Fox News, CNN and MSNBC have all been in breaking news coverage of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. since shortly before 11 a.m. Friday morning. The early coverage provided by FNC, CNN and MSNBC relied heavily on affiliates from Hartford and New York City as the cable networks rushed to get their own correspondents to the scene.

Fox News used aerial coverage from WNYW, the Fox O&O in New York City, as well as images from WFSB, the CBS affiliate in Hartford, while WNYW’s chopper was en route.

MSNBC used aerial pictures provided by NBC O&O WVIT, which was the first station in Hartford to report the shooting this morning.

CNN is affiliated with three Hartford stations — WFSB, WTIC and WTNH, as well as New York City ABC O&O WABC (pictured). The network has used coverage from all of them today.

After making the rounds as the de facto press representative for George Zimmerman, former WESH anchor-reporter Joe Oliver backed away from the popular characterization of him as Zimmerman’s “close friend” in an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” on Tuesday night.

“I’ll clarify my relationship with George because the characterization has been as a close friend. I’m being described as a close friend because I’m the only one speaking out for him,” Zimmerman said. “But my relationship with George is more of an older uncle. I’m old enough to be his father.” Read more

Contessa Brewer, who left her post as MSNBC anchor last year, is appearing on WNBC this weekend.  Brewer is filling in for weekend anchor Erika Tarantal, who gave birth this week.

“For those of our viewers who watch MSNBC, I’m sure you have seen Contessa there, but we’re welcoming her here to WNBC while Erika is taking some time off to enjoy her new baby boy, who was born last Wednesday,” Pat Battle, Tarantal’s regular co-anchor, said at the top of WNBC’s 6:00 a.m. newscast Saturday.

Brewer announced via Twitter that she is anchoring WNBC’s morning and evening newscasts on Saturday.  No word on whether Brewer’s fill-in gig at WNBC will extend beyond one day.