Here is Mediaweek’s round-up of the channel devoting time to covering the Federal Election winners and losers.
What time is the coverage starting?
ABC: From 7am (AEST) Weekend Breakfast hosts Josh Szeps and Johanna Nicholson look back over the campaign and forward to what lies in store for Australians as they cast their vote.
At 5pm (AEST) Jeremy Fernandez and Tamara Oudyn host a special one-hour edition of ABC News on ABC TV and ABC News channel.
From 6pm (AEST) Australia Votes: Election Night Live is on ABC TV, ABC News channel and iview.
Seven: 2019 Federal Election coverage with a 7News pre-show live from Election Central in Martin Place at 5.00pm AEST.
Election coverage will break on Seven at 6.00pm AEST for a special 45-minute edition of 7News hosted by senior anchor Mark Ferguson.
From 6.45pm, 7News anchor Michael Usher and political editor Mark Riley are hosting coverage and up-to-the-minute results on 7News: Decision Night in Australia 2019.
Nine: Promising comprehensive coverage rom 7.00am with Weekend Today, which will provide a breakdown of the key election issues and policies that each party is hoping will secure votes.
A special election-day edition of Nine News will be broadcast at 4.00pm.
Then at 5.00pm Nine’s election-evening coverage begins, including early results from its exclusive Nine-Galaxy exit poll.
Viewers in all capital cities will hear the very latest from reporters on the ground in electorates right around the country in their local editions of Nine News at 6.00pm.
Rolling coverage hosted by Peter Overton and Deb Knight, begins at 7.00pm, delivering live results with analysis from some of the biggest political names in the country.
Channel 10: The day starts with a special Studio 10: Aussie Poll Party on Saturday at 3pm.
10 News First Your Vote will then kick off from 5pm.
SBS: SBS World News will be live on election night Saturday 18 May in a Vote 2019 special from 10.10pm AEST on SBS.
Sky News: Kieran Gilbert and Laura Jayes start at 7:00am as they spearhead early morning coverage of Australia Decides as candidates conduct last minute campaigning and Australians cast their votes.
From 11:00am, Tom Connell will take viewers live across the country as he speaks with Sky News reporters on the latest breaking news and final developments of the campaign trail as they unfold.
Broadcasting from the Sky News Canberra studio in Parliament House, political editor David Speers will anchor Australia Decides: Election Night Live from 5:00pm.
Which other network talent will be involved?
ABC: Leigh Sales, Annabel Crabb, Andrew Probyn, Laura Tingle, Barrie Cassidy and Michael Rowland.
ABC’s chief elections analyst Antony Green will also add his insights to his 11th Federal Election.
Seven: 7News senior political correspondent Tim Lester will be with Bill Shorten at Labor headquarters in Melbourne. And at Liberal HQ with Scott Morrison will be 7News chief correspondent Chris Reason.
Nine: Political editor Chris Uhlmann will spearhead the in-depth assessment as the votes are tallied. Joining him will be Chris O’Keefe, Nine political reporter, and Ross Greenwood, Nine finance editor who will be crunching numbers and breaking down the key election battlegrounds at the Election Mega Wall.
Nine will cross regularly to Ben Fordham for updates from Liberal HQ, while Leila McKinnon will be with the Labor Party faithful.
Channel 10: From 5pm, 10 News First Your Vote will be hosted by Sandra Sully, Hamish Macdonald and Chris Bath, with key insights from Waleed Aly and Peter van Onselen.
Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand and Angela Bishop will throw a snag on the barbie as they check in with how Australians are voting from the city to the heart of the country. Plus John Williamson and Missy Higgins will perform while I’m A Celebrity winner Richard Reid will be bringing the party to the Apple Isle when he is reunited with Jacqui Lambie.
SBS: Janice Petersen and Brett Mason will present latest results and analysis from the studio and will cross to reporters in key electorates and party HQs throughout Australia.
Sky News: Sky News political editor David Speers will host election night coverage with a panel of political experts and Sky News anchors Alan Jones, Paul Murray, Andrew Bolt, Chris Kenny, Laura Jayes, Kieran Gilbert and Michael Kroger.
David Speers
Which pundits will be doing their best and where?
ABC: Later in the evening Ellen Fanning hosts a special edition of The Drum, reviewing the events of the day with guests: actor and writer Magda Szubanski, SBS chief football analyst, presenter and human rights campaigner Craig Foster, author, podcaster and editor at large of Future Women Jamila Rizvi, and political journalist and Professor of Global Affairs at Griffith University, Stan Grant.
Seven: Radio broadcaster Alan Jones and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett.
Channel 10: Christopher Pyne, Kristina Keneally, Sam Dastyari and Trent Zimmerman will bring political firepower to a coverage that also includes exclusive predictions, supported by the latest immersive graphics technology.
Sky News: Peta Credlin, Graham Richardson and Stephen Conroy.
Plenty of politicians will be on air too
ABC: Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos and Labor senator Penny Wong.
Seven: Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen and NSW ALP senator Jenny McAllister. Plus coalition heavyweights senator Michaelia Cash and former MP Craig Laundy.
Nine: Julie Bishop, former deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Tanya Plibersek, deputy opposition leader, Anthony Albanese – Labor shadow minister and Bridget McKenzie, Nationals deputy leader.
Sky News: Leader of the Government in the senate and minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann, and shadow Defence minister, Richard Marles.
What is the pitch to viewers from the networks?
ABC: As Australians head to the polls this Saturday 18 May the ABC’s unrivalled team of experts will bring you the nation’s most authoritative coverage in a day of dedicated programming on television, on radio and online.
Seven: Seven delivers unrivalled Federal Election coverage. Channel 7’s team of experts will deliver results to you in an instant with analysis you won’t want to miss.
Nine: Nine has assembled the most experienced panel of political minds for its coverage of the 2019 Federal election on Saturday: Australia Decides.
Channel 10: 10’s extensive, multi-program, multi-platform election coverage will deliver the most up-to-date information from around the country, direct to you on election night.
SBS: SBS is your one stop shop for balanced news coverage and insight across multiple platforms in these important final campaign days.
Sky News: Sky News will deliver the most comprehensive coverage and analysis of the 2019 Federal Election.
With so many independent candidates contesting the election and margins ever so slight, Sky News will broadcast live coverage crossing to reporters around the country as contenders’ campaign until the very last minute.