Switching Channels

John L. 'Sully' Sullivan is the news director of Satellite News Network, a Chicago-based cable news station. He exerts control over coverage and signals the power he wields within SNN.

Christy Colleran returns from vacation with Blaine Bingham and meets Sully in Chicago. Sully orders her to attend the televised execution of Ike Roscoe, using the assignment to advance his own interests and press agenda.

Christy announces she is quitting the station and marrying Blaine, with a New York City wedding planned two days hence. Sully responds by having Siegenthaler buy up all available transportation tickets to prevent her from leaving town.

During lunch, Sully explains that Roscoe killed his son's drug dealer without realizing the dealer was an undercover cop. The execution has become a political issue in the race between the Governor and Ridnitz, raising the stakes for the newsroom's coverage.

Blaine purchases train tickets to New York, presenting an escape route or a path toward the planned wedding. Sully notes Blaine's fear of heights as part of a broader plan that will unfold later.

Knowing Blaine is afraid of heights, Sully orders Siegenthaler to lure him to a skyscraper. The pair ascend in a glass elevator, Blaine experiences a crippling anxiety attack, and the elevator is pressed into an emergency stop, trapping them.

After completing the Roscoe interview, Christy rushes to the building and rescues Blaine and Siegenthaler from the trapped elevator. Her quick action highlights her role as the newsroom's lifeline in crises.

The Governor, pressed by public opinion, contemplates issuing a pardon during the 11:00 pm news broadcast. Ridnitz counters by moving the execution up, heightening the political stakes and media scrutiny.

Ridnitz orders the execution to be televised at 10:00 pm and invites the media to witness it live. As Ike Roscoe is strapped into the chair, a power surge disrupts the setup and Ike escapes amid the chaos.

Christy spots Ike escaping while riding in a limousine with Blaine and jumps into pursuit, deciding to meet him at the train station. The chase drives the action as the newsroom follows the sensational developments.

Christy guides Ike to the second-floor courthouse press room, where he hides inside the photo copier while reporters converge. Ridnitz appears with armed police and announces that Ike was seen on the third floor, escalating the standoff.

Christy stalls Ridnitz long enough for Ike's pardon to come through and for the political maneuver to run its course. Sully hands a damning tape to Siegenthaler and orders it aired, revealing Ridnitz's motive to secure the election.

Blaine steps away from Christy, telling her that her true loves are the news and Sully. The breakup marks a personal turning point as the journalist-turned-newsroom power dynamics take center stage.

With professional loyalties intact, Sully and Christy decide to pursue life together and escape to Hawaii for a second honeymoon. The trip signals a hopeful, if unconventional, finale for their partnership.