We have close ties with crucial contacts and organizations in the U.S, not to mention the presidential candidates’ campaigns themselves. As a result, we are often the first to know about campaign schedules and might even know the scoop before it’s made public.
Foreign broadcasters value coming under our umbrella during election season as we guarantee them privileged access to key events and to news and results as they break.
“Nobody covers U.S. elections like AP does. And when the presidential election cycle enters the final stretch, AP 360 truly comes into its own. TV networks that have worked with us for decades know they can trust us to be right in the middle of the action, be it at the respective campaign headquarters, or overlooking the White House in Washington D.C. A correspondent or a team of anchors who might travel from the other side of the world to cover the race for the presidency know that we will get them the best backdrop, a huge team to take care of them and, crucially, the AP election results and projections as soon as they come in.”
Susan Henderson,
Head of Broadcast Services for the Americas.
Agility when facing the unknown
Election season in the United States can be a marathon for broadcasters, full of the twists and turns that the news cycle – and even the weather – can provide.
With many variables over the course of an often-meandering campaign, flexibility remains key. It is critical for us at AP 360 to be responsive and be able to move swiftly. For example, our team navigated severe weather during a deployment to the U.S. state of Iowa for the Jan. 15, 2024, caucuses:
“A heavy snowstorm disrupted everyone’s travel plans, including our own. We had to depart for Iowa a day earlier than initially planned. After three cancelled flights, we ended up flying to Missouri and then driving eight hours in the middle of a blizzard so that we could make it to Des Moines in time to set up our broadcast operations there. Some news outlets gave up their efforts altogether and covered the caucuses from Washington D.C. or New York City. But AP 360 was there, supporting those journalists who did make the arduous trip.”
Nico Maounis,
Head of Special Events for the Americas.
But it’s not just the weather that can present challenges. In 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic wrought havoc on the electoral calendar and on broadcasters’ plans. The enforcement of social distancing regulations meant fewer broadcasters were allowed into election events. Thanks to our contacts, however, AP 360 managed to secure front-row access for correspondents at campaign events for both Republican candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden. And when reporters were unable to travel due to pandemic restrictions, we were able to provide our own AP reporters for custom live shots on location. In 2020, AP International Affiliate Reporter Philip Crowther was able to report on behalf of global broadcasters from pandemic-affected debates and political conventions held without crowds in the most exceptional election cycle we have ever covered.
Recent experience tells us that the election cycle might not end on Election Night, as was common in the past. In 2020, when mail-in and absentee ballots were counted for days after polling stations had closed, AP 360 quickly dispatched a team to Pennsylvania so that our affiliates could report live on the vote-counting, as well as on the protests that sprung up in Philadelphia. Our set-up in Biden’s home state of Delaware had been up and running for days before the president-to-be gave his victory speech.
Securing access to key locations and events
Post-pandemic, AP 360 can once again offer broadcasters who work with us full access to all key events thanks to our expert management of the arduous credentialing process. We take care of all arrangements to ensure media representatives working with us can navigate the many layers of security at debates, conventions and Election Night parties.
Domestically, the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee are overwhelmed with broadcast requirements of the U.S. media, so they rely on us to manage affairs on behalf of international TV stations. As a result, all entities we support get a seat at the table and can have coveted access when they need it.
Foreign broadcasters can benefit from our vast operational and political knowledge, extensive network of contacts and long-standing relationships with important U.S. stakeholders. American political parties naturally give precedence to domestic news outlets that provide coverage directly to the nation’s voters. However, the widespread recognition of The Associated Press across the United States opens doors for us, allowing AP 360 to provide access to election events to which others might not be privy.
We create a level playing field for international news outlets to ensure they benefit from live reporting positions that are akin to those used by domestic and local broadcasters. With AP 360, correspondents don’t broadcast from the sidewalk outside a debate, rally or election night party; they will be inside, able to interview attendees, feel the atmosphere and convey it to television viewers around the world.
Take as an example the big political conventions where presidential hopefuls are officially nominated as their parties’ candidates for the White House. Broadcasters will want a privileged view of the speeches and performances on stage – and AP 360 can provide those, thanks to months of preparation. Our producers travel to the venues several times ahead of the actual event for what are called ‘walk-throughs’. This is where we negotiate with the organizers so that correspondents who work with us get the best possible backdrop inside the arenas.
It is AP 360’s mission to ensure that the world’s TV stations are granted front row access to all proceedings, helping entities share their story far and wide.
“AP 360 is the essential partner for Antena 3 Noticias when covering U.S. presidential elections on behalf of our audiences in Spain and across Latin America. We especially value the team’s logistical muscle that helps facilitate our live reporting from key locations and gives us access to the right political players. Over the six election cycles I have personally covered, AP 360 has proved itself to be the strongest player in the market, thanks to its organizational capability, editorial savvy and the professionalism and congeniality of its staff.”
Jose Angel Abad Perez,
U.S. Correspondent for Spain’s Antena 3 Noticias.
Comprehensive editorial support for correspondents
Obtaining access is one thing, but ensuring timeliness and quality reporting of election events is another challenge. One of the greatest advantages for customers working with AP 360 is that they can benefit from both technical and editorial support on site.
In addition to the live reporting positions we provide at venues, we offer workspace facilities at all major election events throughout the year. Our broadcast team works from the same on-location media hubs as AP Text, Photo and Video journalists; it is the ultimate news collaboration to help all entities gain the international coverage and broadcasting they need for their audiences.
With direct access to the output of AP’s on-site journalists, AP 360 is well positioned to provide correspondents with critical on-site election coverage, real-time election updates and field reporting. Our producers will literally whisper the latest election results in a reporter’s ear before they go live, or we might write projections on a large whiteboard during a live cross. Numerous broadcasters have been able to break news on air because of the editorial help of The Associated Press.
“Anything election-related, we are at the centre of it. Journalists working with us are able to directly approach AP election experts and ask questions, so that they have the very latest editorial information about the state of play in the race. Correspondents can get the answers they need, straight away.”
Nico Maounis,
Head of Special Events for the Americas.
Over the course of the long election cycle, it’s how we use AP’s national infrastructure that gives broadcasters and organizations the first-class factual information they need. AP 360 is able to tap into all of AP’s huge footprint during election time. Around-the clock support is provided by a vast network, which includes internal Politics, Fact-Checking and Elections editorial teams, while we also benefit from key collaborations with the Washington Bureau and AP reporters based at all State Houses across the United States.
Advance operational planning
A complex web of cooperation and collaboration is required to oversee and plan for the entire U.S. election cycle. AP 360 sets about its technical planning as early as year in advance of polling day, beginning with the scouting of locations for live operations followed by negotiations to secure access to prime venues.
As news outlets have fluctuating broadcast schedules, many are unable to confirm their precise broadcast requirements until only a matter of days before scheduled election events occur. Consequently, the AP 360 team must make advance judgments as to how much real estate will be needed in any given operational location to ensure the needs of our affiliates can be met. This is where the vast experience we have garnered over decades of covering U.S. election cycles comes into play.
Once locations are tied down, appropriate transmission solutions must be determined, equipment needs assessed and communication lines installed. To ensure our large technical team is accommodated close to election venues, scores of hotel rooms must be reserved – months, if not a full year, in advance.
One example is AP 360’s use of the roof terrace of the American Federation of Labor Building (AFL-CIO) on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington D.C. which offers an unimpeded backdrop of the White House. The location is highly valued by our broadcast affiliates who want to anchor their Election Night special programmes with the presidential residence prominently visible in the background.
For the 2024 poll, AP 360 is building seven single-camera live reporting positions on the roof terrace which can be reconfigured into three multi-camera studio set-ups for those outlets who have more expansive live event production needs. A transmission control centre to manage the output of ten cameras is also being constructed onsite.
Planning our broadcast solutions for the Election Night events held by the Democratic and Republican Parties requires greater dexterity. These campaign headquarter parties are where supporters gather to watch election results as they are called and, ultimately, to witness historic speeches by the presidential candidates as they claim or concede victory in the race.
The venues for these key events are usually announced by campaign organisers only days in advance, meaning the AP 360 team must respond swiftly. An event coordinator and technician are dispatched onsite to ensure we benefit from front-row access and to begin work on the essential operational logistics that will ease the way for correspondents come Election Night.
In the final days before voters go to the polls, all live reporting positions must be fully rigged, tested, weather-proofed and secured. It is a complex and labour-intensive operation that requires a high degree of technical coordination and distinction in event management.
Technical excellence on Election Night
As a broadcast solutions provider for television networks throughout the world, AP 360 must cater to varying programming demands across a full spectrum of global time zones. It’s imperative to pull together a water-tight plan that ensures high-quality transmission at source and seamless international distribution of video signals, all the while maintaining enough flexibility to accommodate any last-minute scheduling changes by our customers.
“By its very nature, a U.S. presidential election sees high customer demand on broadcast resources over a very short time period. At AP 360, we anticipate peak usage and plan accordingly. As our backbone, we rely on transmissions from venues to three technical hubs – in Washington D.C., New York City and London – using a combination of IP, cloud-based and satellite resources.”
Pablo Delbracio,
IP Streaming and Broadcast Engineer.
Each operational location requires its own specific transmission solution, adapted to the circumstances of the event surroundings. In some instances – and especially at the Election Night campaign headquarters – satellite remains the most dependable means of transmission, or acts as a back-up method.
Over recent years, however, and as technological solutions have advanced, we have shifted our main means of transmission from satellite and fibre to IP, employing both cellular-bonded and Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) video streaming solutions.
Our first use of SRT technology was during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in response to logistical challenges at the AFL-CIO building. With the installation of satellite equipment not permitted in this location, SRT offered a more compact and less intrusive solution that was also cost-effective compared to fibre.
From this initial step, AP 360 has implemented a larger SRT infrastructure, encompassing a worldwide distribution network with several built-in redundancies. This allows us to move video across all of our main transmission hubs, both connecting to AP’s existing video infrastructure and allowing us to deliver signals directly to broadcast customers who have themselves adopted SRT. For the 2024 U.S. election cycle, SRT has become the preferred delivery method for the majority of our customers, many of whom benefit from its vastly improved latency delay.
Election Night also sees peak demand on video infrastructure from the AP News division, meaning AP 360 must coordinate closely with colleagues in our Master Control Rooms and network departments to ensure the availability of shared resources which sustain our operation.
At the height of Election Night operations, we simultaneously manage anything up to two dozen individual transmission paths from a multitude of locations, including: the AFL-CIO terrace, the White House North Lawn, the Democratic and Republican Party campaign headquarters, remote operations in swing states and a variety of self-owned and -operated studios in Washington D.C., New York City and Los Angeles. Overall, we generate several hundred transmissions over the election period. The scale of the undertaking is testament to AP 360’s technical prowess.
Ongoing support beyond polling day
Of course, the story doesn’t end on Election Night in November. Although the winner of the race for the White House is generally known by the following morning, vote-counting lasted for days in 2020 and legal challenges continued for weeks both in 2000 and 2020. At AP 360, we stay the course; international TV stations can depend on us being wherever the principal action is unfolding.
On Jan. 6, 2021, our team was operational outside the Capitol building in Washington D.C. when rioters attempted to prevent the certification by Congress of the 2020 election result. And, every four years, we provide live reporting facilities at the January presidential inauguration, which brings the long election cycle to a close.
Making sense of how America votes can be tough, especially for an international TV audience. Via AP 360, broadcasters get to experience and benefit from everything AP has to offer as the preeminent source for coverage of U.S. elections: access to premium live stand-up positions, multi-camera studios, workspace, on-air reporters and full editorial and technical support on location. Through our lengthy endeavours, we make broadcasters’ jobs considerably easier.
