WASHINGTON - August 26 - As tens of thousands of people descend on New York to protest the Republican National Convention, the national radio and TV show Democracy Now! announces plans to broadcast unprecedented, in-depth, comprehensive coverage, and analysis of the 'Battle for New York.'

Working with hundreds of filmmakers and ‘unembedded,’ independent journalists Democracy Now! will have camera crews blanketing the city. During the RNC, Democracy Now! is expanding its coverage to two hours for its ground-breaking series "Breaking With Convention: War, Peace and the Presidency."

Each morning, the show will broadcast extensive reporting on the action in the streets, built from the footage from scores of independent filmmakers. Working in conjunction with the Independent Media Center, Democracy Now! is pioneering the largest media collaboration in the country.

This type of coverage is one of the trademarks of Democracy Now!'s firebrand style of guerrilla journalism. More than any other national media outlet, the show has covered the people and movements that will spread across New York next week.

Veteran journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez are hosting the special coverage. In addition to the coverage of the action in the streets, Democracy Now! will confront the power-brokers inside Madison Square Garden.

During the 2000 RNC, Democracy Now! grabbed national headlines when it brought presidential candidate Ralph Nader onto the convention floor to provide analysis as Dick Cheney was speaking.

RNC 2004 special convention coverage will be broadcast by more than 240 radio and TV stations nationwide, as well as on satellite television. In New York City, Democracy Now! is broadcast on WBAI 99.5 FM 9 a.m- 11am and Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) cable Ch. 34.

In the lead-up to the Iraq invasion, Democracy Now! was the only nationally syndicated news program to consistently challenge the administration's false claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

"Tune to the show that got it right to begin with," said Amy Goodman. Goodman's new best-selling book is The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers and the Media That Love Them. Goodman has won many of journalism's most prestigious awards.

Democracy Now! began in 1996 as the only daily, national news program devoted entirely to covering elections. It quickly became the premiere national independent news program.

Today's show:

A Debate - Protesting the RNC: Power of the People or Playing into GOP Hands?

Tomorrow's show:

Grammy nominee/activist Steve Earle and more...

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