Not everyone will have the great fortune to witness in person the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. Yet, there are other ways to be part of this history without having to leave your home. Though Gil Scott Heron may have been right when he said, “The revolution will not be televised,” the inauguration of Barack Obama certainly will be. You can also check out the festivities through other media outlets, including the Internet and radio.

Cable Television

Black Entertainment Television (BET) will have special swearing-in and parade coverage of the inauguration from several locations. Hill Harper, Rene Syler, and Jeff Johnson are scheduled as hosts.

BET rival station TV One will air 21 hours of inauguration coverage from 5 a.m. January 20 to 2 a.m. January 21. Joe Madison and Art Fennel will host. From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., TV One inauguration coverage will also include live reporting from Obama’s official inaugural balls.

Children’s network Nickelodeon plans to provide kid-friendly coverage of the inauguration as well. The coverage will show during commercial breaks and during the periods between regular shows in prime time. The inauguration speech will not be covered, but excerpts will air after the ceremony.

Also, HBO will air the kickoff to the inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on January 18. The kickoff is free and open to the public.

Network Television

Oprah Winfrey plans to bring her show to Washington, D.C. for the week of January 19 to celebrate the Obama inauguration. She will air her shows from the Washington, D.C. Kennedy Center.

Katie Couric will host inauguration coverage for CBS, which include both televised and Internet broadcasts. On January 20, the coverage will span the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be a live primetime special entitled “Change and Challenge: The Inauguration of Barack Obama,” which will air beginning at 9 p.m. The Early Show will also broadcast live from the inauguration site and the CBS network will feature select coverage on their websites CBSnews.com and CNET.com. CBS radio affiliates will also air various broadcasts.

The PBS Newshour and ABC will also air live presidential inauguration coverage on January 20. Check your local listings for exact times. Keep in mind that the inauguration program is slated to begin around 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.


***Be sure to check back often. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.