NEW YORK — If the nation's biggest broadcasters have chosen to make the political conventions at most a one-hour show, their smaller competitors and the Democrats seemed determined Monday not to cast doubt on that judgment.

On the opening night of the Democratic convention, the party ensured the most emotional moments would occur during the 10 p.m. EDT hour when ABC, CBS and NBC were on the air.

They included a fiery speech by former President Clinton that ended just in time for the late local news, an introduction by his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a somber remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The big broadcasters plan no convention coverage today, returning Wednesday and Thursday for speeches by nominee John Kerry and running mate John Edwards.

Even though the cable news networks promised more thorough coverage than their broadcast brethren, they spent much of their extra hours on Monday off the convention floor.

"Somebody's out there screaming about something," Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly said while, over his shoulder, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski addressed the convention. "I don't know what it is and it really doesn't matter at this point."

During the convention's first hour, Fox turned away for a report on a missing Utah woman and O'Reilly interviewed Ralph Nader about his failed attempt to attend the Democratic meeting.

Later, Fox commentator Sean Hannity interviewed Bill Bennett while former President Jimmy Carter was speaking.

Hannity also turned away from the podium to interview conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who said, "If I were the Democratic party, I don't think I'd want Jimmy Carter on the stage talking about how we won the Cold War. What's this we, paleface?"

MSNBC's Chris Matthews spent considerable time interviewing guest panelists on an outdoor set in downtown Boston, surrounded by onlookers.

"Let's do a survey," Matthews asked the audience around him, trying to gauge the decibels. "Was Gore robbed in 2000?"

In contrast to its rivals, CNN spent more time in the Fleet Center, showing off a set built on the floor of the convention instead of in skyboxes overlooking it. That already seemed to influence the networks, where ABC's Peter Jennings and NBC's Tom Brokaw both opened their reports from down on the floor.

CNN mixed rounds of serious interviews with self-conscious attempts to be hip. Its "delegate cam" segment featured a convention delegate equipped with a small camera who reported on his day. Unsurprisingly, he listened to speeches and attended a party on a boat sponsored by lobbyists.