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Major US networks airing Comey hearing uninterrupted by ads

Democrats have begun preparing articles of impeachment over Comey's testimony

Christopher Hooton
Thursday 08 June 2017 11:10 BST
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(Getty Images)

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CBS, CNN and Fox News Channel are among the TV networks that will not be letting commercials eat into James Comey's airtime during his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.

Airing coverage uninterrupted by adverts is a fairly rare move and shows how important the hearing is deemed to be in that the networks think the American people deserve to watch it in its entirety. Subsequent lost ad revenue could run into the millions.

According to Variety, CNN will only show ads if there are natural breaks in proceedings, and its live-stream will only feature a pre-roll ad.

CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and Fox are expected to air the hearing via broadcast, while Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CSPAN and CNBC show it on cable.

In the UK, BBC Parliament is set to transmit it live between 12pm and 6pm.

Mr Comey's testimony was released last night, with the committee set to ask him questions about it.

In the seven-page document, the former FBI director details how President Trump pressed him to "lift the cloud" of the Russia investigation.

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