NEW YORK (AP) – ABC News will run a 24-hour news service available on digital cable, the Internet and some cell phones through Election Day in what may be a precursor to a service offered full time in the future.

The venture, “ABC News Now,” began operating at noon Monday, presenting gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Republican National Convention, anchored by Peter Jennings.

The service will offer national and local news highlights and rerun material – “Nightline” the next day, for instance.

“We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t suspect there was a business for us in the long run,” ABC News President David Westin said Thursday.

ABC News once considered, and passed on, starting a cable news affiliate that would compete with CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC.

Westin said “ABC News Now” would differ from those networks because it will be offered on multiple platforms and will have some local programming. ABC’s affiliates are being encouraged to place some of their local news, weather and sports on the service.

Jennings will anchor a total of 23 hours of daily coverage from the GOP and Democratic conventions on “ABC News Now,” in contrast to the six hours that the broadcast network will be on the air during the conventions.

The venture will offer a daily political newscast at 1 p.m. EDT through the conventions and a show, “Trail Mix,” anchored by Sam Donaldson and Hari Sreenivasan.

How many people who will watch – or even be able to watch – the service is an open question.

The 10 ABC-owned stations offers “ABC News Now” to its 3.5 million customers that have digital cable. Stations participating are in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh, N.C., Flint, Mich., Toledo, Ohio and Fresno, Calif.

ABC is trying to persuade some of its 64 affiliates with digital capabilities – a potential 18.5 million more homes – to sign on, too.

It’s also available for those with broadband Internet access. Some services, like America Online, will offer it for free as part of its monthly subscriber fee; otherwise, it will cost $4.95 per month to subscribe.

Sprint PCS Vision phone customers will also be able to see “ABC News Now” for $9.95 a month.

It’s a true experiment; ABC has no idea how many people will be able to see or will watch if they can.

“I am eager to find out,” Westin said.

He would not say how much ABC News has spent to get it operating; ABC increased its 24-hour staffing last year in anticipation of the Iraq war and after being caught flat-footed with the space shuttle explosion story.

The network will not sell advertising for “ABC News Now,” although local affiliates are free to do so, Westin said.

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