Channel 1 NY1, the local cable news channel.
Smoke coming in a big plume from downtown.
Channel 2 CBS.
Split screen, smoke from downtown and flames in the Pentagon.
Channel 3 TNT.
CNN has taken over TNT and someone on the phone is talking about terrorism as flames shoot out of the Pentagon.
Channel 4 NBC.
Tom Brokaw babbling about rescue efforts, as we see the Empire State Building still looking okay, with the “smoking hulk” in the background.
Channel 5 Local Fox channel.
Local coverage, but they're showing people in Palestine dancing in the streets and throwing candy. Huge Pepsi vending machine in the background as they chant and sing.
Channel 6 Nickelodeon.
Cartoon characters singing and dancing around a pool. “Oh!” says one of the characters. “This feels good!”
Channel 7 Local ABC network.
Newscopter 7 is showing Manhattan while eyewitnesses talk about firefighters who were probably lost.
Channel 8 Superstation.
CNN has taken over this channel. They’re talking about holding Afghanistan accountable, while the ticker at the bottom lists the sequence of events, while on screen they show the towers falling, again and again and again.
Channel 9 Local UPN station.
Static and a message: “Time Warner Cable Brooklyn Queens Division. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by. Please do not call customer service at this time.”
Channel 10 CNN.
A voice is saying that we are really going to knock Afghanistan down. Only now our hero President Bush is entering. Technical difficulties prevent us from hearing his (no doubt cheering and eloquent) words. I feel much better knowing he’s going to punish them. That was sarcasm.
Channel 11 Local WB network.
Eyewitness describing her experience escaping the towers. She’s at the desk just talking to the anchors. “So,” says the anchor. “You thought you might actually….” – and the anchor can’t even say it. “Yes,” said the eyewitness. “We thought we might die.” Then the feed cuts to President Bush. “—nish those responsible,” says Bush. They move him to the bottom left corner of the screen to let the slow motion repetition of the fireball take over most of the screen.
Channel 12 Lifetime.
Looks like a TV movie from the 80s. Ooh… is that Susan Lucci? – no, just someone who looks like her.
Channel 13 Local PBS station.
A kids cartoon, with 70s style animation. Some sort of nursery rhyme about an army firing the cannon. “General border gave the order. Major Scott brought the shot. Sergeant Chowder brought the powder. Corporal Ferrell brought the barrel. Private Barrage brought the carriage. but Drummer Hoff fired it off.” An explosion of light and color onscreen. Then birds chirping. Before I can change the channel, Martin Sheen is talking about the triumph and tragedy of the White House. Reneau and I were just saying how we wished that Martin Sheen was the real president, not Bush.
Channel 14 Fox Family channel
They're carrying Fox News. The chairon reads: “Two warships and National Guard dispatched to the harbor.” The anchor is saying that all skyscrapers are being evacuated – even the skyscraper that they, the Fox News people, are in. I am told I need to pray for the victims.
Channel 15 CNBC.
“This is the subject of movies, of armeggedon tales that have been told,” says the anchor. “How does something like this happen?” On screen, in large letters, it says that all US Financial Markets are closed. Well, that’s important.
Channel 16 A&E.
Law and Order. I’m not making that up.
Channel 17 History channel.
Looks like a bad miniseries from the 80s. Very historical.
Channel 18 Discovery channel.
A commercial for Grab it, a tool that’s great for picking up dust. Do they make one big enough to clean up my downtown?
Channel 19 VH1.
It’s carrying CBS news. “some concern about World Trade Center Seven, which is where, ironically, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management is located.” They show the singing, dancing Palastinians again. They are singing: God is good! God is good!
Channel 20 MTV.
It’s showing that video about area codes. He’s rapping in front of a plane. Talking about stopping the violence and telling his girlfriends all over the world to wait for him to get there to fuck him. Good to know.
Channel 21 Long Island PBS channel.
Carrying BBC feed. Afghanistan is denying bin-Lauden did this. People in Afghanistan are worrying that we’ll attack again. I hope we don't. I know we need a big stick, but maybe if we stopped hitting people on the head with it, we wouldn't be hated by that half of the world. I vaguely remember when we attacked last time. At the time, I was dating Julian and that was taking up all my time. I already called Julian this morning. He’s okay. He said he’s glad I’m okay. Good to know.
Channel 22 Cartoon Network.
Small children are singing in a commercial for tapes of sing-along Bible songs. “I’m in the Lord’s Army,” sings an adorable little scamp. Well, if you’re in the Lord’s Army, you’ll be safe for sure. “If you’re happy and you know it, say amen!” sing the children.
Channel 23 Court-TV.
An aviation expert is talking about the thousands of pounds of fuel that was in the airplanes, and how that explosion probably melted the plane. I think they’re trying to figure out if the black box could have survived. The thought is: No. It couldn’t.
Channel 24 E!
Looks like the end of Hollywood Scandal.
Channel 25 Local PBS station.
Carrying ABC news. Looks like they’re having communication difficulties since the cell phones aren’t working. But they’re live at St. Vincints. Two people have died of the 184 brought in. Fractures, cuts, and smoke inhalation. They are calling for blood donors. I know there’s a hospital a five minute walk from where I am. I am so terrified of giving blood. I wonder if I will rise to this situation. On the walk to the hospital, I will probably be able to see the smoke.
Channel 26 FSNY, the Fox Sports channel.
They're carrying Fox news. They’re talking about the financial markets, and how good it is that they closed the markets since this explosion has caused a tumble to the American dollar. And the price of oil is rising. Speaking of not giving a rat’s ass, according to a ticker, all sports have been called off. Good to know.
Channel 27 CNN-FN.
Carrying CNN. The fourth channel so far. An eyewitness is saying that since they all remembered what it was like during the last bombing, so they knew what to do. “Someone was laughing, I thought that was weird,” says the Witness. “This is just an awful, awful thing.” He says that the way you might say that you’re sorry you’re out of milk. “You’re a lucky man,” says the anchor. “I know,” says the Witness. “I thank God very much.”
Channel 28 ESPN is carrying ABC.
Because the ABC feed is given only about 80% of the vertical screen, due to the chairon at the bottom, the talking heads on screen look like they have been crushed a little. Behind them is the White House. It’s not, repeat, not on fire. Apparently this guy is a Senator. He’s referring to the terrorists as thugs and saying he wants to get back to business. Thugs, yes. I bet they don’t shave much, the guys who did this. “Nothing is fundamentally altered,” says Senator Joe Biden. I feel just the same as I ever did, here.
Channel 29 ESPN-2.
“The Deuce” is also carrying ABC. “We’re at war,” says the anchorwoman. “I hope that’s not true,” says Joe Biden.
Channel 30 ShopNBC.
Three-quarters of the screen is feed from MSNBC – that same shot of pretty, solid, I’ve been there-too Empire State Building, and behind it the smoke where the WTC was. In blue at the bottom of the screen it says: “In light of the tragedies that occurred this morning, and the impact on each of us as American Citizens and particularly those who have been directly affected either personally or by family and friends, we here at ShopNBC have temporarily suspended programming. We share with our customers and employees, our sadness as well as our thoughts and prayers.
Channel 31 Pax.
Pax is carrying NBC feed. There is nothing peaceful about the debris and fires.
Channel 32 HBO.
Looks like X-Men again.
Channel 33
"QVC acknowledges today’s events and expresses our heartfelt concern with this national tragedy. For more information, please turn to your TV news channel. In light of these events, QVC will be temporarily suspending its broadcast."
Channel 34 and 35 Queens Public TV. Local unrelated news.
Channel 36 TNN. Some bad movie with Hector Elizondo.
Channel 37 CNN Headline News is just CNN. CNN number Five. They’re talking to the red cross guy.
Channel 38 C-Span Live. They’re talking to a guy at the pentagon. “You’re going to have a lot more questions than I have answers,” he says.
Channel 39 C-Span 2. Showing water being sprayed on the Pentagon. They’re saying that a military gas station in Washington has been turned into a press station.
Channel 40 USA. A commercial.
Channel 41 Univision. “muchas personas estan esperando los trenes,” says the anchorwoman. They are either waiting for trains, or hoping for them, depending on your translation. Behind a chairon that reads, “imagenes pre-grabados” they show the tower collapsing again.
Channel 42 BET. Madame Cleo in a commercial. I wonder if she knew this was going to happen.
Channel 43 MSNBC. Looks like they’ve come up with a name for what’s happened: “Attack On America.” As long as we can name a thing, we know what it is. A note on the ticker lets me know that Disneyworld and Disneyland are closed. And another building, the American Express building, is burning and may come down.
Channel 44 Sci-fi. No clue what this is. So far I’ve gone through hysterical crying, since then mostly it’s been shock, but now I’m at hunger. I’ll put the oven on for some pizza. Thankfully, as I told my dad, I have plenty of food in the house.
Channel 45 Comedy Central. Kids in the Hall reruns. KITH are from Canada. I wish *I* were Canadian. I think I’m going to move.
Channel 46 Fox News Channel. They say that they’ve never seen anything like this before. They’re comparing it to Pearl Harbor. I feel like I understand now about Pearl Harbor. What that must have felt like. I think this event is like Pearl Harbor and the assassination of JFK. On screen, they show rows and rows of American flags, flying at half mast.
Channel 47 Telemundo. Static.
Channel 48 Pay-per-view. Seems unaffected.
Channel 49 Disney. Kids are laughing and dancing.
Channel 50 The Food network. A message on screen, with thoughtful piano music playing in the background on loop: “Due to the nature of today’s tragic events Food Network is suspending programming. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.”
Channel 51 The TV Guide channel. Listing all the programming that isn’t being shown due to the nature of today’s tragic events.
Channel 52 The Learning Channel. A couple is talking about how hard it was to conceive.
Channel 53 Another Spanish channel. “Estados Unidos Bajo Attaque!” (United States Under Attack!) They show Alcade Giuliani talking and they translate for him as he goes.
Channel 54 AMC. I think it’s Bonanza.
Channel 55 NY –55, a local channel. Showing feed from CNN. The sixth CNN so far. The same news conference as 53. Pataki is saying that this attack may be despicable, but that we’ll get over it. Again the question about the number of casualties. I’ve never agreed with Giuliani more than right now: “I don’t think we want to speculate on that. I think the number of casualties in any case will be more than we can bear.”
Channel 56 and 57 More Pay-per-view.
Channel 58 FX. Showing Fox News. That’s Fox News channel #?. Warships have been dispatched to the harbor. A democratic representative has stated that the death toll is estimated at 10,000. They’re talking about how no one knows where to put the President to keep him safe. Possibly we should send him to NORAD in the mountains. But others are saying that if he goes to NORAD “he will look like, quote, a ‘weenie’.” Thank you, Fox News. I think we should just let them get him. We’ll be better off with anyone at the helm of this country than that moron.
Channel 59 - 62 Pay-per-view.
Channel 63 Local NJ channel. Carrying feed from CNN. (#7) Still showing the news conference. I am oddly reassured by knowing Giuliani is in charge. He may be an authoritarian bastard, but at times like this, you want an authoritarian bastard.
Channel 64 Bravo. Nothing newsy. Bravo to you, Bravo.
Channel 65 - 66 Pay-per-view.
Channel 67 LTV, a Spanish channel. It’s showing CNN “en espanol.” That same news conference. “Is this an act of war?” “I’m not sure if I want to use those words,” says Rudy. I am getting this through the English I hear and then again through the translation.
Channel 68 I don’t know what this channel is, but it’s showing feed from the local ABC channel. The same news conference.
Channel 69 Cinemax. A movie with Morgan Freeman.
Channel 70 The Metro Channel. Showing a grainy feed of Manhattan encompassed in smoke. I called Kathy’s mom. They live in lower midtown, the eastern 20s. Kathy’s mom says she saw the collapsing towers from her window. She says that people are walking up the street like the trail of tears.
Channel 71 is showing what it always shows. Horse race results. Good to know.
Channel 72 The Weather channel is telling us how the weather may affect relief efforts. Also, they think it will be a pretty few days. Right now at La Guardia, where all planes are grounded, it’s partly cloudy and 77 degrees.
Channel 73 More horseraces.
Channel 74 An old primary debate. The election for today is postponed. I remember the other day walking down the street thinking that I didn’t know who I would vote for, since none of the candidates seemed to stand out and since I would be leaving the city soon. Why should I care what even happens here anymore? I guess I do care. I care very much.
Channel 75 Cuny. Some guy talking about something. I don’t know. He’s in a suit.
Channel 76 The Korean channel. Showing the towers collapse.
Interspersed within incomprehensible Korean I hear: “World Trade Center,” “Rudy Giuliani,” and “PGA Tour.” Boy, not only have thousands of people died, but there’s no golf to watch.
Channel 77 The Indian channel. Indian couples are singing, dancing, and cuddling on a boat. They look happy. If the singing weren’t so offensive to my ears, I might watch this at length.
Channel 78 The Chinese channel. A cop movie.
Channel 79 The Prayer channel.
They’re showing what I believe to be regular prayer channel programming, but then at the bottom of the screen it says, If you are able to give blood call 1-800-GIVELIFE for the location of your nearest donor center.
I guess I’ll go then.