NBC promises no calls of state winners until polls close

NEW YORK (AP) _ In the face of criticism from Capitol Hill, NBC became the third television network to promise not to project election-night winners in a state until all the state's polls are closed.

Thursday, November 30th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ In the face of criticism from Capitol Hill, NBC became the third television network to promise not to project election-night winners in a state until all the state's polls are closed.

NBC and Fox News Channel also said Wednesday they were questioning their participation in Voter News Service, a consortium that provides exit polling and election data to news organizations.

It's part of the continued fallout from Election Night. Television networks twice projected winners in Florida _ once for Al Gore, once for George W. Bush _ only to later take those calls back. The Florida results are still in dispute.

The first call for Gore came after polls had closed in most of Florida, but not in some western sections of the state. That has infuriated congressional Republicans, who question whether TV projections discourage voters from going to the polls.

NBC's previous policy was not to call a state winner until the ``overwhelming majority'' of polls there had closed. Now it is closing that loophole.

Since the election, ABC and Fox News Channel have also said they would no longer project winners in states until all polls are closed.

NBC said it supports legislation that would institute a national poll-closing time.

The networks are also scrutinizing VNS, a company bankrolled by ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and The Associated Press to share election costs. The networks said they used information provided by VNS in making their blown calls. All the VNS members initially called the state for Gore; the AP was the only one of the six members not to declare Bush the winner in Florida early Nov. 8.

Fox appears most likely to abandon the service, for which the network said it paid $2 million this year. Fox said in a statement that it ``intends not to renew its contract ... unless adequate information is supplied regarding misinformation presented on Election Day.''

Fox said it is exploring other polling options for future elections.

NBC said it would not renew its VNS membership ``until it is satisfied that VNS has taken the steps needed to ensure the accuracy and integrity of its data.'' But NBC said it is ready to provide additional funding to accomplish this.

CNN and the AP have said they are reviewing VNS's performance. ABC wants outside experts to look at the company, and CBS would not comment on VNS Wednesday.

NBC, which has asked Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Dean Tom Goldstein to help review its election night practices, also said it wants to study how absentee ballots and voting by mail is affecting the ability to make accurate projections.