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When breaking news occurs, the regular non-news program on a national broadcasting network is interrupted for coverage. This is usually done with a countdown sequence, and then the network feed begins with a special graphic, allowing affiliates to switch to the newscast (or sometimes even to their own locally produced “special report”). In the past, such interruptions were only used for very urgent events that required many stations to break away from regular programming; however, with the advent of 24-hour cable news networks, the concept has been adopted more often. The graphic is usually accompanied by an alert crawl and distinctive music cue.
