PRESS
RELEASE from CNN
For Release: Oct.13,
2008
CNN Continues Record-Breaking Coverage for Final
Presidential Debate
Network Sets Itself
Apart With Live Voter Reaction, ‘Magic Wall,’ ‘Best Political Team on
Television’
As the final inning in this
presidential election approaches, CNN again will combine all-star
talent and cutting-edge technology when Republican nominee Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) and Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
debate for the final time on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Hofstra University
in Hempstead, NY.
Wolf Blitzer, Campbell Brown,
Anderson Cooper and Lou Dobbs will anchor Debate Night in America from the
network’s political nerve center, the CNN Election Center in New York.
Members of the “Best Political Team on Television” will contribute to
the in-depth and multi-platform special programming which attracted
more than 9 million viewers during the second debate.
CNN has set new records with each
presidential debate so far this year, winning all key demographics
among the cable news networks. Most notably, CNN’s coverage of
the vice presidential debate delivered more 18-34 viewers than any
scheduled program in the network’s 28 year history, and the most recent
presidential debate ranked as the highest delivery in the 18-34
demographic on television that day.
Debate
Night in America begins with special editions of The Situation Room from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m., Lou Dobbs Tonight from
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Campbell Brown:
Election Center from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. CNN will air the
presidential debate from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. A special edition of Anderson Cooper 360° will wrap
up special programming after the debate until midnight.
Throughout the evening, chief
national correspondent John King will
report alongside the “Magic Wall,” breaking down data in key states.
CNN correspondents Ed Henry and Jessica Yellin and senior
political analyst Bill Schneider
will be live on location in Hempstead. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley and correspondent Dana Bash will join the conversation
from CNN’s Election Center in New York. Senior analysts Gloria Borger, David Gergen and Jeffrey Toobin will offer insight
along with CNN political contributors Paul
Begala, Bill Bennett, Donna Brazile, Alex Castellanos, Roland Martin, Ed Rollins, Hilary Rosen and Leslie Sanchez.
CNN also will continue to
stand out by providing viewers with instant audience feedback from
uncommitted voters in Columbus, Ohio. CNN special correspondent Soledad O’Brien will moderate the
participants, who will operate electronic dial testers during the
debate. Viewers will instantly see whether the candidate’s answers
resonate with voters in the battleground state. In addition, viewers
watching the broadcast in high-definition will see exclusive scorecards
gauging positive and negative information from CNN’s panel of
commentators.
Online, CNN.com will provide live
updates as news-making moments happen during the debate.
CNNPolitics.com, the site’s political news gateway, will feature
complete coverage and analysis before, during and after the debate.
Up-to-the-minute analysis and fact checks of candidate
statements will be available from CNN’s political unit on the
Political Ticker, the Internet’s No. 1 political news blog according to
Nielsen Online. Users may engage in real-time conversation about the
debates on The Forum, CNN.com’s recently launched destination for
social and political self-expression.
In addition to live-streaming the
debate in its entirety, CNN.com Live offers users the ability to watch
real-time commentary from bloggers on both sides of the political
spectrum. CNN.com Live anchor Melissa
Long will host hour-long pre- and post-debate shows
including analysis from the “Best Political Team on Television.”
For its post-debate coverage,
CNN.com will offer users the ability to watch the entire debate online
through video on-demand and full text transcripts. Additional
post-debate coverage will include report cards for each candidate
featuring “grades” from CNN political analysts, as well as debate
performance ratings from CNN.com users and a searchable video
transcript of the debate. A special edition of the AC360 podcast, including the entire
debate and featuring a special introduction from Anderson Cooper, will be available
on iTunes Thursday, Oct. 16.
iReport.com, CNN’s
unfiltered user-generated news community, is inviting iReporters to
share their video analysis of the debate, as well as the ways and
places people are watching the debate around the country.
In addition to airing live on
CNN/U.S., the presidential debate will be simulcast on CNN
International, CNN en Español and CNN Airport Network.
CNN Radio will carry the full
debate live for its affiliates. At the conclusion of the debate, CNN
Radio will provide a half-hour program with post-debate analysis,
anchored by CNN Radio’s Chris Chandler
from Atlanta with Steve Kastenbaum
and Dick Uliano in Hempstead.
CNN Newsource will provide its
affiliates access to on-site reports from correspondents Stephanie Elam, Sandra Endo and RunningMate
correspondent Samantha Hayes.
The Election Express
Yourself, the network’s customized Airstream trailer designed to give
Americans across the nation an interactive political experience is
making its next stop at the final presidential
debate. The airstream trailer will be located at
the Hofstra Student Center in Long Island, N.Y.
from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
In an effort to help
educators and parents discuss the political process with
students, CNN Student News, CNN’s cost-and-commercial-free
educational program for middle and high schools, is offering several
free resources, including a downloadable one-sheet,
a “Debates Viewing Guide,” and a video explainer about
presidential and vice presidential debates. These online tools can be
accessed by visiting www.CNNStudentNews.com.
CNN Worldwide, a division of
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most
trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine
cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based
network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN
Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United
States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news
service; and strategic international partnerships within both
television and the digital media.
-30-
All times Eastern.
For more information, visit www.CNNPressroom.com.
CONTACTS:
Edie
Emery
Washington,
D.C.
Meryl
Conant
Washington,
D.C.