Earlier this week, as the clock neared 11 p.m. on Liberty Island in New York harbor, the ABC News production team finally had the window they had been waiting for.
David Muir, who had spent hours touring the island and the Statue of Liberty with park rangers, was interviewing singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, who would follow with a performance of “America the Beautiful” in front of the statue, illuminated in red, white and blue for the country’s 250th anniversary.
The performance and interview is a centerpiece of what ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic says is “the longest commercial broadcast in history,” a 24-hour marathon of programming that will begin at 10 p.m. on July 3 with the Statue of Liberty light show; the Carlile performance; Muir’s tour of the statue and a “special message” from Walt Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, and will continue until 11 p.m. on July 4, where Ryan Seacrest will lead Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash.
But first, the ABC News team needed to get the take. The evening of the shoot, there was frequent hum of tourist helicopters circling the island, and a few party boats blasting music, which threatened to put a damper on the plans. As the evening progressed, however, the noise died down, and the makeshift set at the base of the Statue of Liberty sprung into action, securing a performance without distractions.
