CN8 Takes Roll Call With Weekly Series

Buttressing its political coverage, CN8, The Comcast Network will roll out new series dissecting matters on Capitol Hill.

The regional news network has inked a partnership with the venerable Roll Call Group that will manifest in the Capitol Hill news organization's first TV show, led by CN8’s Washington, D.C. bureau chief Robert Traynham.

Marking the first show to originate from CN8’s new state-of-the-art Capitol Hill studio, the half-hour Sunday night show Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham each week will feature a roundtable discussion with a Roll Call panelist, lawmakers, other political experts pundits and top journalists. The show, which debuts Feb. 10 at 10 p.m., aspires to go beyond traditional political programming, taking a deeper look at legislative issues that impact both inside and outside the Beltway.

The program, which encores Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., will also be available on www.CN8.tv and on-demand to Comcast digital customers in the 9-million subscriber network’s eastern seaboard footprint. Roll TV with Robert Traynham may become via the on-demand platform to all Comcast systems at a later point.

The premiere will showcase a panel of political discussion and analysis, as well as an extensive recap of Super Tuesday and its effect on the 2008 presidential election. Traynham will be joined by Roll Call editor-in-chief, Charlie Mitchell and Susan Davis, a politics reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

Supplementing the policy analysis and Congressional news, the show will include reports “Heard on the Hill,” a dose of political gossip featuring movers and shakers in DC; “This Week in Roll Call History,”a look back at political milestones; and “In the Hopper,” a segment highlighting key bills, policies and hot topics slated to hit Capitol Hill in the week ahead.

“This groundbreaking partnership demonstrates CN8’s continued commitment to provide our regional viewers with the highest standards of exclusive, relevant programming that cannot be seen elsewhere,” said CN8 vice president, general manager Jon Gorchow in a  statement. “Robert’s political expertise coupled with Roll Call’s unparalleled reputation as the foremost source for news and analysis on Capitol Hill will add great value to our lineup, offering our viewers the kind of comprehensive, smart political programming that has become a hallmark of our network.”

The addition of Roll Call TV with Robert Traynham comes as CN8 has ramped up its coverage of the current election cycle under the “America’s Next President” moniker. The year-long initiative features comprehensive takes on the candidates and issues on the national, state and local levels. CN8’s exclusive programming is available via the network's Web site and Comcast's on-demand platform, which also includes interviews under the “Candidates On Demand” application.