Programming note: Today's live third-party American presidential debate on RT postponed to next Monday due to Hurricane Sandy.

The live third-party American presidential debate which would have been shown worldwide this afternoon on Russia Today (DStv 405) has been cancelled and postponed to Monday 5 November at 16:00 (South African time) due to Hurricane Sandy battering New York and Washington D.C.

The live transmission of the debate on RT was planned for today, however Russia Today and the Free and Equal Elections Foundation decided to move the event to 5 November.

RT came to an agreement with the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, the organizers of the presidential debates between third-party candidates, to hold this fascinating debate in the RT studios in Washington D.C. The Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson will face off with the Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

The debate will also be carried on www.rt.com and RT's YouTube channel.

Meanwhile production has been halted on several American TV shows filmed in New York and which South African viewers see, including Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Smash, 666 Park Avenue, Gossip Girl, Person of Interest, Blue Bloods, Nurse Jackie, The Big C

Both The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central did not record episodes last night.

Next week South African viewers will see The Late Show with David Letterman on Sony Entertainment Television without a studio audience. He did last night's episode as one long monologue without a studio audience.