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If an event occurs that warrants breaking news coverage, television and radio stations interrupt non-news programming (or, occasionally, regular network newscasts) with a special graphic or music cue. Depending on the nature of the event, such breaking news reports may require a short interruption to cover all the relevant information or continue for multiple hours or even days. Before 24-hour news networks, these breaks were typically reserved for extremely important events such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy or major severe weather, such as a hurricane or tornado. In recent years, a ticker that shows current stories in real time during regularly scheduled programming has replaced the need for these interruptions. This trend was accelerated by the popularity of cable and satellite news channels with anchors available to break news live, eliminating the need for station cut-ins.
