Fox First Run is launching Battleground, which begins Tuesday with a weekly email newsletter, then a weekly 30-minute TV show on June 10, and finally a strip on August 12. Battleground will air on all of Fox’s owned-and-operated stations as well as on Bahakel Communications-owned The CW affiliate WCCB Charlotte, North Carolina.
Battleground will focus specifically on the seven swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — that collectively have 93 electoral votes.
“In what is shaping up to be a record political advertising year in local media, this initiative positions us to reap the benefits of exuberant spending on all sides,” Stephen Brown, executive VP of programming and development for Fox Television Stations and Fox First Run, said in a statement. “Our offering is unique in that local media — the newspapers, television, and radio stations — are ingrained in these communities and thus can provide a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how voters will decide this election in each of those states.”
The move reveals how flexible and responsive TV stations can be when they aren’t as locked into network and syndication schedules as they once were.
Battleground will be executive produced by Neal Kendall (Piedmont Studios, Love and Respect With Killer Mike, The Arsenio Hall Show and Tavis Smiley) in partnership with Fox-owned stations in those seven swing states and WCCB.
“By harnessing the power of the dedicated and talented local journalists in each of these critical swing states, Battleground will allow us the distinct opportunity to shine a light on the particular people, places, and issues that will ultimately decide the 2024 election,” Kendall said, also in a statement. “Our viewers and the campaigns that are spending political money will both be paying attention.”
Along with anchor S.E. Cupp, political correspondents from Fox’s stations in those markets will contribute reporting to the show, including Jeff Cole and Shiba Russell from WTXF Philadelphia; Russ Spencer from WAGA Atlanta; John Hook, Ellen McNamara and Steve Nielsen from KSAZ Phoenix and Jason Calvi from WITI Milwaukee.
Cupp, who considers herself a “practical conservative,” currently works as a political commentator for CNN as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. She graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and serves as an advisory member for the school’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs. Cupp earned a master's degree from New York University.
“All politics is local,” Cupp said. “These seven swing states have crucial stories to tell, and our fantastic team of reporters and producers will bring these local conversations to a national audience in a unique and rigorous manner, from right where it's happening — on the ground.”
Political advertising is expected to hit a record high this year — surpassing $12 billion, according to eMarketer — and TV stations in top markets in swing states are positioned to benefit the most from that spending. President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, are scheduled to debate June 27 on CNN and September 10 on ABC. There are close Senate races taking place in most swing states, including Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as Florida, Maryland, Montana, Ohio and Texas.
