Nickelodeon to cover Obama inauguration

NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Nickelodeon has announced plans to offer kid-friendly coverage of incoming U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration next week.

"Culminating its unprecedented year-long 'Kids Pick the President' campaign -- which encompassed a first-ever 'Kids' Primary;' coverage of the political conventions; and the biggest 'Kids Vote' in the network's history -- Nickelodeon, in another first, will feature coverage of the historic presidential inauguration starting Monday," the network said in a release. "KPP Election Connection Team correspondents -- Lily Collins, J.J. and Pick Boy -- will report on the political celebration from Washington, D.C., in a series of pre-taped interstitials highlighting the historic Inauguration Day and the celebrations leading up to it."

Nickelodeon said it plans to air Tuesday vignettes featuring footage of the president-elect's oath of office on Nickelodeon, The N and Nicktoons Networks.

Interstitials will continue to air on Nickelodeon through Jan. 31 and will highlight the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue; President-Elect Obama's arrival at the White House; his inauguration speech and more, the network said.

"We decided to continue the 2008 'Kids Pick the President' campaign through the inauguration in order to give kids the complete presidential election experience," Marva Smalls, executive vice president of public affairs for the Nickelodeon kids and family group, said in a statement. "The enormous turn-out for the first 'Kids' Primary' and the 'Kids' Vote' has shown the magnitude of kids' interest in this election. We want to sustain that enthusiasm by giving them a front row seat to this historic day."