Katie, Brian, Shepard and hundreds of other TVNewsers are breathing a sigh of relief today. Their trips to Oxford, Mississippi will not be in vain. Around 11:26amET, word came that John McCain would participate in tonight’s first of three presidential debates.

Here’s the timing of the confirmation and the reporting of the story.

• CNN — 11:24:30
• Fox News Channel — 11:25:40
• MSNBC — 11:27:30

We’re told CBS’s Katie Couric arrived last night and FNC’s Shepard Smith was on a 6am flight this morning. NBC’s Brian Williams will also anchor from Mississippi while ABC’s Charles Gibson had always planned to anchor from New York.