A viewers' guide to the inauguration coverage

As many as 2 million people are expected to descend on the National Mall on Tuesday to witness the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, but most of the country will experience the event on television. The broadcast and cable networks will begin coverage well before the start of the swearing-in ceremony, at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time. Reporting will begin at dawn in Washington and continue on most networks into the night. All times listed are PST.

TODAY

The Disney Channel: "Kids' Inaugural: We Are the Future," 8 to 9:30 p.m. The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus are among those set to perform at the concert honoring military families. The event will be streamed on Disney.com after the telecast.

TUESDAY

ABC: "Good Morning America" airs a special three-hour edition from the Library of Congress beginning at 4 a.m. Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos anchor coverage from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a news special at 7 p.m. From 8 to 10 p.m., the network will exclusively air "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration," the first gala of the night attended by the new president and first lady. That will be followed by a 10 p.m. news special with reports from the inaugural balls and an overview of the day's events.

CBS: "The Early Show" broadcasts live from Washington beginning at 4 a.m. Katie Couric handles the coverage from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as an hourlong edition of "CBS Evening News" and a live webcast on CBSNews.com at 7 p.m. with extended analysis. At 9 p.m., the network will air "Change and Challenge," a prime-time news special anchored by Couric that traces Obama's journey to the White House.

NBC: A special edition of "Today" from Washington kicks off coverage at 4 a.m. (KNBC-TV Channel 4 will carry local coverage until 7 a.m.) Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw and Lester Holt lead a special report from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Williams will anchor an hourlong edition of "NBC Nightly News," along with a live prime-time special at 10 p.m. with reports from the balls and special guests.

PBS: Jim Lehrer anchors coverage beginning at 8 a.m., joined by columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks. At 9 p.m., a special "Frontline" chronicles the new president in "Dreams of Obama."

Telemundo: Pedro Sevcec and Maria Celeste anchor a two-hour special at 8 a.m.

Univision: Coverage begins at 4 a.m. with "Despierta America." Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas take over at 8 a.m., followed by live coverage of the parade and a special edition of the prime-time news magazine "Aqui y Ahora."