Date Posted: 3/4/2024
A dedicated streaming series from Graham Media Group’s News4Jax in Jacksonville, Fla., discusses “debates, trends, patterns, election laws and more” in what the station calls “an election year like no other.” News4JAX anchor of The Morning Show, Bruce Hamilton, is hosting this series, which aims to give viewers all the information you need to make informed decisions this election year.
Date Posted: 11/16/2023
Hearst Television station WAPT in Jackson, Miss., aired an hour-long, commercial-free debate between incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic nominee Brandon Presley on Nov. 1. “As a local news station, we are built on the foundation of empowering voters with firsthand information,” said WAPT General Manager Peter Keith. “We appreciate the readiness of both Governor Reeves and Mr. Presley in making themselves available in this crucial debate. Their move points to a healthy democracy where voters hear directly from the candidates. This is not just about making a choice but informed decision-making at the ballot.”
Date Posted: 7/28/2022
Leading up to the 2022 election, Hubbard Radio-owned WTOP in Washington, D.C., conducted interviews with all of the Democratic and Republican candidates for Maryland governor in 2022. They asked all candidates the same or similar questions on education, public safety and crime, jobs and the economy, and transportation. With these analyses of the issues side-by-side, WTOP listeners were empowered to make the best decisions for their votes in the 2022 primaries and looking forward to the general election.
Date Posted: 7/28/2022
Local broadcasters provide America’s most trusted news with fact-based reporting that can help stop the spread of disinformation. St. Louis, Mo., radio station KMOX interviewed a local professor who has studied the topic of conspiracy theories about how these theories perpetuate, especially in the contemporary online space, and used that foundation to debunk political conspiracy theories.
Date Posted: 7/28/2022
VERIFY, a project from TV station group TEGNA, is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. VERIFY fact-checking provide trustworthy, transparent information to prove or disprove them. The program works with 49 newsrooms across the country to cover a wide range of topics that impact diverse communities.
Date Posted: 7/28/2022
Three Nexstar Media stations in Michigan, Grand Rapids’ WOOD TV8, Lansing’s WLNS-TV and Marquette’s WJMN-TV, came together with partner stations to air an hour-long debate and extended livestream between Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary candidates. Moderated by Wood TV8’s Political Anchor Rick Albin, the debate posted questions focused on current local and regional issues impacting communities across the state.
Date Posted: 1/9/2021
Following the events at the Capitol on January 6, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate KOCO-TV Oklahoma City, Okla. aired a special editorial report from KOCO President and General Manager Brent Hensley. The editorial discussed the riot, the public’s reaction and the need for unity among Americans.
Date Posted: 10/27/2020
CBS and iHeartMedia partnered to air "Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy on October 29 to empower and encourage citizens to participate in the upcoming election.
The nonpartisan civic engagement event will provide insight and information on participation in the election, and aims to rally Americans to the polls. The event, hosted by Alicia Keys, America Ferrera and Kerry Washington, will include musical performances and celebrity guest appearances alongside dialogue on how to build a voting plan and go to the polls.
Date Posted: 10/25/2020
iHeartMedia’s WKKV-FM Milwaukee will host "Your Vote is Your Voice," a special broadcast featuring Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, on October 27. The special will focus on the importance of voting, what to expect at the polls, deadlines for voting absentee and feature a question and answer portion (Q&A) moderated by Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission.
"The 2020 presidential election may be the most consequential in our country’s history," said Brown. "It’s important to make sure all our voices are heard, and we want to ensure that our listeners are equipped with the information they need in terms of deadlines, what to expect at the polls, rules of voting absentee and more."
Date Posted: 10/23/2020
Hearst’s ABC affiliate KOAT-TV Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Journal hosted a debate on October 23 between Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ben Ray Luján and Republican opponent Mark Ronchetti. Topics during the hour-long debate included Luján’s record in Congress, President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, the future of health care, climate change, and New Mexico’s high rate of violent crime and substance abuse.
Date Posted: 10/21/2020
Sinclair Broadcast Group’s ABC affiliated WJLA-TV Washington, D.C. aired a live virtual town hall on October 20, “Your Voice. Your Vote. Surviving the 2020 Election,” discussing the upcoming election with topics including mail-in, absentee and in-person voting, pandemic restrictions, the emotional and stressful climate of this intense election cycle, and local races and issues in the region.
WJLA-TV News anchors Jonathan Elias and Michelle Marsh moderated the one-hour virtual panel discussion with election administrators, political strategists and a mental health physician.
Date Posted: 10/15/2020
Black radio stations in the Atlanta area announced a partnership with Urban League of Greater Atlanta for the new “Black Radio Unified for the Vote” campaign, aiming to register 50,000 new voters in the metro area. The campaign will feature regional leaders, young activists, celebrities, and on-air talent providing information on voter registration, early voting, absentee ballots and more.
Date Posted: 10/10/2020
Univision Communications Inc., announced the return of "Vota Conmigo" (Vote With Me), the non-partisan multi-platform campaign aimed at motivating every eligible Hispanic citizen to register and cast their vote. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vota Conmigo will focus on digital voter registration tools and regional vote-by-mail options as the 2020 presidential election draws closer. Univision will emphasize the importance of these options through a series of Vota Conmigo PSAs, virtual phone banks, town halls and special programming on Univision’s networks, local television and radio stations and digital properties dedicated to emphasizing the importance of making every voice count.
Date Posted: 10/9/2020
Nexstar Broadcasting hosted the first debate on October 9 in the race for one of Texas’ U.S. Senate seats between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and his Democratic challenger, MJ Hegar. The one-hour event aired on 15 Nexstar stations across the state and also streamed live online.
Date Posted: 10/6/2020
Marble City Media’s WYEA-AM/FM Sylacauga, Ala., hosted a live broadcast on August 4 of a two-night city council and mayoral candidate forum. Members of the Alabama Broadcasters Association selected questions for the 21 candidates to answer from listener suggestions.
Date Posted: 10/5/2020
TEGNA’s NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte, Capitol Broadcasting Company’s NBC affiliate WRAL-TV Raleigh and Nexstar Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WNCN-TV Raleigh North Carolina each hosted a one debate between incumbent U.S. Senator Thom Tillis and challenger Cal Cunningham. The debates aired through September and October and covered issues related to the Supreme Court, education, health care, the pandemic, local infrastructure and the economy.
Date Posted: 10/1/2020
iHeartMedia’s "Why I’m Voting" campaign urges listeners to share their reasons for voting in local, state and national elections. Through Election Day, iHeartMedia asks listeners to record their own 20 second or less audio or video message with their answer to the question: "Why am I voting?" iHeartMedia is sharing many of these clips across its 850 broadcast radio stations, podcasts and social media platforms.
Date Posted: 9/16/2020
Nexstar Media Group’s North Carolina stations will air a live telecast of the debate between U.S. Senate candidates running to represent North Carolina on September 22. Coverage will reach over 8.7 million people in more 100 counties, airing on seven stations, including
CBS affiliate WNCN-TV Raleigh; FOX affiliate WJZY-TV Charlotte; FOX affiliate WGHP-TV Greensboro; CBS affiliate WNCT-TV Greenville; CW affiliate WYCW-TV Spartanburg, S.C.; FOX affiliate WVBT-TV Norfolk, Va.; and NBC affiliate WAVY-TV Norfolk, Va.
Date Posted: 9/16/2020
Stations across Washington state, including Seattle’s TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate KING-TV, Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, Cox Media Group’s CBS affiliate KIRO-TV, FOX owned-and-operated KCPQ-TV and Cascade Public Media’s PBS affiliate KCTS-TV, will air a televised gubernatorial debate on October 7 between incumbent Governor Jay Inslee and challenger Loren Culp. The debate will occur live with the two candidates safely distanced in the state capital, and provide state residents a chance to hear candidates speak and respond to questions regarding statewide issues.
Date Posted: 9/16/2020
Salem Radio Network will produce live, over-the-air coverage of the first Presidential debate on September 29, with pre- and post-debate coverage from Salem Radio Network’s Hugh Hewitt. The debate coverage will include special guests and a live wrap-up reacting to the topics covered by each candidate.
Date Posted: 9/10/2020
Nexstar Broadcasting’s will began broadcasting Fox affiliate KTXL-TV Sacramento’s weekly public affairs program, “Inside California Politics,” on all stations across the state on September 13. The program provides local viewers with concentrated coverage of state, local and national issues, with interviews and original reporting.
“Since it was launched last February in Sacramento, Inside California Politics has developed a loyal following and provided local viewers with up-to-the-minute reporting and a fresh perspective on national, state, and local political issues,” said Tim Busch, president of Nexstar Broadcasting. “Expanding this programming to all of the state’s other major markets is another demonstration of Nexstar’s commitment to providing innovative and impactful local content to the communities we serve.”
Date Posted: 9/10/2020
Telemundo encourages civic discourse through its company-wide initiative “Decision 2020,” a nonpartisan multiplatform effort to provide Latinos with comprehensive information on the issues and the candidates at play in the 2020 election. “Decision 2020” features in-depth news coverage, virtual town halls and hyper-local online voter registration drives with national and local partner organizations. Telemundo has also launched new digital shows in English and Spanish.
In addition, Telemundo released on September 10 an in-depth study examining a wide range of political and social views of young Latinos, the driving force behind Hispanic voter growth. In partnership with BuzzFeed News, the report titled “Young Latinos: A Generation of Change” includes a national online survey of registered Latino voters aged 18 to 34 and provides a detailed look at one of the country’s fastest-growing and most dynamic voting groups in this year’s historic election.
Date Posted: 9/10/2020
iHeartMedia Philadelphia announced the “10,000 Voices” campaign, an effort to engage 10,000 voices from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware for the presidential election in November. The campaign will promote voter registration on air, on the iHeartRadio app, on its websites and through its social media platforms, with encouragement from on-air personalities from all six area stations.
Date Posted: 8/13/2020
Mainstream Media’s WHTP-FM Portland, ME, hosted a conversation with Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap on August 13. The conversation aired statewide Maine Stream Media’s three stations. They discussed the importance of voting, registration, deadlines and absentee voting and added clarity to a topic that has made national headlines
The conversation with Secretary Dunlap follows a previous conversation with Maine’s Democrat nominee for Senate Sara Gideon. These efforts are part of the Hot Radio Maine “Your Vote Matters” campaign that encourages voting in Maine, particularly among young people.
Date Posted: 8/11/2020
iHeartMedia recently launched its “Why I’m Voting” campaign across all platforms and markets through Election Day, November 5. Musicians, athletes and cultural influencers will share their reasons for participating in this year’s election. The campaign will also feature a special podcast series featuring artists and celebrities will feature personal stories behind why voting is so important.
Listeners can submit their own 20 second or less audio or video message here.
“With voter turnout expected to hit record numbers on Election Day, ‘Why I’m Voting’ presents a rare opportunity for people of all backgrounds and beliefs to have their voices heard by millions of their fellow Americans before we cast our votes in November,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia.
Date Posted: 8/6/2020
The Montana Broadcasters Association sponsored an hour-long televised debate in the race for U.S. Senate on August 8. Incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines and Democratic challenger Gov. Steve Bullock faced off Saturday in a debate some labeled as "The battle of the Steves." The debate aired from 9 -10 p.m. on CBS stations KXLH and KRTV in Helena and Great Falls and 9:30 -10:30 p.m. on NBC stations KTGF and KTVH.
Date Posted: 7/30/2020
Marble City Media’s WYEA-AM/FM Sylacauga, Ala., is hosting a live broadcast on August 4 and streaming video of the two-night city council candidate forum. There are 21 people running for six council seats in this small town. members of the Alabama Broadcasters Association will select questions for the candidates to answer from listener suggestions. This radio broadcaster has a huge online presence and a television studio at a local station that allows the stations to connect with their community in unique ways.
Date Posted: 7/8/2020
Univision Communications Inc., announced the return of Vota Conmigo (Vote With Me), the non-partisan multi-platform campaign aimed at motivating every eligible Hispanic citizen to register and cast their vote. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vota Conmigo will focus on digital voter registration tools and regional vote-by-mail options as the 2020 Presidential Election draws closer. Univision will emphasize the importance of these options –through a series of Vota Conmigo PSAs, virtual phone banks, townhalls and special programming on Univision’s networks, local television and radio stations, and digital properties dedicated to emphasizing the importance of making every voice count.
The Vota Conmigo program will also feature a multiplatform roadblock that will air on all Univision platforms in the same format every two weeks until Election Day, with special emphasis in September and October.
“With an estimated 32 million eligible Latino voters ready to cast their ballots in November, we are proud to relaunch our Vota Conmigo campaign to inspire our community and reinforce the importance of voting to make lasting change in our country,” said Ron Estrada, Senior Vice President, Head of Government Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility. “As cities and states across the country continue to follow social distancing guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vota Conmigo will emphasize the availability of digital voter registration tools and vote-by-mail options, ensuring that all eligible Latino voters can exercise their right to make their voices heard from the White House to the halls of local governments nationwide.”
Read more about local efforts here.
Date Posted: 6/1/2020
PBS-owned WGBH-TV Boston held a democratic primary debate on June 1 featuring
Representative Joe Kennedy III and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).
Initially planned for mid-March, the debate was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hour-long debate, postponed until June 1, was held through a partnership between NPR’s WBUR, Hearst’s ABC affiliate WCVB, MassLive, WGBH, The Boston Globe, and the University of Massachusetts Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies.
Date Posted: 3/2/2020
Fox-owned WAGA-TV Atlanta launched a new half-hour show, The Road to November, on February 14 that will air every Friday evening in prime time. WAGA covers the week’s key news on the presidential race, Georgia’s two U.S. Senate races, and several key U.S. House of Representative races in the Atlanta area. It also features commentary from political analysts and in-depth interviews with candidates.
“2020 is shaping up to be an unusual and consequential year in politics, both nationally and in the state of Georgia,” said WAGA General Manager Bill Schneider. “This program will fulfill the crucial role of condensing the most critical stories of the perpetual political news cycle for our viewers.”
Date Posted: 2/28/2020
KTTH-AM Hosts GOP Gubernatorial Forum (sent) (ktth_debate) (ktth_debatelong)
Bonneville’s KTTH-AM Seattle hosted and aired a two-hour GOP Gubernatorial debate on February 28. All four Republican candidates participated: State Senator Phil Fortunato, former Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed, Republic police chief Loren Culp, and businessman Anton Sakharov. They discussed important issues, including gun rights, homelessness, the opioid epidemic and transportation.
“This will be an in-depth look at the issues that matter to voters most,” said Moderator Jason Rantz ahead of the event. “Candidates will be challenged, the pace will be quick, and solutions to Washington’s biggest problems will be demanded of all the Republican candidates.”
Date Posted: 2/20/2020
Fox-owned KTTV Los Angeles held a televised town hall on USC’s campus featuring Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on February 20, the day after a Democratic presidential debate. Mayor Buttigieg answered questions on issues such as diversity and his midwestern roots. Watch the full town hall, check out KTTV’s behind-the-scenes conversation or listen to audio in podcast form.
Date Posted: 2/1/2020
The E.W. Scripps Company hosted on January 27-31 the first National News Literacy Week with the nonprofit News Literacy Project, designed to raise awareness of news literacy as a fundamental life skill.
Scripps’ 60 television stations and national media brands, including Newsy and Stitcher, published stories and ran a national advertising campaign focused on the critical need for news literacy and the important role of a free press in a healthy democracy.
Date Posted: 1/20/2020
TEGNA began training its journalists in mid-January to combat disinformation in partnership with First Draft, a nonprofit that supports journalists, academics and technologists in the digital age. First Draft will train TEGNA’s journalists across the company’s 49 newsrooms to identify false information online.
TEGNA is also expanding its fact-checking initiative "Verify" by adding additional regional fact-checkers to provide transparency in the reporting process and authenticate information submitted by viewers.
Date Posted: 12/5/2019
NBC News’ “Meet the Press” recently launched “County to County,” a project focusing on five key counties in swing states that moderator Chuck Todd said are “likely to decide this election.” Todd and reporters Vaughn Hillyard and Dasha Burns will provide election coverage from Milwaukee County (Wisconsin), Kent County (Michigan), Beaver County (Pennsylvania), Miami-Dade County (Florida) and Maricopa County (Arizona).
Date Posted: 10/30/2019
Hearst Television, as part of its “Commitment 2020” initiative, is extending its television and digital coverage of the 2020 election season to provide election news coverage that affects every state. Journalists from around the country and at the recently expanded Washington, D.C., bureau will conduct deep reporting on election security and other issues. Hearst is also collaborating with FactCheck.org, a project of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, to identify misinformation.
“Study after study shows local television to be the most trusted news source for Americans,” said Hearst President Jordan Wertlieb. “Our teams are well positioned to provide comprehensive coverage of the issues that matter most to voters in their hometowns and regions.”
Date Posted: 10/29/2019
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin and Democratic challenger Andy Beshear participated in five televised debates in October that aired on:
Date Posted: 9/30/2019
Telemundo and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund hosted two phone banks, each open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. On September 17, they focused on citizenship questions and on September 24 addressed voter registration. The campaign is part of “Hazte Contar” (“Be Counted”), Telemundo’s multi-year initiative encouraging participation in the 2020 census and presidential election.
Leading up to the phone banks, Telemundo stations in 30 markets aired news stories about the U.S. citizenship application process and the importance of registering to vote. Stations hosted local voter registration events and aired multiplatform coverage of local and federal election campaigns. Telemundo Network promoted the phone banks on its morning show “Un Nuevo Día,” news programs “Noticias Telemundo Mediodia,” “Al Rojo Vivo,” and “Noticias Telemundo,” and on digital and social platforms.
Date Posted: 9/30/2019
Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WVLA-TV and Fox affiliate WGMB-TV Baton Rouge hosted a debate, held at Louisiana State University, between the three candidates for Louisiana governor. The event, held September 19, broadcast live on television and radio stations statewide. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and the two Republican challengers, Eddie Rispone and Congressman Ralph Abraham discussed education, the economy and infrastructure.
Date Posted: 9/23/2019
Television stations across Mississippi will air a live debate on October 10 between Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood. Reeves and Tate are running for Mississippi Governor.
Date Posted: 6/27/2019
The first Democratic primary debate, held June 26 and 27, featured ten candidates each night. "NBC Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt moderated both hours on both nights. Four moderators were featured for an hour per night: "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd, MSNBC primetime host Rachel Maddow and José Díaz-Balart, anchor of Telemundo’s "Noticias Telemundo" and "NBC Nightly News Saturday."
Date Posted: 6/25/2019
Scripps’ CBS affiliate WTVF Nashville, along with The Tennessean and Belmont University, held a debate for the leading candidates for Nashville mayor on June 25. The debate is part of their commitment to provide voters with critical news and information on the issues impacting Nashville.
Date Posted: 6/1/2019
NBC’s WCAU-TV and Telemundo’s WWSI-TV Philadelphia hosted and aired a mayoral debate between incumbent Mayor Jim Kenney and Democratic challengers former City Controller Alan Butkovitz and state Sen. Anthony H. Williams on May 13. The first and only televised mayoral debate featuring all Democratic candidates was broadcast in English and Spanish and was livestreamed on all WCAU and WWSI digital platforms.
Date Posted: 5/31/2019
Nexstar’s CBS affiliate WJTV Jackson, Miss., will host the only televised Republican gubernatorial primary debate featuring all three candidates on July 23. Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller, Jr., and Representative Robert Foster will participate in the debate to be moderated by WJTV Anchor Byron Brown.
Date Posted: 2/5/2019
Tribune-owned WGN-TV Chicago aired a forum featuring Chicago mayoral candidates on January 10. The live hour and a half long prime time event was open to all fifteen candidates. Twelve attended the whole event, one participated in the second half, and two did not participate. WGN made videos available after the event to show where candidates stand on topics including education, crime and budgets.
Date Posted: 12/1/2018
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA) partnered with several stations to host gubernatorial debates during the 2018 midterm election cycle. Connoisseur Media’s WPLR-FM New Haven hosted the candidates in the final debate, held November 5.
Date Posted: 11/3/2018
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Foundation sponsored two debates in state-wide races. The October 19 event featured gubernatorial candidates Gov. Scott Walker and State Superintendent Tony Evers and the October 13 debate between U.S. Senate candidates Sen. Tammy Baldwin and State Senator Leah Vukmir. Baldwin and Vukmir discussed health care, marijuana legalization, immigration, tariffs and the U.S. Supreme Court. Viewers submitted questions on climate change and abortion using #wbadebate. Gray’s CBS affiliate WSAW Wausau produced the debate with panelists from Wausau stations WSAW; Midwest Communication’s WSAU-AM/FM; Quincy’s ABC affiliate WAOW; and Rockfleet Communications’ NBC affiliate WJFW. More than 80 radio and television stations aired each debate.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Telemundo’s WSCV-TV Miami hosted a one-hour debate on October 2 between U.S. Senate candidates Senator Bill Nelson and Florida Governor Rick Scott. Topics included immigration, Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination and President Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria. The debate aired in Spanish on Telemundo’s WSCV, WTMO Orlando, WWDT Fort Myers and WRMD Tampa; in English on NBC’s WTVJ Miami; and in both languages on mobile apps.
WSCV also hosted and aired a one-hour Spanish-language debate on October 13 between candidates for Florida’s 27th U.S. Congress seat: Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, Broadcast Journalist Maria Elvira Salazar, and Immigration Attorney Mayra Joli.
Telemundo’s “Decision 2018” campaign includes a weekly public affairs show, local town hall meetings, exclusive “Hispanic Opinion Polls” and the “Tu Vota Cuenta” (Your Vote Counts) campaign.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Scripps’ ABC affiliate WXYZ produced a one-hour prime time special, “Spotlight on the News: Inside Michigan’s African American Vote” that explores how African American voters in Michigan impact local, state and national elections. WXYZ re-aired it on October 2, 7, 10 and 12.
Community Affairs Director Chuck Stokes hosted conversations with political experts, journalists, civil rights activists, religious leaders and leaders in Michigan’s Democratic and Republican parties. Guests include civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson; Detroit Urban League President N. Charles Anderson; Michigan ACLU Director Kary Moss; Wayne State University law professor and Damon J. Keith Center Director Peter Hammer; and The Ballenger Report Founder Bill Ballenger. An interview with 92-year-old Mildred Madison, a lifelong Detroiter and community organizer, explores the importance of voting.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Commonwealth Public Broadcasting’s PBS affiliate WCVE Richmond hosted an October 2 debate between U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and his Republican challenger, Corey A. Stewart.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA) held a gubernatorial debate on October 18. Hartford / New Haven television stations who aired the debate include Meredith’s CBS affiliate WFSB, Tribune’s Fox affiliate WTIC-TV, NBC-owned WVIT, Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WTNH, Entravision’s Univision affiliate WUVN, and Telemundo’s WRDM. Entercom, iHeartmedia, Hall Communications, Connoisseur, Cumulus, and Townsquare stations provided radio coverage.
“The CBA has a long history of producing political debates,” said CBA Chair Steve Rabb. “It’s part of our mission as broadcasters to provide voters with information about candidates running for public office.”
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Hearst’s ABC affiliate WCVB Boston hosted a live, one-hour prime time gubernatorial debate on November 1 between incumbent Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez. WCVB Anchor Maria Stephanos and Boston University’s WBUR-FM host Bob Oakes moderated the event, with panelists from WBUR-FM, The Boston Globe, the University of Massachusetts and Western Mass News.
WCVB also partnered with statewide media outlets to host a live, prime-time U.S. Senate race debate on October 30 between incumbent Senator Elizabeth Warren and State Representative Geoff Diehl.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Hearst’s ABC affiliate produced a Florida gubernatorial debate between Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum on October 24. Television stations that aired the debate include: Waterman Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate WBBH Fort Myers, Gray Television’s ABC affiliate WCJB Gainsville, TEGNA’s ABC affiliate WJXX Jacksonville, CBS-owned WFOR Miami, Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WMBB Panama City, Sinclair’s ABC affiliate WEAR Pensacola, Hearst’s NBC affiliate WESH Orlando, Gray’s WCTV Tallahassee, Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WFLA Tampa, and Hearst’s ABC affiliate WPBF West Palm Beach.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Univision-owned KMEX-TV Los Angeles interns created the “Vota Conmigo” (Vote with Me) campaign to increase nonpartisan voter participation in the midterm elections. Univision has adopted the message – that voting together can foster a greater sense of engagement and community - as part of its national campaign to increase Hispanic voter participation.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
TEGNA’s ABC affiliate WHAS-TV Louisville produced and aired a multi-part series, “Voter Voices,” in the weeks before the midterm elections. WHAS’ mobile voting booth traveled across the area to find out why people vote. People feel that voting makes a difference, it’s better than complaining, it’s a lesson to their kids and we are lucky to have the right.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
Hearst’s NBC affiliate WLWT Cincinnati hosted, aired and streamed an hour-long debate with U.S. Senate candidates Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Jim Renacci on October 26. “This debate represents WLWT News 5’s commitment to voters, to have their questions answered by the candidates, live and unedited,” said News Director Jeff Benscoter.
Date Posted: 11/1/2018
TEGNA’s NBC affiliate KING-TV Seattle aired three live debates in October that were open to the public. U.S. Senate debates were held October 8 and October 20. The broadcast of October 17 debate between candidates for the WA-8 U.S. Congressional District included 30 minutes of post-debate analysis.
“Our viewers and voters deserve fair and robust debates that allow us to ask tough questions and probe candidates beyond just a sound bite,” said Political Reporter Natalie Brand. “I hear from the community how much they appreciate the in-depth political coverage that we provide.”
Date Posted: 10/31/2018
Salem Media’s KTIE-AM “590 the Answer” Los Angeles hosted an “Ask the Candidates” forum on October 10, featuring candidates running for various local offices. Participants included Secretary of State Mark Meuser, Controller Kostantantinos Roditis, Treasurer Candidate Greg Conlon, Congress Candidate Sean Flynn, Kimberlin Brown, Congress candidate Tim Donnelly, Assembly candidates Bill Essayli and Henry Nickel, and Chad Bianco.
Date Posted: 10/31/2018
Telemundo-owned WTMO Orlando produced and aired the first scheduled televised Florida gubernatorial debate between candidates Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis. Telemundo’s WSCV-TV Miami, WTMO-TV Orlando, WWDT-TV Fort Myers and WRMD-TV Tampa aired the debate in Spanish on October 16.
Date Posted: 10/19/2018
Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Schuette will appear in two gubernatorial debates this month. Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WOOD-TV Grand Rapids will host the first debate on October 12. Graham’s NBC affiliate WDIV Detroit will host the second on October 24. Each debate will air live and stream online.
Date Posted: 10/2/2018
Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV partnered with a consortium of statewide media including The Boston Globe, the University of Massachusetts system, and Western Mass News will host a live, one-hour debate between the candidates for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, October 30. The debate between U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and State Representative Geoff Diehl (R-7th Plymouth) will be the last U.S. Senate debate before the November 6 general election.
Date Posted: 10/2/2018
Date Posted: 10/2/2018
All television stations owned by The E.W. Scripps Company will devote 100 minutes within their newscasts each week to political coverage, ranging from one-on-one candidate interviews to in-depth focus pieces.
Dispatch Broadcast Group’s WBNS-TV Columbus, Ohio and WTHR-TV Indianapolis, Indiana will devote extensive additional resources to enhance their coverage of the midterm elections. "It is our commitment to deliver expanded, multi-platform, political coverage to our communities we serve," said Dispatch Broadcast Group executives Larry Delia and John Cardenas
Date Posted: 10/2/2018
Telemundo-owned WSCV-TV Miami hosted a U.S. Senate debate on October 2 between Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott. It was the only debate aired in Spanish language.
“As part of our ‘(a href="https://www.nbcumv.com/news/wscv-telemundo-51-1-station-south-florida-kicks-%E2%80%9Cdecisi%C3%B3n-2018%E2%80%9D-election-coverage-hispanic?show=1067346&network=5266626">Decisión 2018’ coverage, this one-of-a-kind forum will help Florida’s Spanish-speaking community understand where each candidate stands on the issues that matter most to them before they head out to the polls to exercise their right to vote this November,” said President and GM Jorge Carballo.
Date Posted: 9/30/2018
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Foundation announced on August 15 that it will continue its 30-year tradition of holding statewide political debates that will be made available to Wisconsin radio and television stations. Gubernatorial candidates Gov. Scott Walker (R) and challenger Tony Evers (D) are invited to participate in a debate hosted in the Madison market. This debate, originally scheduled for October 5, was rescheduled for October 13. U.S. Senate candidates Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) and challenger Leah Vukmir (R) are invited to an October 13 debate held in the Wausau/Rhinelander market. Viewers can ask questions via social media during both hour-long debates.
Date Posted: 9/4/2018
Back Porch Broadcasting’s WORT-FM Madison, Wis., partnered with local newspaper Isthmus, The Progressive magazine, and the Madison Public Library on a debate held August 8 for all Democratic candidates for the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. The eight candidates participated in a meet and greet before the hour-and-a-half long debate.
Date Posted: 9/4/2018
Graham Media Group announced on July 23 that news teams at five stations will significantly increase coverage leading up to gubernatorial and U.S. Senate and House races in Michigan, Florida, and Texas. Click here to see election coverage plans for NBC affiliates KPRC Houston, WDIV Detroit, CBS affiliate WKMG Orlando, ABC affiliate KSAT San Diego and owned-and-operated WJXT Jacksonville, Fla. “It is our responsibility at the local level to cover local, state and federal elections actively and comprehensively across all platforms,” said CEO Emily Barr.
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Date Posted: 8/28/2018
Cox Media Group’s ABC affiliate WSB-TV Atlanta hosted on July 15 the final televised debate between Georgia GOP Gubernatorial candidates Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. The runoff election was held July 24. During the debate, each candidate defended himself against attacks. Cagle defended himself over the secret recording that surfaced last month, in which he admits to voting for a “bad” education bill in order to appease donors and he describes the primary as a contest to see which candidate “could be the craziest.” Cagle also defended himself for spending over $250,000 in air travel, regularly flying between Atlanta and his Gainesville home. Kemp faced accusations that his office mishandled confidential voter data, which has implications for attempts by Russian hackers, and that he personally defaulted on a $500,000 loan.
Date Posted: 7/2/2018
Graham Media Group’s NBC affiliate WDIV-TV Detroit launched citizen engagement project “Your Soapbox” as part of its “Decision 2018” election coverage. Through the “Your Soapbox” roadshow, WDIV will travel across the region to encourage voter participation and hear about issues that are important to viewers. Voter turnout in 2014 in state elections was less than 50 percent in many counties around Detroit. The station also hosted several “4 Minute Debates” at the recent non-partisan Mackinac Policy Conference.
“Everyone should vote their own interests and we, as a non-partisan news organization, need to not only report the stories that are interesting but the policy decisions big and small that affect our viewers,” said General Manager Marla Dutz.
Date Posted: 7/1/2018
Salem Media’s KRLA-AM Los Angeles hosted a crowd of 650 people at its “Ask the Candidate” forum on May 24 at the Nixon Presidential Library. Each of the 32 political candidates in attendance was given a table, where they distributed campaign information to attendees on the various races in which they were participating. Morning show hosts Jennifer Horn and Brian Whitman directed the on-stage program, giving candidates an additional platform. Salem aims to “directly connect listeners with local politicians, giving them a voice in the process!”
Date Posted: 7/1/2018
Scripps’ ABC affiliate WMAR-TV Baltimore aired and streamed the “Your Voice, Your Vote” Democratic gubernatorial debate in primetime on June 13. All Democratic candidates were invited to participate in the 90-minute program. Candidates discussed local law enforcement, health care and national politics.
“This program is yet another example of WMAR’s daily mission to provide Maryland with essential journalism, meaningful storytelling and authentic connections with our coverage and with new specials like this debate,” said Vice President and General Manager Bill Hooper.
Date Posted: 7/1/2018
The foundations of the Nebraska Association of Broadcasters and the Nebraska Press Association split the cost of the campaign creative and social media elements for the “Think F1rst” campaign, which will run July 4 – September 30 on radio and television stations throughout the state. The “Think F1rst” campaign is designed to encourage all Nebraskans to think about the First Amendment and will help educate citizens about the five freedoms it guarantees.
Date Posted: 6/30/2018
Nexstar Media Group is producing and hosting the three-part “Tennessee Governor Debate Series.” ABC affiliate WATN-TV Memphis and the Greater Memphis Chamber produced the first live debate, held April 18, with a focus on business and infrastructure. It aired on Nexstar’s WATN-TV Memphis, ABC affiliate WKRN-TV Nashville, ABC affiliate WATE-TV Knoxville, CBS affiliate WJHL-TV Johnson City, Fox affiliate WJKT-TV Jackson and Fox affiliate WZDX-TV Huntsville. It also aired on Sinclair’s ABC affiliate WTVC-TV Chattanooga, plus radio stations and Spanish language television stations across Tennessee.
Part two of the “Tennessee Governor Debate Series,” held June 20 in Nashville, will focus on legislative and crime issues. The third debate on July 20 in Knoxville will focus on education and health care.
“The Tennessee Governor Debate Series is a unique opportunity for local voters to hear directly from the candidates on the issues that matter most to them before heading to the polls this summer,” said Nexstar President Tim Busch.
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Date Posted: 5/3/2018
Fox-owned WTVT Tampa, Fla., hosted a debate between all four leading Democratic candidates for Florida governor. The debate took place at the station’s studio in Tampa on April 18 and was broadcast at 6:30 p.m. The debate covered topics important to the Tampa community, such as school safety, crime, mental health services and hurricane preparedness. Watch the debate here.
Hosted by Mark Wilson and Kelly Ring, and moderated by Craig Patrick, the participants of the hour-long debate included Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, and businessman Chris King.
Date Posted: 5/1/2018
Hearst’s CBS affiliate KCCI-TV, together with The Des Moines Register, will sponsor two live televised debates in the Democratic primary races for Iowa governor and the 3rd Congressional District. Both debates will be broadcast on KCCI-TV and live-streamed on the Register’s and KCCI’s websites and mobile apps on May 30 and 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Date Posted: 5/1/2018
Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WOOD-TV Grand Rapids, Mich., will host and broadcast a debate on May 9 between candidates in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Graham Media’s NBC affiliate WDIV-TV Detroit will host and broadcast a debate on June 28, also featuring GOP gubernatorial primary candidates.
Date Posted: 5/1/2018
Hearst’s ABC affiliate WPBF-TV Tequesta, Fla., will produce debates between the Democratic and Republican nominees for Florida governor and U.S. Senate, organized by Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association. Debates are scheduled for October 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. and will be carried across all of Florida’s 10 media markets.
Date Posted: 5/1/2018
CBS Television Stations’ WFOR-TV Miami will host statewide Florida Gubernatorial debates. The Republican and Democratic primary debates will be held on August 1 and 2 at 7:00 p.m. The one-hour debates will be broadcast statewide through a consortium of TV stations in Florida’s 10 major media markets.
“These high-profile events will attract a significant and diverse viewership,” said Vice President and General Manager Adam Levy. “Our commitment is to produce an excellent exchange among the candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.”
Date Posted: 4/10/2018
Three debates between GOP candidates in the Indiana Senate race aired on broadcast stations throughout the state:
Date Posted: 4/1/2018
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation (WBA) announced on March 19 that it will offer hour-long debates to radio and television stations across the state for live or delayed broadcast this election season. Democratic candidates for governor will debate July 13 at the studios of Gray’s NBC affiliate WMTV-TV Madison. The Republican candidates for U.S. Senate will debate July 21 at the studios of Gray’s CBS affiliate WSAW-TV Wausau. The WBA Foundation will also hold debates for the general election candidates in both races.
“The high level of interest in this year’s elections prompted us to organize debates for the hotly-contested statewide primaries,” said WBA Foundation President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. “We are proud that Wisconsin’s broadcasters can bring the citizens forums that can help them be informed voters.”
Date Posted: 3/7/2018
Raycom’s CBS affiliate WTOL-TV Toldeo, OH, produced the first Ohio Democratic Gubernatorial Debate of 2018 live on March 7. Candidates Joe Schiavoni, Justice Bill O’Neill, Richard Cordray and Dennis Kucinich discussed the economy, school safety, the opioid crisis.
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Date Posted: 3/1/2018
Hearst’s ABC affiliate WTAE-TV Pittsburgh partnered with The League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh to host a live debate in the race for Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District on March 3.
The hour-long debate aired commercial-free and also streamed live, featuring special election candidates Democrat Conor Lamb and Republican Rick Saccone, “Pittsburghers deserve to see the clearest picture of who will represent us in Congress,” said WTAE President and General Manager Charles W. Wolfertz III. “We are honored to give viewers a chance to see each candidate’s vision for important issues such as tax overhaul, infrastructure, gun safety legislation and national security.”
Date Posted: 2/1/2018
Hearst Television is significantly expanding and updating its pledge to devote extensive television and digital news coverage of election discourse throughout 26 television markets.
Under the group-wide “Commitment 2018” banner, Hearst Television stations have pledged to provide analysis on all their media platforms of a defined major issue each month leading up to Election Day. Hearst stations are addressing topics such as health care, immigration, infrastructure and gun rights. Hearst will also add investigative resources at its Washington, D.C., bureau as part of its efforts to track the positions and truth-checking the messages of politicians and candidates.
“Commitment 2018” includes more than 50 multiplatform events, including debates, issues-focused specials, and town halls. Hearst will also extend digital coverage of the issues to its recently launched Stitch platform.
“As local journalists, it’s our responsibility to drill down on issues of specific importance to local viewers in a relatable manner,” said Barbara Maushard, Hearst Television senior vice president, news.
Date Posted: 1/31/2018
NBC-owned WMAQ-TV and Telemundo-owned WSNS-TV Chicago partnered with the Union League Club of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League to host the first televised 2018 Illinois Democratic Gubernatorial Forum on January 23. Both stations aired and streamed the hour-long forum live, with WSNS also providing Spanish-language captioning.
“Our main priority is to keep our Spanish-speaking viewers informed about news that affects their lives,” said WSNS Vice President of News Diana Maldonado. “The broadcast of this gubernatorial forum is certainly part of our commitment to the community we serve.”
Date Posted: 4/27/2017
Montana Television Network (MTN) held a live debate on April 27 between candidates running to fill former Representative Ryan Zinke’s U.S. House seat. Zinke was tapped by the Trump Administration to serve as Interior Secretary. The debate featured Democrat Rob Quist, Republican Greg Gianforte and Libertarian Mark Wicks. The debate was streamed on all MTN station websites.
Date Posted: 1/18/2017
Univision announced the nationwide expansion of the radio magazine show, “En Boca de León” (In León’s Mouth) hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist León Krauze. The one-hour program airs live weekdays at 7 p.m. and features conversations with callers on politics, current events, pop culture and sports. “En Boca de León” will air on KTNQ-AM Los Angeles, WADO-AM New York, WQBA-AM Miami, WRTO-AM Chicago, KFLC-AM Dallas, KLAT-AM Houston, KCOR-AM San Antonio, KLSQ-AM Las Vegas and KGBT-AM McAllen, Tx.
Date Posted: 12/8/2016
Cordillera Communications’ ABC affiliate Lafayette, La. aired and streamed a prime-time debate on December 8 between Republican Scott A. Angelle and Republican Clay Higgins, the candidates in the December 10th runoff for Louisiana’s Third Congressional District Seat. Voters could submit questions, in text or video form, by posting them on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #KATCDebate.
Date Posted: 11/14/2016
The Illinois Broadcasters Association and Radio Broadcasters of Chicagoland spearheaded a 30-minute commercial-free “roadblock” for more than 40 radio stations to air “Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting” featuring Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Listeners submitted questions in advance online and via social media with the hashtag #ChicagoRadio. The program was the result of a year’s worth of planning. “I recently asked the leaders of Chicago-area radio stations to utilize their powerful platforms and tremendous reach to motivate Chicagoans to take a more active role in making our city stronger,” Emanuel said. “They answered the call with this unique broadcast opportunity.”
“Radio stations have a unique ability to create a meaningful conversation because of the intimate relationship the medium has with its audience,” said Univsion Chicago General Manager Doug Levy. “I am proud that we are leading the dialogue about how to solve some of our biggest problems and take full advantage of some of our greatest strengths.”
Dennis Lyle, president and CEO of the IBA, said in a statement: “The fact the most popular radio stations in Chicago are willing to set aside regular programming and commercial inventory to air this 30-minute conversation with the mayor is a prime example of local broadcasters doing what they do best — serving the needs of their listeners within their communities of license.”
Date Posted: 11/8/2016
Dispatch Broadcast Group’s NBC affiliate WTHR-TV Indianapolis provided extensive coverage on election night. The station led the market in total household viewership from the moment the polls closed at 6:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. and WTHR political reporter Kevin Rader was the only Indianapolis-based TV reporter to interview Vice President-elect/Indiana Governor Mike Pence that evening. “I’m proud of our station’s great planning, journalistic integrity and commitment to excellence around such an important and historic day in our nation’s political history,” said Dispatch Broadcast Group President Larry Delia. Additionally, the wthr.com news app and website received 1.4 million page views on election night, including 219,000 unique visitors.
Date Posted: 11/3/2016
ABC News Radio’s ’Powerhouse Politics" podcast, which launched in February, was published daily from November 1 through Election Day. Hosts Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl and Political Director Rick Klein discussed the latest poll numbers and developments on the campaign trail.
Date Posted: 11/3/2016
Westwood One will air continuous, live coverage and special reports every 15 minutes from 7:00 p.m. ET through at least 1:00 a.m. on Election Night. Westwood One plans to air special reports four times per hour throughout the morning drive on November 9.
Date Posted: 11/3/2016
Max Media’s NBC affiliate WNKY Bowling Green, Ky. airs “Get Out the Vote” PSAs in multiple languages. The spots ran at least once an hour on a rotating basis in the 10 days leading up to the election. View PSAs in English, Bosnian and Spanish.
Date Posted: 11/2/2016
Raycom produced a debate for Louisiana’s U.S. Senate candidates, held November 2, that aired on CBS affiliate WAFB Baton Rouge, Fox affiliate WVUE New Orleans, NBC affiliate KPLC-TV Lake Charles and CBS affiliate KSLA-TV Shreveport. The one-hour debate aired live in prime time and streamed online. All six candidates - John Kennedy (R), Foster Campbell (D), Caroline Fayard (D), Charles Boustany (R), John Fleming (R) and David Duke (R) - have confirmed their participation in the Raycom debate. “We are committed to producing a program that is fair and informative for Louisiana to choose their next U.S. Senator,” said Raycom Media Regional News Director Vicki Zimmerman.
Date Posted: 11/1/2016
Hubbard’s ABC affiliate KAAL Austin, Minn. produced and aired the live, local “Super Tuesday Debates” series every Tuesday from September 13 - November 1 at 6:30 p.m. KAAL re-aired all of the debates on its digital channel for 24 hours on November 7 in order to inform the electorate about local races in advance of the election. The series covered every race from U.S. Congress to City Council.
Date Posted: 10/28/2016
Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WETM-TV Elmira, N.Y. hosted a debate on October 28 between incumbent Tom Reed and Democratic challenger John Plumb. Plumb and Reed vied for New York’s 23rd Congressional District seat.
Date Posted: 10/28/2016
Nexstar’s NBC affiliate WETM-TV Elmira, N.Y. hosted a debate on October 28 between Rep. Tom Reed (R) and John Plumb, his Democratic opponent for N.Y.’s 23rd Congressional District seat.
Date Posted: 10/23/2016
Three radio and television debates are planned for N.Y. 24th Congressional District race:
- October 23: State University of New York’s WRVO-FM
- November 3: Sinclair’s NBC affiliate WSTM-TV and Granite Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WTVH-TV Syracuse
- November 6: Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WSYR-TV Syracuse
Date Posted: 10/20/2016
E.W. Scripps’ ABC affiliates WEWS Cleveland and WCPO Cincinnati partnered on a U.S. Senate debate on October 20 debate between Republican incumbent Rob Portman and Democratic challenger Ted Strickland. The debate streamed live and also aired on stations in Youngstown, Lima and Columbus.
Date Posted: 10/19/2016
Univision News provided all-platform coverage of the three presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on September 26, October 4 and October 19. Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas hosted the broadcasts, which included post-debate commentary and analysis. The first debate reached 6.3 million viewers and the final reached 6.4 million total viewers. In addition to a live stream in English, all three debates aired live with simultaneous Spanish translation on Univision Network, Univision.com, the Univision and Univision Noticias apps, Facebook.com/UnivisionPolítica, UnivisionNOW, YouTube, Periscope and Snapchat Live.
Date Posted: 10/19/2016
Quincy’s NBC affiliates KTIV-TV Sioux City, KWWL-TV Cedar Rapids, KTTC-TV Rochester, Minn. and WGEM-TV Quincy, Ill., hosted a debate on October 19 between Senator Grassley and Democratic challenger Patty Judge. The debate also streamed live online. “Sen. Grassley looks forward to another debate with a statewide audience,” said Grassley’s Campaign Manager Bob Haus.
Date Posted: 10/18/2016
Univision Houston hosted a ‘Millennial Debate’ on October 18. Democrat, Republican and Independent young voters discussed a range of topics including gun control, immigration and student debt. The debate broadcast exclusively on Facebook Live, reaching more than 100,000 people.
Date Posted: 10/14/2016
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation sponsored a debate between incumbent U.S. Senator Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Russ Feingold on October 14. The hour-long debate, produced by Sinclair’s Fox affiliate WLUK-TV Green Bay, aired on 84 radio and TV stations across the state. “The WBA Foundation is honored to continue our more than 25-year tradition of these important debates as part of the civic and political process,” said WBAF President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind.
Date Posted: 10/14/2016
Nexstar’s CBS affiliate KLAS-TV and Univision-owned KINC Las Vegas hosted an hour-long, prime time debate on October 14 between Joe Heck and Catherine Cortez Masto, who vied for the seat of retiring Sen. Harry Reid. Sarkes Tarzian’s CBS affiliate KTVN Reno live-simulcast the debate to ensure statewide coverage. KLAS also aired a live post-debate special. Univision’s KINC Las Vegas and KREN-TV Reno aired the debate on October 16. "We are thrilled our local team at 8 News Now, in partnership with Noticias Univision, will moderate this event as candidates tackle the issues important to Nevadans,” said KLAS Vice President and General Manager Lisa Howfield.
Date Posted: 10/13/2016
California Oregon Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate KOBI Medford, Ore. hosted a gubernatorial debate on October 13 between Democrat Kate Brown and Republican Bud Pierce.
Date Posted: 10/13/2016
The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation hosted a U.S. Senatorial Debate between incumbent Richard Burr (R) and challenger Representative Deborah Ross (D) on October 13. ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl moderated the debate at UNC-TV Studios.
Date Posted: 10/13/2016
California Oregon Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate KOBI Medford, Ore. hosted a gubernatorial debate on October 13 between Democrat Kate Brown and Republican Bud Pierce.
Date Posted: 10/7/2016
Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Republican nominee Kathy Szeliga, candidates running for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat, participated in two broadcast debates. American University’s WAMU-FM Washington, D.C. hosted the October 7 debate. CBS-owned WJZ-TV Baltimore hosted the candidates on October 26.
Date Posted: 9/27/2016
Univision Communications (UCI) leveraged all of its 126 local television and radio stations, plus digital assets, to guide Hispanics and diverse communities through the voter registration process on National Voter Registration Day. UCI collaborated with national organizations to activate voters across the country as part of its nonpartisan, multiplatform “Vote for Your America” initiative. UCI also set up in-office voter registration drives across its offices.
Date Posted: 9/26/2016
Univision News provided all-platform coverage of the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on September 26. Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas hosted the Univision News broadcast, which included post-debate commentary and analysis. The debate reached 6.3 million viewers. In addition to a live stream in English on Univision.com, the debate broadcast live with simultaneous Spanish translation on Univision Network, Univision.com, the Univision and Univision Noticias apps, Facebook.com/UnivisionPolítica, UnivisionNOW, YouTube, Periscope and Snapchat Live.
Date Posted: 9/26/2016
Telemundo’s September 26 presidential debate coverage included a pre-debate show, a simultaneous Spanish translation of the debate and post-event analysis. It also aired live online and on the network’s mobile app, Facebook and YouTube pages. Telemundo has devoted 275 hours of airtime to the election and hosted registration drives in 15 markets under its #YODECIDO initiative. “Telemundo has been in hyper-drive during this election cycle,” José Díaz-Balart told &P Global Market Intelligence. “It’s our job to present the news with passion and compassion... Latinos have a hunger for information.”
Date Posted: 9/26/2016
Telemundo’s September 26 presidential debate coverage included a pre-debate show, a simultaneous Spanish translation of the debate and post-event analysis. It also aired live online and on the network’s mobile app, Facebook and YouTube pages. Telemundo has devoted 275 hours of airtime to the election and hosted registration drives in 15 markets under its #YODECIDO initiative. “Telemundo has been in hyper-drive during this election cycle,” José Díaz-Balart told S&P Global Market Intelligence. “It’s our job to present the news with passion and compassion... Latinos have a hunger for information.”
Date Posted: 8/16/2016
Graham Media’s WJXT-TV Jacksonville held debates for the following races: State Attorney on August 16; 4th Congressional District on August 17; and 5th Congressional District on August 18. The hour-long debates were held in Jacksonville University’s Swisher Theater. The debates aired on WJXT-TV and were livestreamed on the station’s website.
Date Posted: 8/14/2016
CBS owned-and-operated WFOR Miami held a debate between incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Tim Canova in the race for Florida’s 23rd Congressional District on August 14. The hour-long debate was broadcast live during the station’s “Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede” program. It will likely be the only race debate before the August 30 election.
Date Posted: 8/13/2016
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation will sponsor a 2016 U.S. Senate debate between incumbent U.S. Senator Ron Johnson and Democratic challenger Russ Feingold will be held on October 14. The hour-long debate will be offered statewide to Wisconsin television and radio stations for live broadcast and re-broadcast. “The WBA Foundation is honored to continue our more than 25-year tradition of these important debates as part of the civic and political process,” said WBAF President & CEO Michelle Vetterkind.
Date Posted: 8/4/2016
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley announced August 5 that he accepted invitations to participate in two face-to-face debates with 2016 challenger Patty Judge. The debates are being hosted by Iowa Public Television and iHeartMedia’s WHO-AM Des Moines.
Date Posted: 7/14/2016
Twitter teamed up with CBS News to present the network’s live stream of both the Republican and Democratic national conventions on the social sharing sites and apps. The stream, run by CBS News with their correspondents, ran "gavel-to-gavel" coverage on Twitter each day, in similar fashion to how NFL games and Wimbledon matches were streamed. The footage was "enhanced" with a running thread of live convention-related tweets.
Date Posted: 7/7/2016
ABC News arranged a town hall with President Obama to discuss "race relations, justice, policing and equality." ABC’s David Muir moderated the discussion, joined by ESPN’s Jemele Hill. It was broadcast on ABC, ESPN and Disney’s other channels without commercial interruption.
Date Posted: 6/25/2016
Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WSYR-TV Syracuse, N.Y. aired a debate on June 25 among the three Democratic candidates for Congress in New York’s 24th District. None of the candidates - Steve Williams, Colleen Deacon and Eric Kingson - has previously held elective office.
Date Posted: 6/23/2016
Univision Arizona and Univision New York offered community support after the Supreme Court’s 4-4 ruling on US versus Texas on June 23, to determine whether President Obama’s 2014 immigration relief programs can go into effect. They organized phone banks, town halls and clinics in partnership with the Arizona State Bar, MFV, The New York Immigration Coalition, the New York State New American Hotline, and Catholic Charities to provide up-to-date information about Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The DAPA and the expansion of DACA will not be implemented. Arizona saw more than 300 people attend the clinic and 130 families received one-on-one free legal advice from attorneys. New York’s town hall had 600 people in attendance.
Date Posted: 6/23/2016
Univision Arizona and Univision New York offered community support after the Supreme Court’s 4-4 ruling on US versus Texas on June 23, to determine whether President Obama’s 2014 immigration relief programs can go into effect. They organized phone banks, town halls and clinics in partnership with the Arizona State Bar, MFV, The New York Immigration Coalition, the New York State New American Hotline, and Catholic Charities to provide up-to-date information about Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The DAPA and the expansion of DACA will not be implemented. Arizona saw more than 300 people attend the clinic and 130 families received one-on-one free legal advice from attorneys. New York’s town hall had 600 people in attendance.
Date Posted: 6/13/2016
Univision-owned WXTV New York City hosted a two-hour debate on June 13 for candidates for New York’s 13th Congressional District. Univision moderates asked questions, including audience submissions, to the eight Democrat and one Republican candidates on Social Security, affordable housing, minimum wage and retirement. Univision’s WADO-AM also partnered for the event.
Date Posted: 6/1/2016
Fox-owned WTTG Washington will debut on July 18 a new weeknight newscast primarily dedicated to the presidential election. “This election is unlike any we have ever seen. It deserves unconventional and original political reporting,” said Vice President and General Manager Paul McGonagle. WTTG will broadcast live from the Republican and Democratic national conventions and offer interviews with local and national newsmakers. Although it will focus on the 2016 presidential election, WTTG will also include the day’s top stories. With this expansion, WTTG will produce 57 hours of local news each week.
Date Posted: 6/1/2016
Raycom Media’s Fox affiliate WVUE-TV New Orleans, CBS affiliate WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, CBS affiliate KSLA-TV Shreveport and NBC affiliate KPLC-TV Lake Charles will host a televised debate on November 2 for U.S. Senate candidates. In the event of a runoff, a second debate will take place December 8.
Date Posted: 4/12/2016
Hearst’s WBAL-AM and NBC affiliate WBAL-TV Baltimore simulcasted an hour-long debate on April 12 between six Democratic mayoral candidates. The debate was also streamed live. "WBAL-TV is committed to making sure our viewers are able to make an informed decision at the polls during this important election year," said General Manager Dan Joerres
Date Posted: 4/6/2016
Hearst’s ABC affiliate WTAE-TV Pittsburgh hosted and aired a debate on April 5 with candidates for U.S. Senate, Joe Sestak, Katie McGinty and John Fetterman. WTAE President and General Manager Charles W. Wolfertz III spoke about the event on-air in the days leading to the debate.
Date Posted: 4/4/2016
Three debates for San Diego mayoral candidates have been planned for incumbent Kevin Faulconer, Democrat Ed Harris and Independent Lori Saldaña. The debates are scheduled for April 12 on Univision’s KBNT, May 23 on McKinnon Broadcasting-owned KUSI-TV, and June 3 on NBC-owned KNSD.
Date Posted: 4/4/2016
Hearst’s WBAL-AM and NBC affiliate WBAL-TV Baltimore will simulcast an hour-long debate between six Democratic candidates competing for Baltimore mayor on April 12. The debate will also be streamed live. “WBAL-TV is committed to making sure our viewers are able to make an informed decision at the polls during this important election year,” said General Manager Dan Joerres.
Date Posted: 4/3/2016
CBS-owned WJZ-TV Baltimore partnered with The Baltimore Sun and the University of Baltimore on several debates. Baltimore’s mayoral candidates debated on March 22 and 23. The Republican candidates for U.S. Senate faced off on March 23, with the Democratic debate occurring March 25. Reps. Donna F. Edwards and Chris Van Hollen, Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, also participated in a debate that aired April 5 on the Larry Young Morning show on Radio One’s WOLB-AM Baltimore.
Date Posted: 4/3/2016
University of Missouri’s NBC affiliate KOMU-TV Columbia, MO hosted a March 17 debate for Republican gubernatorial candidates businessman John Brunner, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and former Missouri Speaker of the House Catherine Hanaway. They discussed job creation, state road and university funding, race relations, term limits and campaign reform.
Date Posted: 3/22/2016
PMCM TV’s Me-TV affiliates WJLP Middletown Township, N.J. and KJWP Wilmington, DE offered the Republican and Democrat presidential contenders an hour of primetime in the two weeks leading up to the primaries. Both stations will air the programs regardless of other candidates’ participation at 8 p.m. from April 6 – 15, leading up to the New York primary, and on April 24 before Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut contests. “As longtime broadcasters, we take our public service commitment seriously,” said PMCM President and CEO Robert McAllan.
Date Posted: 3/22/2016
PMCM TV’s Me-TV affiliates WJLP Middletown Township, N.J. and KJWP Wilmington, DE offered the Republican and Democrat presidential contenders an hour of primetime in the two weeks leading up to the primaries. Both stations will air the programs regardless of other candidates’ participation at 8 p.m. from April 6 – 15, leading up to the New York primary, and on April 24 before Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut contests. “As longtime broadcasters, we take our public service commitment seriously,” said PMCM President and CEO Robert McAllan.
Date Posted: 3/22/2016
PBS-owned WFYI Indianapolis hosted an hour-long debate on April 18 between Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, Marlin Stutzman and Todd Young. A live feed of the telecast was made available to television stations statewide. Voters also had the opportunity to submit questions for consideration.
Date Posted: 3/7/2016
Univision’s newly launched Detector de Mentiras (Lie Detector) during the March 9 Democratic debate to fact-check presidential candidates this election season. During that event, Detector de Menitras focused on the candidates’ statements on drivers’ licenses for undocumented residents, Hillary Clinton’s famous speeches to Wall Street and the auto industry bailout. In general, the fact-checking team will focus on issues that are important to the Hispanic community, such as immigration, education and health care. "Univision has been asserting itself as a significant player in investigative work over the past few years," said Al Tompkins of Poynter, who cited Univision’s Rape in the Fields and Rape on the Night Shift.
Date Posted: 3/5/2016
Hearst-owned ABC affiliate WISN Milwaukee and the Marquette University Law School to air debates between candidates in several races.They will produce and air the mayoral debate March 11; the statewide Wisconsin Supreme Court debate on March 15; the debate for Milwaukee County Executive aired on March 9. All events also streamed online and on the 12 News Mobile App.
Date Posted: 3/4/2016
Graham Media Group’s NBC affiliate WDIV Detroit produces and airs "Flashpoint," a weekly public affairs program focused on topics that are important to the community, including the upcoming election and the Detroit Public Schools. A primetime special on March 4 gave viewers additional perspective leading up to the Michigan primary election. “Flashpoint” host Devin Scillian has interviewed presidential candidates John Kasich, Marco Rubio and Bernie Sanders, among others.
Date Posted: 3/2/2016
Univision Houston launched the Bilingual Text Messaging Tool to provide tips and timely updates on national and state level elections. Since February, 1,044 people have subscribed to the tool. The initiative is part of Univision Contigo’s voter engagement campaign, “Vote For Your America.”
In addition, Univision Houston partnered with the National Association of Latino of Elected Officials (NALEO), Neighborhood Centers, Inc. and the City of Houston on a Citizenship and Immigration Forum on March 12. Out of the 161 attendees, 43 received assistance with their citizenship applications.
Date Posted: 3/1/2016
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) launched "Vote for Your America," a multi-platform campaign encouraging voter participation among Hispanic millennials. UCI is leveraging its broadcast and digital platforms, including Univision Network, UniMás, Galavisión, Univision Deportes Network and Local Media. The campaign includes local nonpartisan events, a bilingual text messaging tool, a digital election guide and PSAs. It is part of UCI’s in-depth election coverage campaign, "Destino 2016" (Destiny 2016).
Date Posted: 3/1/2016
Univision premiered "Heads of Space," a satirical, animated web series based on the 2016 election, on February 16. The weekly episodes, available in English with Spanish subtitles, follow the adventures of candidates Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, who are sent to Mars by President Obama on a mission to ensure the survival of the human race before an asteroid destroys Earth. A robot named ROTUS pilots the spaceship and mediates conflicts between the candidates. HeadsOfSpace.com also features daily election news and infographics.
Date Posted: 3/1/2016
ABC-owned WLS-TV, Univision’s WGBO-TV Chicago and the League of Women Voters of Illinois hosted and streamed hour-long, commercial-free, prime time debates with candidates for U.S. Senate on February 19 and Cook County State’s Attorney, February 26. WGBO aired each debate two days later.
Date Posted: 3/1/2016
Capitol Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate WRAL-TV Raleigh hosted a half-hour debate on February 25, featuring the four Democratic candidates for the N.C. Senate: Kevin Griffin, Ernest Reeves, Chris Rey and Deborah Ross.
Date Posted: 2/16/2016
Entravision is encouraging Latinos to participate in the 2016 presidential election through its multi-platform campaign, "Tú Decides." The multi-platform campaign, which launched on Dec. 3 with a voter registration drive, encompasses Entravision’s television, radio, social and online assets. It includes Spanish-language news and political content on PoliticaParaMi.com and is customized for each market.
Date Posted: 2/16/2016
Scripps’ ABC affiliate WCPO-TV Cincinnati asked Democratic candidates for U.S. Senator from Ohio, former Governor Ted Strickland and Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld to participate in a televised debate. Strickland declined to participate and said he would also decline any debate requests from other outlets.
Date Posted: 2/4/2016
Quincy’s NBC affiliate WVVA Bluefield, W.V., hosted Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin on a special edition of
"In Focus." On the show, the senators discussed past accomplishments, goals for 2016 and answered viewer questions.
Date Posted: 2/1/2016
Cumulus’ WABC-AM New York City’s “Election Central with Rita Cosby” airs every Sunday night. Cosby’s guests have included Presidential candidates Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee. Listen to audio.
Date Posted: 1/14/2016
Tribune’s NBC affiliate WHO-TV Des Moines, IA aired three one-hour live presidential candidate forums. On Nov. 17, neurosurgeon Ben Carson discussed education. On Nov. 18, two-term Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal discussed his plan for the nation’s health care system. On Nov. 19, Donald Trump shared ideas on helping the economy. Iowans submitted questions on social media and in person. (Watch video).
Date Posted: 1/14/2016
Telemundo’s "Noticias Telemundo" Spanish-language app launched on Nov. 8. It is the first news app for U.S. Hispanics available for Apple Watch. It includes content from “Un Nuevo Día,” “Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste” and “Noticiero Telemundo,” and will offer real-time election results. Also, Telemundo is airing #Yodecido (I Decide) PSAs encouraging voter participation. “Telemundo is committed to empower [Hispanics] with information that is reliable and balanced, distributed across the platforms they use,” said Telemundo’s Luis Carlos Velez.
Date Posted: 1/14/2016
Hearst’s CBS affiliate KCCI-TV Des Moines presented a November 14 debate between Democratic Presidential candidates at Drake University. The debate was held one day after the terror attacks in Paris, so KCCI adjusted its focus to address the tragedy.
Date Posted: 1/14/2016
NBC will partner with PolitiFact for this campaign season. PolitiFact will monitor statements candidates make on Meet the Press and other programs, giving selected comments a score on its Truth-O-Meter. PolitiFact is also partnering with E.W. Scripps to air fact-checks in Scripps’ 24 local television markets.
Date Posted: 1/14/2016
Univision’s KXLN and ABC’s KTRK-TV Houston co-hosted a mayoral runoff debate featuring candidates Bill King and Sylvester Turner on December 2. KTRK-TV broadcast the event live, and KXLN aired it at 10 p.m. that evening. It also streamed live. Watch the full debate.
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Tegna’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV Denver has gained recognition for quality content and high-profile interviews on its political show "Balance of Power." An interview with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton aired Oct. 18. Long-form news shows such as this "make a difference in the policy debate and in elections," said the Huffington Post’s Jason Salzman.
Hearst’s NBC affiliate WDSU-TV New Orleans hosted and aired an Oct. 1 debate featuring six candidates for Louisiana Governor (watch video).
An Oct. 6 debate between Kentucky gubernatorial candidates Jack Conway and Matt Bevin aired on Cordillera Communication’s NBC affiliate WLEX-TV Lexington, Ky.; Gray’s WSAZ-TV Huntington, W.V.; iHeartMedia’s WHAS-AM Louisville; Raycom Media’s NBC affiliate WAVE-TV Louisville; Fox affiliate WXIX-TV Newport, Ky.; and NBC affiliate WFIE-TV Owensboro, Ky. (watch video).
Tegna’s NBC affiliate WCSH-TV Portland, ME broadcast live a debate between incumbent Mayor Michael Brennan and challenger Ethan Strimling on Oct. 13 (watch video).
KTBS Inc.’s ABC affiliate KTBS Shreveport, La. broadcast live and streamed a debate on Oct. 15 featuring the top four candidates for Louisiana governor (watch video).
Media General’s CBS affiliate WISH-TV Indianapolis hosted and broadcast live the city’s only mayoral debate, held Oct. 16 (watch video).
Tegna’s CBS affiliate KHOU-TV Houston sponsored and aired an hour-long debate on Oct. 17 with seven of the 13 candidates for mayor (watch video).
ABC owned WPVI-TV Philadelphia aired an Oct. 25 debate with five mayoral candidates (election coverage).
Tegna’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV Denver used its Video Call Center system for a post-GOP debate show on Oct. 28. The system allows viewers to be seen on-air as they interact with hosts. KUSA also used the platform when covering the 2015 NFL preseason.
CBS News is partnering with Twitter on an enhanced viewer experience for the Nov. 14 Democratic debate. Twitter will provide CBS News with live reactions and voter questions, some of which may be used in the debate.
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Tegna’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV Denver has gained recognition for quality content and high-profile interviews on its political show "Balance of Power." An interview with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton aired Oct. 18. Long-form news shows such as this "make a difference in the policy debate and in elections," said the Huffington Post’s Jason Salzman.
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Hearst’s NBC affiliate WDSU-TV New Orleans hosted and aired an Oct. 1 debate featuring six candidates for Louisiana Governor (watch video).
KTBS Inc.’s ABC affiliate KTBS Shreveport, La. broadcast live and streamed a debate on Oct. 15 featuring the top four candidates for Louisiana governor (watch video).
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Tegna’s NBC affiliate WCSH-TV Portland, ME broadcast live a debate between incumbent Mayor Michael Brennan and challenger Ethan Strimling on Oct. 13 (watch video).
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Media General’s CBS affiliate WISH-TV Indianapolis hosted and broadcast live the city’s only mayoral debate, held Oct. 16 (watch video).
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
Tegna’s CBS affiliate KHOU-TV Houston sponsored and aired an hour-long debate on Oct. 17 with seven of the 13 candidates for mayor (watch video).
Tegna’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV Denver used its Video Call Center system for a post-GOP debate show on Oct. 28. The system allows viewers to be seen on-air as they interact with hosts. KUSA also used the platform when covering the 2015 NFL preseason.
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
ABC owned WPVI-TV Philadelphia aired an Oct. 25 debate with five mayoral candidates (election coverage).
Date Posted: 11/5/2015
An Oct. 6 debate between Kentucky gubernatorial candidates Jack Conway and Matt Bevin aired on Cordillera Communication’s NBC affiliate WLEX-TV Lexington, Ky.; Gray’s WSAZ-TV Huntington, W.V.; iHeartMedia’s WHAS-AM Louisville; Raycom Media’s NBC affiliate WAVE-TV Louisville; Fox affiliate WXIX-TV Newport, Ky.; and NBC affiliate WFIE-TV Owensboro, Ky. (watch video).
Date Posted: 10/19/2015
Gray Television’s CBS affiliate WKYT-TV Lexington hosted a debate on September 15 between the state’s three gubernatorial candidates: Jack Conway, Matt Bevin and Drew Curtis. Topics included same-sex marriage licenses and Medicaid funding. In another hour-long debate, held September 23, WKYT and Hearst Television’s CBS affiliate WLKY-TV Louisville hosted candidates for lieutenant governor, Jenean Hampton and Sannie Overly. WLKY has earned Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Television Political Journalism for eight consecutive years for its coverage of local politics.
Date Posted: 10/19/2015
Nexstar Broadcasting is hosting a one-hour debate on October 7, featuring the candidates for Louisiana governor: John Bel Edwards, Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne. The debate will air online and on Nexstar’s NBC affiliate KTAL-TV Shreveport, NBC affiliate KLAF-LD Lafayette and Fox affiliate WNTZ-TV Alexandria, plus White Knight Holding’s NBC affiliate WVLA-TV Baton Rouge, Tribune Broadcasting’s CW affiliate WNOL-TV New Orleans and National Communications’ Fox affiliate KVHP-TV.
Date Posted: 10/19/2015
Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WAPT-TV Jackson, Miss., is providing extensive political coverage through its Commitment 2015. In the weeks leading up to the August primaries, more than 40 candidates provided their vision for public office through the station’s "In Their Own Words" segment on the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.
Date Posted: 10/19/2015
Salem Radio Network (SRN) provided exclusive radio coverage of the September 16 GOP presidential debate. SRN’s 31 stations carried the debate, plus the pre- and post-event coverage. Westwood One will provide exclusive radio coverage of the third GOP presidential debate, to be held October 28. Westwood One News is also the exclusive radio broadcaster for the first Democratic Party presidential debate, to be held October 13.
Date Posted: 9/3/2015
Univision Communication’s owned-and-operated KXLN-TV and ABC owned-and-operated KTRK-TV Houston will co-host the Houston Mayoral Debate on Sept. 10, and will live stream the event exclusively on the KTRK and KXLN websites. Univision will also include a simultaneous Spanish-language translation. ABC-13 will telecast the debate that same night at 10:35 p.m. Viewers are encouraged to submit questions in English or Spanish on Twitter using #HOUSTONVOTE. The mayoral candidates include Chris Bell, Stephen Costello, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Marty McVey and Sylvester Turner. KTRK aired this profile of Chris Bell in advance of the debate. “We are thrilled with our partnership with ABC-13. By co-hosting this mayoral forum, we are providing a great service to our community. The top mayoral candidates will have an opportunity to convey their respective visions and plans for the city of Houston,” said David Loving, general manager of Univision Houston Local Media.
Date Posted: 8/3/2015
Ryman Hospitality Properties’ WSM-AM Nashville broadcast live interviews with candidates for mayor on Aug. 4 in advance of the Aug. 6 election. Candidates were invited to visit a local deli, where morning show hosts Bill and Charlie aired the live show Coffee, Country & Cody with the Candidates! <
Date Posted: 7/17/2015
Bonneville Broadcasting Corporation’s NBC affiliate KSL-TV Salt Lake City hosted a debate on July 1 between Jason Chaffetz and Brian Wonnacott, candidates for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District. Click here to see video of the candidates discussing issues raised by Utah residents and election officials. Topics in the debate included the recent Ebola outbreak, White House security, education, gun policy, foreign policy, tax reform, economic development and providing health care for veterans.
Date Posted: 7/17/2015
Three Nashville stations scheduled televised debates in advance of a potential runoff in the mayoral election. The first debate will air Aug. 19 on Meredith Corporation’s NBC affiliate WSMV-TV. On Aug. 24, Scripps’ CBS affiliate WTVF-TV will air another debate. The final debate is set for Sept. 2 on Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Fox affiliate WZTV-TV. On May 21, WSMV aired a debate with all seven candidates, who covered topics such as traffic, transportation, preserving Nashville’s history and gentrification.
Date Posted: 7/17/2015
Univision News and The Washington Post will collaborate on a Republican presidential candidates’ forum ahead of primaries in March 2016. The collaboration will explore key players and issues through polling, joint reporting projects, video interviews, interactive graphics and digital storytelling to enhance coverage of the issues that are important to Hispanic voters.
Date Posted: 6/4/2015
Media General’s NBC affiliate WCMH-TV Columbus hosted a debate on April 22 between the candidates for Columbus Mayor: Terry Boyd (R), Andrew Ginther (D), James Ragland (D) and Zach Scott (D). The "Ohio Votes 2015 Mayoral Debate" broadcast live on air and online, and was replayed in its entirety on April 25. The public was invited to attend the event or submit questions via Facebook.
Date Posted: 6/4/2015
ABC owned-and-operated WPVI-TV Philadelphia hosted a debate for the six Democratic candidates for Philadelphia mayor on May 5: Lynne Abraham, Nelson Diaz, Jim Kenney, Doug Oliver, Milton Street and Anthony Williams.
Date Posted: 6/4/2015
Bayshore Television’s CBS affiliate WJAX-TV Jacksonville hosted a debate on May 6 between candidates for Jacksonville mayor, incumbent Alvin Brown and Republican challenger Lenny Curry. Cox Media Group’s WOKV-FM Jacksonville also broadcast the event.
Date Posted: 6/4/2015
The Florida Association of Broadcasters provided a satellite uplink for local and national stations to cover the Economic Summit on June 2nd. During the event, Florida Governor Rick Scott hosted prospective 2016 Republican Presidential candidates, who each had 30 minutes to discuss their views on jobs and economic growth. Morning speakers included Scott, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Texas Governor Rick Perry and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The afternoon program featured New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul declined the invitation.
Date Posted: 3/13/2015
Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate WPTZ-TV hosted a debate on Feb. 18 between candidates for Burlington mayor: Independent Greg Guma, Progressive Steve Goodkind, Libertarian Loyal Ploof and incumbent Democrat Miro Weinberger. The debate aired live and was re-broadcast online that day.
Date Posted: 3/13/2015
ABC owned-and-operated WLS-TV Chicago hosted a debate between candidates for Chicago Mayor on Feb. 5. CBS owned-and-operated WBBM-TV Chicago hosted a debate between the candidates on Feb. 10. The candidates for this race include William "Dock" Walls, Rahm Emanuel, Ald. Bob Fioretti, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and Willie Wilson. Click here to watch video from the WLS-TV debate.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Gannett Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WWL-TV New Orleans hosted U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Rob Maness on Oct. 27. In this debate, their third this election season, the candidates discussed health care reform, ISIS and immigration. U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, also running for the seat, declined an invitation to participate.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Raycom Media’s NBC affiliate WECT-TV Wilmington, N.C., televised a debate on Oct. 7 between incumbent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican Thom Tillis. ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos moderated the discussion, which covered topics including U.S. foreign policy, the Ebola outbreak, the Common Core academic standards, and gay marriage.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Schurz Communications’ NBC affiliate KTUU-TV Anchorage hosted U.S. Senator Mark Begich and Republican challenger Dan Sullivan on Oct. 29. Sullivan and Begich debated again the next night, Oct. 30, on Alaska Public Telecommunications’ KSKA-FM and PBS affiliate KAKM Anchorage.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
NBC owned-and-operated KNTV-TV San Jose, Calif., hosted a debate on Oct. 17 between incumbent U.S. Representative Mike Honda and Democrat Ro Khanna. Honda and Khanna ran in California’s 17th Congressional District.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated stations produced and aired debates across the country:
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s CBS affiliate WGME-TV Portland, Maine, hosted an hour-long debate between candidates for Maine governor, incumbent Paul LePage, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud and Independent Eliot Cutler, on Oct. 20. NEPSK’s CBS affiliate WAGM-TV Presque Island, Maine, hosted 2nd Congressional District candidates Democrat Emily Cain, Independent Blaine Richardson and Republican Bruce Poliquin on Oct. 21. Video of the discussion remained on WAGM-TV’s website through the election.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) hosted a debate on Sept. 3 between candidates running for the open North Carolina U.S. Senate seat. The debate, featuring U.S. Senator Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis, broadcast live and aired on stations across North Carolina.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Gannett Broadcasting sponsored, hosted and aired 50 political debates nationwide, in addition to producing special news programs during the 2014 election season.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Gannett Broadcasting sponsored, hosted and aired 50 political debates nationwide, in addition to producing special news programs during the 2014 election season.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Gannett Broadcasting sponsored, hosted and aired 50 political debates nationwide, in addition to producing special news programs during the 2014 election season.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Gannett Broadcasting sponsored, hosted and aired 50 political debates nationwide, in addition to producing special news programs during the 2014 election season.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Univision owned-and-operated KXLN-TV Houston celebrated National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 23 as part of Univision Contigo. Univision Contigo’s voter registration initiative helped register more than 60,000 voters nationwide this election season.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Salem Communications hosted listener rallies in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago to encourage voters to cast their ballots. The rallies were hosted by KSKY-AM Dallas on Oct. 18; KRLA-AM Glendale, Calif. on Oct. 19 (Townhall 2014); and WIND-AM Elk Grove Village, Ill., on Oct. 24-25.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Salem Communications hosted listener rallies in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago to encourage voters to cast their ballots. The rallies were hosted by KSKY-AM Dallas on Oct. 18; KRLA-AM Glendale, Calif. on Oct. 19 (Townhall 2014); and WIND-AM Elk Grove Village, Ill., on Oct. 24-25.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Salem Communications hosted listener rallies in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago to encourage voters to cast their ballots. The rallies were hosted by KSKY-AM Dallas on Oct. 18; KRLA-AM Glendale, Calif. on Oct. 19 (Townhall 2014); and WIND-AM Elk Grove Village, Ill., on Oct. 24-25.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
During the 2014 election season, radio and television broadcast stations across the country donated thousands of hours in free airtime to provide voters with critical information about the candidates and issues on the ballot on Election Day. In addition to providing news coverage of races for local, state and federal offices, local broadcasters also produced, aired and streamed scores of debates to help viewers and listeners make informed decisions at the polls. On Election Night, television and radio stations and networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, ABC News Radio, CBS Radio News, FOX News Radio and Salem Radio Network News replaced regular programming with wall-to-wall coverage of all the national, local and state-wide races.
"Our responsibility is to inform and educate the electorate and our stations have done a great job of cutting through the noise and providing viewers with the important information they need to know."In referring to Gannett Broadcasting’s commitment to election coverage," said Gannett Broadcasting President Dave Lougee.
"Broadcasters did a tremendous job this year in stepping up to the plate and providing voters with the valuable tools necessary to make informed choices about their elected representatives," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "Local radio and televisions’ stations exemplified broadcasters’ deeply held commitment to localism with this banner year for election coverage."
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Hearst Television’s CBS affiliate KCCI-TV Des Moines, Iowa, hosted and streamed a live debate on Sept. 28 for candidates running for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat, Republican Joni Ernst and U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley. On Oct. 6, KCCI-TV hosted a debate between Staci Appel and David Young, who both ran for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Media General’s NBC affiliate KWQC-TV Davenport, Iowa aired and streamed three debates: on Sept. 20, incumbent Governor Terry Branstad faced Jack Hatch; on Oct. 11, candidates in the race to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives Dave Loebsack and Mariannette Miller-Meeks debated; and on Oct. 11, Bruce Braley and Joni Ernst’s debate on KWQC-TV took on national importance, as the outcome of the election affected control of the U.S. Senate.
Nexstar Broadcasting Group aired a debate on Oct. 16 between Braley and Ernst on its ABC affiliate KCAU-TV Sioux City, Iowa and its ABC affiliate WOI-TV Des Moines, Iowa. Nexstar later replayed the debate on its CBS affiliate, WHBF-TV Rock Island, Ill.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Tribune Broadcasting’s ABC affiliate WQAD-TV Moline, Ill., hosted a debate on Oct. 9 between incumbent U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and challenger Bobby Schilling. ABC owned-and-operated WLS-TV Chicago sponsored and aired a debate between candidates for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner on Oct. 20.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Independently owned-and-operated WBIN-TV Derry, N.H., aired a debate on Oct. 22 between Gov. Maggie Hassan and challenger Walt Havenstein. Top issues in the discussion included Medicaid and budget expansions.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Nextar Broadcasting’s ABC affiliate WSYR-TV Syracuse hosted a debate on Nov. 2 between U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei and challenger John Katko. Also in New York, Nextar Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate WETM-TV Elmira hosted U.S. Reps. Tom Reed and challenger Martha Robertson on Oct. 23. ABC owned-and-operated WABC-TV New York City hosted U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm and challenger Domenic Recchia on Oct. 17.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
On Oct. 24, Univision owned-and-operated KUVN-TV Dallas aired and streamed a debate between U.S. Senate candidates John Cornyn and Democratic challenger David Alameel. The debate broadcast in both English and Spanish. On Sept. 30, North Texas Public Broadcasting’s KERA-FM and PBS affiliate KERA-TV Dallas hosted, aired and streamed a one-hour live debate with candidates for Texas Governor, Attorney General Greg Abbott and state Senator Wendy Davis. Co-producers of this debate, which re-aired on KERA-TV on Oct. 1 and Oct. 5 and on KERA-FM on Oct. 3, include NBC owned-and-operated KXAS-TV Dallas and Telemundo owned-and-operated KXTX-TV. The Texas Association of Broadcasters provided translation and closed-captioning services, and funded satellite distribution to radio and television stations statewide.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
California Oregon Broadcasting’s NBC affiliates KOBI-TV Medford, Ore. and KOTI-TV Klamath Falls, Ore. aired two debates: on Oct. 14, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley faced challenger Monica Wehby; and on Oct. 20, incumbent Gov. John Kitzhaber faced Republican challenger Dennis Richardson. KOBI-TV also featured the debates prominently on its website. “These debates will give viewers a great opportunity to learn about the candidates, where they stand on issues and what they intend to do if elected,” said Bob Wise, KOBI-TV and KOTI-TV vice president and general manager. “We believe it is critical to help voters make an informed choice.”
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Lenawee Broadcasting Company-owned WLEN-FM Adrian, Mich., hosted U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg on Oct. 4. Walberg, who ran for re-election in Michigan’s 7th District, fielded questions from listeners live on-air during the station’s weekly talk show. WLEN-FM invited all candidates running for the seat to visit the studio, so they could also interact with listeners during the show.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Schurz Communications’ CBS affiliate KWCH-TV Wichita hosted a debate in the Kansas Governor race between incumbent Sam Brownback and challenger Paul Davis on Oct. 20. During a second debate between Brownback and Davis, held on Oct. 21 at the annual Kansas Association of Broadcasters convention, voters had the opportunity to share their views with the candidates by participating in a live, onlne discussion. Same-sex marriage and the candidates’ plans for a balanced budget became focal points in this discussion.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Connoisseur Media’s WPLR-FM New Haven personalities Chaz and AJ hosted gubernatorial candidates Dan Malloy and Tom Foley on Nov. 3. The radio hosts and candidates kept the discussion light by playing with Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots on air. Malloy and Foley debated on several other occasions: Sept. 30 on Meredith Corporation’s CBS affiliate WFSB-TV Avon, Conn.; Oct. 9 at the Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA) conference, which aired live on television and radio and replayed on Tribune Broadcasting Company’s Fox affiliate WTIC-TV Hartford; and Nov. 2, on LIN Media’s ABC affiliate WTNH-TV New Haven.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
CBS Television owned-and-operated WBZ-TV Boston hosted the first debate between the 2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates - Charlie Baker, Martha Coakley, Evan Falchuk, Scott Lively and Jeff McCormick - on Oct. 6. Baker and Coakley squared off twice more: on Oct. 21 on WGBH Educational Foundation’s PBS affiliate WGBH-TV Boston; and again on Oct. 28 on Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV Boston, Boston University’s WBUR-FM Boston and Bloomberg Radio.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Hearst Television’s Commitment 2014 campaign featured several debates. Hearst’s ABC affiliate WMUR-TV Manchester, N.H aired debates in the races for the U.S. House of Represenatives, U.S. Senate and New Hampshire governor on Sept. 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Hearst’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV Boston and Sunbeam Television’s NBC affiliate WHDH-TV Boston aired a debate on Sept. 3 between Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates Martha Coakley, Donald Berwick and Steve Grossman.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
LIN Media’s CBS affiliate WPRI-TV Providence hosted Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates Republican Allan Fung, Democrat Gina Raimondo and independent candidate Robert Healey on Oct. 21. The hour-long event covered health care, tax reform and voter identification, among other issues.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Independently-owned WNPV-AM Lansdale, Pa., hosted Republican Mike Fitzpatrick and Democrat Kevin Strouse, who ran for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, on Oct. 15. Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WTAE-TV Pittsburgh televised a debate on Oct. 8 between Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and challenger Tom Wolf.
Date Posted: 11/20/2014
Charlie Crist and Rick Scott, candidates for Florida governor, met in three debates: Oct. 10 on Spanish-language Telemundo; Oct. 15 on CBS owned-and-operated WFOR-TV Miami; and Oct. 21 on Graham Media Group owned-and-operated WJXT Jacksonville. Univision’s owned-and-operated WLTV-TV Miami and WAQI-AM Miami hosted a debate on Oct. 21 between Carlos Curbelo and Joe Garcia, candidates for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Telemundo is hosting a series of Spanish-language debates in September and October leading up to gubernatorial elections in several states. "We believe it is fundamentally important for our Spanish-language viewers and the Hispanic communities we serve across the country to be actively involved in the discussions that are taking place this election season," said Telemundo Station Group President Manuel Martinez. The debate series and other initiatives on Telemundo-owned stations include:
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Hearst Television’s Commitment 2014 campaign continues. ABC affiliate WMUR-TV Manchester, N.H aired debates for U.S. House, U.S. Senate and New Hampshire governor on September 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Hearst’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV Boston and Sunbeam Television’s NBC affiliate WHDH-TV Boston aired a debate on September 3 with gubernatorial candidates Martha Coakley, Donald Berwick and Steve Grossman.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
CBS Philadelphia’s October 1 "Breakfast With the Candidates," featuring Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and challenger Tom Wolf, aired on KYW-AM, CW affiliate WPSG-TV and CBSPhilly.com. KYW-TV will re-air the program on October 5. "We are pleased to give the candidates the opportunity to present their positions on the critical political issues that affect our state and provide this vital information to the public," said Jon Hitchcock, president and general manager of KYW-TV and WPSG-TV.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Telemundo is hosting a series of Spanish-language debates in September and October leading up to gubernatorial elections in several states. "We believe it is fundamentally important for our Spanish-language viewers and the Hispanic communities we serve across the country to be actively involved in the discussions that are taking place this election season," said Telemundo Station Group President Manuel Martinez. The debate series and other initiatives on Telemundo-owned stations include:
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation sponsored debates on Oct. 10 and 17 between Gov. Scott Walker and challenger Mary Burke. The debate aired on stations throughout Wisconsin. "We are very excited about our new debate plan and the changes that have been made to the program and believe the end result will be beneficial to our viewers, listeners, members and the gubernatorial campaigns," said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Lin Media Group’s NBC affiliate WOOD-TV Grand Rapids cancelled debates in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races after the campaigns could not agree. "WOOD TV8 is committed to bringing the voters of West Michigan the best coverage of Decision 2014. We believe debates are an important part of that process," said a station spokesperson. "We remain hopeful that both sides of the governor and U.S. Senate races will come together and allow us to offer voters a real, televised, live debate. Our viewers have important choices ahead and they deserve the opportunity to compare candidates’ views on critical issues facing our state and country."
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
The Tuscon League of Women Voters cancelled plans for three televised October debates in races for secretary of state, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction after candidates declined invitations. "When candidates decline to participate in a televised debate in Tucson, it shows disrespect for Pima County and its voters," said the League’s Sue DeArmond in a statement.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Telemundo is hosting a series of Spanish-language debates in September and October leading up to gubernatorial elections in several states. "We believe it is fundamentally important for our Spanish-language viewers and the Hispanic communities we serve across the country to be actively involved in the discussions that are taking place this election season," said Telemundo Station Group President Manuel Martinez. The debate series and other initiatives on Telemundo-owned stations include:
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Gannett Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate KPNX-TV Phoenix hosted gubernatorial candidates Doug Ducey and Fred DuVal in a debate on September 10. KPNX-TV encouraged viewers to tune in to see candidates "answering questions and giving opinions that you can’t see in those commercials."
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
CBS-owned and operated KCAL-TV Los Angeles aired a debate on September 4 between Gov. Jerry Brown and challenger Neel Kashkari. Ratings data indicated it had 83,000 total viewers, surpassing popular shows "Modern Family," "The Simpsons" and "Two and a Half Men."
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Gannett Broadcasting sponsored, hosted and aired 50 political debates nationwide, in addition to producing special news programs during the 2014 election season.
Date Posted: 10/2/2014
Nexstar Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate KARK-TV Little Rock hosted a September 19 gubernatorial debate that also aired live on Nextar’s KNWA-TV Fayetteville and KTAL-TV Texarkana. Also in Arkansas, Sinclair-owned KATV Little Rock will host U.S. Senate candidates on October 14 in a debate that will also air live on Raycom Media’s ABC affiliate KAIT-TV Jonesboro and Hearst’s affiliates in Fort Smith, KHBS and KHOG-TV.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
Sinclair-owned CBS affiliate KGBT-TV Harlingen, Texas, and Sunbelt Communications’ Telemundo affiliate KTLM-TV McAllen, Texas, announced the stations have partnered with The Monitor to host the first gubernatorial debate for candidates Attorney General Greg Abbott and Senator Wendy Davis who are running in the statewide election. The debate will broadcast live from 6-7 p.m. on Sinclair stations across the state, including NBC affiliate WOAI-TV San Antonio, FOX affiliate KABB-TV San Antonio, CBS affiliate KEYE-TV Austin, CBS affiliate KFDM-TV Beaumont, ABC affiliate KVII-TV Amarillo, FOX affiliate KFOX-TV El Paso and Gray Television’s CBS affiliate KBTX-TV Bryan, Texas.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) hosted a debate on September 3 for candidates running for the open North Carolina U.S. Senate seat. The debate featuring U.S. Senator Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis broadcast live at 7 p.m. and was carried on stations across the state. A second debate is scheduled for October 7.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
The Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) partnered with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia News Network (GNN) to host the first senatorial forum between candidates Michelle Nunn and David Purdue who are running in Georgia’s open U.S. Senate seat. Gannett Broadcasting’s WMAZ-TV Macon, Ga., provided a live pool feed for local and national outlets for on-air and live streaming use.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
Hearst Television’s CBS affiliate KCCI-TV Des Moines has partnered with The Des Moines Register to host a live debate on September 28 for candidates running for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat. Iowa State Senator Joni Ernst (R) and U.S. Representative Bruce Braley (D) will face-off live from Simpson College, and the debate will be moderated by KCCI-TV’s Kevin Cooney and The Des Moines Register’s Kathie Obradovich. The debate will stream live on both organizations’ websites.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
Cox Communications’ ABC affiliate WLNE-TV Providence, R.I., announced it will broadcast the first gubernatorial debate for candidates in Rhode Island’s race live at 7 p.m. on September 16. WLNE-TV’s News Anchor John DeLuca will moderate the debateamong Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Treasurer Steve Grossman, former federal healthcare professional Donald Berwick, and the incumbent Governor Charlie Baker.
Date Posted: 9/8/2014
CBS-owned WJZ-TV Baltimore recently announced it will partner with The Baltimore Sun to co-host a gubernatorial debate for Maryland candidates Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Larry Hogan on October 7. WJZ-TV will host the hour-long event in their Baltimore studio in the morning, and the taped debate will broadcast on WJZ-TV that night at 7 p.m.
Date Posted: 8/12/2014
Clear Channel’s KFBK-AM Sacramento recently invited the candidates running for California’s gubernatorial seat to each host the station’s morning talk program. California’s Republican nominee for the seat, Neel Kashkai, accepted the invitation and took calls from local listeners for three hours. KFBK-AM’s Vice President of Programming Ken Charles said the station is waiting to hear back from the Democratic incumbent, Governor Jerry Brown.
Date Posted: 8/12/2014
Media General’s NBC affiliate WJAR-TV Cranston, R.I., hosted two pre-taped debates for the leading candidates in Rhode Island’s gubernatorial race. The first, one-hour debate aired in primetime at 7 p.m. and featured the four Democratic candidates. The following night, WJAR-TV aired a half-hour debate between the two leading Republicans in the race.
Date Posted: 8/12/2014
LIN Media’s FOX affiliate WPRI-TV East Providence, R.I., partnered with the Providence Journal to host two debates on June 10 and June 17. Both debates broadcast live in primetime at 7 p.m. The first featured the Democratic candidates running for governor, while the second involved the Republican candidates. Both events were moderated by WPRI-TV reporters and a Providence Journal political columnist.
Date Posted: 8/11/2014
affiliate WMDT-TV Salisbury, Md., hosted a primary forum in late May for candidates running in the Maryland gubernatorial race. The one-hour event broadcast live in primetime and simultaneously streamed on the station’s mobile website. WMDT-TV extended an offer to all media outlets to participate. Following the debate, a link was provided for interested viewers to replay the event at their convenience. The station followed the event by running a "Get Out and Vote" PSA, which aired on WMDT-TV and its affiliated stations, leading up to the primary election on June 24.
Date Posted: 8/11/2014
Hearst Television’s WBAL-TV Baltimore partnered with Maryland Public Television to air the only televised gubernatorial debates in the market with all of the Republican and Democratic candidates. In addition to airing live on WBAL-TV, the Democratic debate streamed live online and broadcast twice on WBAL-TV’s multicast station. The Republican debate was also broadcast on the digital station. The League of Women Voters participated in the live studio audience for each debate. Questions to the candidates were provided by the debate moderators and individuals in the audience.
Date Posted: 8/11/2014
Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate KITV-TV Honolulu hosted a debate ahead of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate between candidates Brian Schatz, the incumbent, and U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa. The candidates agreed on issues such as renewable energy and native Hawaiian self-determination; however, they differed on their level of support for President Barack Obama, the Simpson-Bowles budget plan, and national security issues. Click here to watch the debate.
Date Posted: 6/9/2014
Sinclair Broadcasting’s FOX affiliate WBFF-TV Baltimore hosted a debate for candidates running for Maryland Governor on May 27. The hour-long debate was moderated by WBFF-TV anchor Jennifer Gilbert and broadcast live at 8 p.m. The debate was simulcast on Allbritton’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV Washington and streamed on WBFF-TV’s website. The gubernatorial candidates have also agreed to participate in a debate on Radio One’s WOLB-AM Baltimore on June 5, which will be moderated by the station’s host Larry Young.
Date Posted: 6/9/2014
Hearst Television’s KCCI-TV Des Moines, Iowa, hosted two, 90-minute primetime debates in late May for candidates running in the 2014 Elections. The first debate on May 27 featured Republican candidates running for Iowa’s Third District U.S. House seat. The second debate on KCCI-TV included the Republican candidates running for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat. Both debates were part of the station’s "Commitment 2014" coverage and were moderated by KCCI-TV anchors. In addition to the live broadcast, the debates were streamed live on the station’s website and app.
Date Posted: 6/9/2014
The Kentucky Broadcasters Association (KBA) will help coordinate a series of debates between the candidates running for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat later this year. Block Communication’s FOX affiliate WDRB-TV Louisville has extended an offer to all Kentucky radio and television stations to participate. The first debate is expected later this summer.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
Raycom Media’s FOX affiliate WLBT-TV Jackson, Miss., worked quickly to educate voters after the untimely death of the city’s mayor. The station partnered with the Jackson Chamber of Commerce to host a live debate for the mayoral candidates at Jackson State University. WLBT-TV devoted two hours of weeknight primetime for the event, which was also streamed live on the station’s website. WLBT-TV’s digital content director also live-blogged the debate. The station held a text poll that asked viewers to vote on the candidate of their choice. The poll generated more than 30,000 votes, in a city of just 173,000 people. In the end, voters had their first substantive impression of the candidates who were waging short, 30-day campaigns leading up to the special election.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
Gannett’s CBS affiliate WTSP-TV St. Petersburg, Fla., announced it has partnered with the Tampa Bay Times and the University of South Florida (USF) to present a statewide, televised gubernatorial debate on October 7. The debate will broadcast live on CBS stations across Florida, and Gannett’s NBC affiliate WTLV-TV in Jacksonville. The event will be held in the USF Music Concert Hall before an audience of 500 guests.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
CBS Television’s WFOR-TV Miami announced it will produce and broadcast a statewide televised debate for the major candidates running in the Florida governor’s race later this fall. The hour-long debate is slated to air from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on October 15, and will be held at Broward College’s Davie Campus. The debate will be broadcast on 10 other stations across the state, including Hearst’s ABC affiliate WPBF-TV.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
Media General’s CBS affiliate WRBL-TV Columbus, Ga., held a debate on April 23 for Democratic candidates running for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat. WRBL-TV broadcast the debate, which included discussions around the Affordable Care Act, bipartisanship, the national debt, privacy vs. security and the student loan crisis. Watch the debate here.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
Capitol Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WRAL-TV Raleigh, N.C., hosted a debate for the leading Republican candidates running for one of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seats. During the event, WRAL-TV’s Multimedia Investigative Reporter Mark Binker engaged viewers in an online chat. After the debate, WRAL-TV news anchor and debate moderator David Crabtree, Binker and Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie provided post-debate analysis.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
NBC-owned WRC-TV Washington hosted a debate between the Democratic candidates running for Maryland governor on May 7. The debate was held at the University of Maryland, College Park, and was moderated by "Meet the Press" host David Gregory. Nextstar Broadcasting’s NBC affiliate WHAG-TV Hagerstown, Md. also broadcast the debate. A second debate will be co-produced by Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate WBAL-TV Baltimore and Maryland Public Television. The live debate will air on June 2.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate WGAL-TV Lancaster, Penn. produced and broadcast a debate between the Democratic candidates running for Pennsylvania Governor on May 1. The 90-minute gubernatorial debate was hosted at Franklin & Marshall College and was broadcast twice on WGAL-TV. The station’s Government Reporter Pete Muntean was among the panel of reporters that posed questions to the candidates. The debate was part of WGAL-TV’s "Commitment 2014" political coverage. Click here to watch coverage of the debate.
Date Posted: 5/14/2014
LIN Media’s CBS affiliate WPRI-TV East Providence, R.I., and The Providence Journal will jointly produce two televised debates this June for the candidates running in Rhode Island’s gubernatorial race. The Democratic candidates will debate live on June 10, while the Republicans will meet on June 17. Both events will be moderated by WPRI-TV’s Tim White.
Date Posted: 4/13/2014
Hearst Television recently announced it is renewing and expanding its biennial "Commitment 2014" pledge to devote extensive coverage of election discourse throughout 25 TV markets across the US this election year. Hearst Television will continue to provide a minimum of 12 minute of airtime in the 30 days leading up to the 2014 general election, at each of its 28 news stations. This year, the company is introducing an “In Their Own Words” feature inviting candidates to complete questionnaires and to record video statements on the issues, to be made available online and for mobile devices. These statements will be posted to the Hearst TV stations’ web and mobile sites serving the candidates’ regions in the 60 days prior to the election.
Date Posted: 4/13/2014
Gannett Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WUSA-TV Washington hosted an hour-long, live debate between the candidates running for mayor of the District of Columbia. WUSA-TV’s reporter Bruce Johnson moderated the debate, which included the incumbent Vincent Gray and three of his opponents, Muriel Bowser, Jack Evans and Tommy Wells. The live debate was held less than two weeks before the primary election on April 1. Click here to watch video of the full debate.
Date Posted: 3/17/2014
Clear Channel committed $1 million in air time for a campaign on heart disease throughout February, American Heart Month. Clear Channel partnered with the American Heart Association to highlight the Go Red for Women campaign, which included a fashion show featuring numerous celebrities. On Valentine’s Day, Clear Channel launched a PSA campaign to educate listeners on the symptoms of heart disease and stroke.
Date Posted: 3/17/2014
Media General’s CBS affiliate WRBL-TV Columbus, Ga., and PMB Broadcasting’s local radio stations have announced they will partner with Columbus State University and the Ledger-Enquirer to host several debates featuring candidates running for Columbus mayor and the Georgia Senate seat occupied by retiring Senator Saxby Chambliss. The three debates will take place in late April and early May and will be broadcast live on WRBL-TV and PMB Broadcasting’s radio stations.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
Later in the campaign season PBS’s WGBH-TV Boston hosted a debate between Walsh and Connolly. Boston Public Radio hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan moderated the debate, which can be viewed here. A third televised debate was hosted by a consortium of stations that included Boston University’s NPR affiliate WBUR-FM, WGBH Educational Foundation’s WGBH-TV and Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WCVB-TV.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
Shurz Communication’s WDBJ-TV Roanoke and Virginia Tech sponsored a debate between the candidates running for Virginia governor. WDBJ-TV broadcast the debate between Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Democratic businessman Terry McAullife live from the state university in Blacksburg, Va. Click here to watch video from the debate.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
Barrington Broadcasting’s WNWO-TV Toledo and Clear Channel’s WSPD-AM Toledo partnered to host a televised debate between Toledo’s mayoral candidates, incumbent Mike Bell and Councilman D. Michael Collins. The candidates discussed issues of transparency in government, job creation and crime. The debate was broadcast on WNWO-TV and WSPD-AM.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
Hearst’s NBC affiliate WLWT-TV Cincinnati sponsored a debate between the Cincinnati mayoral candidates Roxanne Qualls and John Cranley. The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Business Courier also sponsored the event, which was held at the local Rotary Club. WLWT-TV’s anchor Mike Dardis moderated the debate, which was televised live on WLWT-TV and streamed online at WLWT.com and on the station’s mobile app.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
The University of Houston’s PBS station KUHT-TV broadcast a two-hour forum-style debate with candidates in Houston’s mayoral race. Incumbent Annise Parker faced her five challengers: Ben Hall, Don Cook, Eric Dick, Keryl Burgess Douglas and Michael Fitzsimmons in the event hosted by the League of Women Voters.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
Belo Broadcasting-owned KING-TV Seattle broadcast a debate between candidates in Seattle’s mayoral race. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and State Senator Ed Murray discussed issues including complaints regarding Seattle’s police department, increasing the minimum wage and gun control. KING-TV news anchor Dennis Bounds moderated the debate, while a panel of reporters including KING-TV’s Linda Brill and Dave Ross of Bonneville International’s KIRO-FM Seattle also asked the candidates questions.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
NBC-owned WCAU-TV and Telemundo-owned WWSI-TV Philadelphia aired a debate between Cory Booker and Steve Lonegan, U.S. Senate candidates in New Jersey. Held October 9th at Rowan University, WCAU-TV anchor Jim Rosenfield moderated a panel that included NBC’s WNBC-TV New York anchor David Ushery and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tamari. Viewers were invited to submit questions for the debate via WCAU-TV’s live stream.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
NBC-owned WCAU-TV and Telemundo-owned WWSI-TV Philadelphia aired a debate between Cory Booker and Steve Lonegan, U.S. Senate candidates in New Jersey. Held October 9th at Rowan University, WCAU-TV anchor Jim Rosenfield moderated a panel that included NBC’s WNBC-TV New York anchor David Ushery and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tamari. Viewers were invited to submit questions for the debate via WCAU-TV’s live stream.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
CBS-owned WWJ-TV Detroit aired the first of three debates between mayoral candidates Benny Napoleon and Mike Duggan. Scripps Television’s ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV broadcast the final debate. Candidates discussed their plans to reduce violent crime, revitalize local neighborhoods and create jobs in Detroit. "The debates … are a crucial part in arming Detroit voters with the accurate information before they go to the polls to choose the next mayor," candidate Napoleon told the Detroit News.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
CBS-owned WBZ-TV and WBZ-AM Boston partnered with The Boston Globe to host the first televised debate between Massachusetts state Representative Marin Walsh and Council at-Large John Connolly, who were running for Boston’s mayoral seat. The live debate was broadcast from the WBZ-TV studios and moderated by the station’s political analyst Jon Keller and the Globe’s reporter Akilah Johnson. The debate aired on WBZ-TV and WBZ-AM, CBSBoston.com, boston.com and bostonglobe.com.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
ABC-owned WABC-TV New York sponsored a televised New York City mayoral debate between candidates Bill de Blasio and Joseph J. Lhota. The hour-long debate was held live at the WABC-TV studio and was moderated by WABC-TV news anchor Bill Ritter. Several other groups co-sponsored the debate, including Univision’s WXTV-TV New York, the New York League of Women Voters and the New York Daily News. Video of the debate is available here.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
CBS-owned WCBS-TV New York broadcast two debates in October between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic challenger New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono. CBS radio and TV affiliates in New York and Philadelphia, the Asbury Park Press, The Record and William Paterson University sponsored the debates. "People are interested in seeing both candidates on the same stage together for the first time," David Turner, Buono’s campaign spokesman, told the Asbury Park Press.
Date Posted: 11/22/2013
CBS-owned WCBS-TV New York broadcast two debates in October between Republican Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic challenger New Jersey state Sen. Barbara Buono. CBS radio and TV affiliates in New York and Philadelphia, the Asbury Park Press, The Record and William Paterson University sponsored the debates. "People are interested in seeing both candidates on the same stage together for the first time," David Turner, Buono’s campaign spokesman, told the Asbury Park Press.
Date Posted: 10/4/2013
NBC-owned WRC-TV Washington partnered with the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce to host a debate between Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and businessman Terry McAuliffe. The debate was moderated by NBC News’ National Political Director Chuck Todd and aired at 7 p.m. on September 25.
Date Posted: 10/4/2013
NBC-owned WRC-TV Washington partnered with the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce to host a debate between Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and businessman Terry McAuliffe. The debate was moderated by NBC News’ National Political Director Chuck Todd and aired at 7 p.m. on September 25.
Date Posted: 10/4/2013
Shurz Communications’ CBS affiliate WDBJ-TV Roanoke, Va., and Virginia Tech announced they will host a third debate between the candidates running in Virginia’s gubernatorial race on October 24. The debate will be broadcast live from the Blacksburg campus and will also be shown on Gannett’s CBS affiliate WUSA-TV Washington.
Date Posted: 9/10/2013
SJL Broadcasting’s WTVG-TV Toledo partnered with The Blade newspaper to host an hour-long, live debate between the four main candidates running for mayor of Toledo. The debate was moderated by WTVG-TV’s anchor Diane Larson, and addressed topics including the city’s budget, crime and neighborhoods.
Date Posted: 9/10/2013
ABC-owned WABC-TV New York and WPVI-TV Philadelphia and Univision’s WXTV-TV and WADO-AM New York announced the stations will partner to host a debate for the two candidates running for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat on October 6. The hour-long debate will be taped and broadcast on air and streamed online.
Date Posted: 9/10/2013
ABC-owned WABC-TV New York and WPVI-TV Philadelphia and Univision’s WXTV-TV and WADO-AM New York announced the stations will partner to host a debate for the two candidates running for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat on October 6. The hour-long debate will be taped and broadcast on air and streamed online.
Date Posted: 8/8/2013
ABC-owned WABC-TV and Univision’s WXTV-TV New York announced it will host the first major television debates for the New York City mayoral races in its studio this month. The Republican debate will be broadcast on August 11, while the Democrats will air on August 13. WABC-TV and WXTV-TV will also hold the first television debate for the Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller on August 11. All the debates are being co-sponsored the New York Daily News and the League of Women Voters of the City of New York, as part of the "Vote 2013" series.
Date Posted: 7/8/2013
Sinclair Broadcasting’s KFOX-TV El Paso, TX broadcast a one-hour debate on June 3rd with six candidates vying for three city representative seats. Topics included job creation, the military, open space, education, technology and urban development. The discussion also covered controversial decisions such as building a new ballpark, demolishing the City Hall building and providing benefits to gay and unmarried partners of city employees.
Date Posted: 7/8/2013
Democratic and Republican candidates for New York Mayor will participate in two debates each, ahead of the September primaries. Candidates have met frequently in other forums, but the Campaign Finance Board (CFB) acknowledged that debates aired on local television and radio stations reach more voters. Debate sponsors include New York’s WNBC-TV (NBC), WNJU-TV (Telemundo) and WCBS-TV (CBS).
Date Posted: 7/8/2013
CBS Broadcasting’s WBZ-TV Boston hosted the first of three televised debates with US Senate candidates Democrat Edward J. Markey, a longtime congressman, and Republican challenger Gabriel E. Gomez. The debate also aired on WBZ-AM and streamed online. WGBH Educational Foundation’s WGBY-TV, LIN Media’s WWLP and three other stations aired the second debate, which covered the national deficit, minimum wage, gay marriage, gun control, Social Security and Roe v. Wade. WGBH-TV aired the final debate on June 18.
Date Posted: 11/12/2012
Young Broadcasting’s KELO-TV Sioux Falls, S.D., televised a debate on Nov. 2 between congressional candidates Rep. Kristi Noem and challenger Matt Varilek. In their fourth and final debate, Noem and Varilek discussed taxes, Medicare, congressional spending, health care and the Farm Bill.
Dispatch Broadcasting’s WBNS-TV Columbus, in swing state Ohio, conducted inverviews with President Obama, Vice President Biden, Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan and booked satellite interviews with the campaigns during each presidential debate. The station’s "Show You Care & Vote Bus" registered 130 people at local colleges. WBNS-TV produced a one-hour U.S. Senatorial debate between Senator Sherrod Brown and opponent Josh Mandel. Eighteen candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress and local offices taped one-minute responses to a series of questions, which aired during newscasts and online.
Cowles California Media Company’s KION-TV offered all candidates in national, state and local races, to record one minute of unedited airtime to speak directly to voters. More than 100 candidates’ segments appeared during the highest rated prime time newscasts. KION-TV brought in local elections officials to answer viewer questions about voting, in English and Spanish. The station also created a special section of its website for candidates to explain their positions and promoted it heavily on air. Anchors moderated debates using viewer-submitted questions. KION-TV aired more than two dozen in depth reports on election-related topics and provided fact checks of candidate statements based on questions from viewers.
Co-host mother and daughter team Irene Robinson and Kelley Lovell of KWCL-FM in Oak Grove, La., did their part to help Louisiana voters go to the polls informed during the 2007 local elections. Their half-hour daily public affairs show, "Mighty Mess," hosted local candidates from judges to state representatives and provided them free airtime to address the public. The show also covered how to register to vote and early voting dates, and its hosts encouraged listeners to learn the issues and show up at the polls. The station plans to provide similar voter education outreach in upcoming elections. "We are small, but we are loud," said Robinson of KWCL, which is staffed by five people and located in a town with a population just more than 2,000.
Earlier this year, when six Republicans ran for county commissioner with no Democrats as contenders, KLCB-AM in Libby, Mont., hosted all the candidates for an open discussion to help community members make an informed vote. The station aired the more than two-hour meeting live from the Lincoln County Public Library, where the candidates were asked questions from the audience, as well as questions listeners had submitted to the station. During the general election, the station plans to invite local candidates to its studio for debates and to take call-in questions from listeners once again. From local elections to city council meetings to senate field hearings, the two-person staff at KLCB makes sure information that affects the community is accessible to all Kootenai Valley residents. "We try really hard to keep locally important material on the air," said KLCB’s Duane Williams.
"Comment Please," the daily noontime talk program of WNPV-AM in Lansdale, Pa., brings local election issues and candidates to its listeners. In 2007, the show hosted two debates in its studios, providing those running for Montgomery County commissioner and Montgomery County district attorney a venue to share their views with the community. For the general election, the station plans to host upward of a half-dozen debates for local state legislative and congressional races. A crush of voter registrations prior to the Pennsylvania primary in 2008 prompted the station to interview election officials from Bucks and Montgomery counties. Through "Comment Please" and daily news coverage, the station dedicates significant time to election issues. In the past, this has included "Go Out and Vote" messages, partnerships with local newspapers to organize public forums, and a number of programs focused on the switch from paper ballots to electronic voting in 2006.
When it comes to broadcasting, the most important political events in the state, WGCV-AM of Columbia, S.C., covers it all. In the early days of the presidential election cycle, the presidential candidates came to South Carolina and the station provided its listeners with the type of live, comprehensive coverage essential to help voters truly understand the issues. The station broadcast the candidacy announcements of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and its coverage included interviews with local voters, political pundits and campaign representatives. When the Democratic and Republican candidates held their "First in the South" debates, the station carried them live and provided analysis and interviews following the contests. WGCV also broadcast the address of U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC-6) to a joint session of the South Carolina legislature — the first time an African-American had done so since Reconstruction. WGCV was a National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Award Finalist in 2008.
Voters will head to the polls during the historic 2008 presidential elections more informed because of the efforts of WCVB-TV in Needham, Mass., and their "Commitment 2008" campaign. During the past year, the station has provided viewers with special election programming and extensive online resources. In advance of the New Hampshire primaries, WCVB and its parent company, Hearst-Argyle Television Inc., launched "Conversations With the Candidates," a series of one-on-one interviews with the contenders. The segments helped unveil the ideological differences amongst candidates. WCVB also produced and aired Democratic and Republican primary debates during primetime for the special election in the fifth Congressional District. Online "Commitment 2008" resources include a side-by-side comparison of where candidates stand on the issues, headlines from the campaign trail, video reports and specific resources for voters in Massachusetts, such as Election Day information and poll locations.
To make viewers aware of their option to vote by absentee ballot, WKMG-TV in Orlando, Fla., teamed with the League of Women Voters for a "Stay at Home and Be Counted" campaign. In the month leading up to Florida’s presidential primary, the station broadcast public service announcements (PSAs) hundreds of times showing the ease of voting by mail. The four station-produced announcements featured WKMG’s top anchors voting on their schedule and in the privacy of their own homes. Viewers were directed to the League’s Web site for details on ordering absentee ballots within the seven counties covered in the station’s viewing area. In production and airtime, WKMG donated $75,000 worth of services to the campaign. Absentee ballot requests were up 300 percent when compared to the 2004 primary elections, and the League credits the campaign with the results; similar efforts are being recommended across the country. To continue this voter momentum into the general election, WKMG has partnered with the League for a "Central Florida Video Challenge." High school students, film and college students, and the community at large have been asked to create 30-second PSAs about how their votes count. For each of the three categories, the top videos will be posted on the station’s Web sites so viewers can vote for their favorites. The winning spots will be played for a two-week rotation to inspire those in the Sunshine State to get out and vote.
With a commitment to getting out the message that each vote makes a difference, KGDD-AM in Portland, Ore., launched its “El Voto Latino Campaign.” Before the Oregon primaries, the station, along with sister station KSZN-AM, ran one-minute public service announcements (PSAs) more than a dozen times each day encouraging listeners to register to vote. Thirty- and 15-second voter registration PSAs also aired in high rotation. Broadcasts on KGDD were filled with information on the candidates’ visits to Oregon, providing listeners with resources to find additional information about both the candidates and the issues. Every Monday through Friday, the station’s mobile unit went on the road, providing the community with multiple places to pick up voter registration forms, which were also passed out by station staff during the Cinco de Mayo Festival. Because of the station’s efforts, 5,000 forms were distributed before the primary elections. Now in high gear for the general election, the station plans on getting voter registration forms into the hands of thousands more in the Hispanic community. Additional voter registration form distributions will take place at well-attended events, including Festival Luis Palau at the Portland Waterfront Park and Mexican Independence celebrations. The station is working to get registration forms into Latino magazines, as well. “I am sure that working together we can have a greater impact on the Latino community and its involvement in the voting process,” said KGDD’s Erika Zacarias.
WJMZ-FM in Greenville, S.C., is working hard to make sure listeners are registered to vote and informed on Election Day. The station held a voter registration drive with sister station WHZT-FM at the gates of Fluor Field. The event, complete with a live broadcast, participation by on-air personalities, demonstration voter machines and representatives to answer registration questions, inspired those passing by to be part of the democratic process. In related efforts, the station routinely invites elected public officials and political candidates on the air. Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were interviewed on WJMZ leading up to the South Carolina primary. In partnership with the League of Women Voters of Spartanburg County and a local television station, the station is hosting an October political forum for the 16 candidates running in the eight contested local and state November races. In addition, the station’s Web site has an extensive election resource section, including a downloadable registration form and a review of voting machine instructions. "No matter your political party, WJMZ and WHZT feel strongly that every upstate resident needs to have their voice heard," said Stephen Crumbley, operations manager for the stations. "Obviously, our national election is receiving a lot of press, but it is just as important for our listeners to get out and vote on state and local matters."
Two times each month, WZRV-FM in Front Royal, Va., broadcasts live from a Red Cross mobile blood drive. The station gives away anything that might bring people out. Danishes, Band-aids, station T-shirts and bumper stickers have all been used to motivate listeners. And the efforts have paid off. According to Andrew Shearer, president and owner of Royal Broadcasting, the Allegheny Region of the American Red Cross sees a higher turnout rate when WZRV shows up. "Our presence is meaningful and provides a demonstrable result," said Shearer, who has personally reached the status of a two-gallon donor. Each week, the station runs more than a dozen public service announcements asking the community to join its on-air personalities at a blood drive. WZRV broadcasts live numerous times each year from blood drives in each county within its listening area.
Cox Media Group’s WOKV-AM/FM Jacksonville, Fla., held Hob Nob 2011, an exclusive event for local Floridians to meet and greet nearly all of the major candidates running in the area’s spring elections. More than 700 people, including leaders from business and government, attended the March 10 gathering and cast ballots in a straw poll. Twenty-nine candidates were represented with tables at Hob Nob, and several made appearances with their supporters. WOKV-AM/FM reporters covered the event and gathered exclusive audio with key candidates for Jacksonville mayor and sheriff. Hob Nob 2011 was an excellent opportunity for Jacksonville residents to learn more about the politicians running for elected office and served as a forum for discussing the key issues affecting area residents.
Candidates for the 2012 elections will be eligible for free airtime and free Web-time in the 30 days preceding the general elections. Post-Newsweek stations will offer free airtime on its television stations in the battleground states of Texas, Florida and Michigan: WDIV-TV Detroit; KPRC-TV Houston; WPLG-TV Miami; WKMG-TV Orlando; WJXT-TV Jacksonville; and KSAT-TV San Antonio. In addition to the presidential race, each state has important senatorial and congressional races.
"The 2012 elections are of critical importance, both locally and nationally. Our responsibility as news and public affairs leaders is to ensure that candidates and voters have a platform for rigorous public discussion and debate,” said a station representative.
In addition to free airtime and Web-time, Post-Newsweek stations will offer at least 10 minutes per weekday to locally produced political news during the political season, featuring on-air debates, town hall meetings and public service announcements to encourage voter participation.
Candidates for the 2012 elections will be eligible for free airtime and free Web-time in the 30 days preceding the general elections. Post-Newsweek stations will offer free airtime on its television stations in the battleground states of Texas, Florida and Michigan: WDIV-TV Detroit; KPRC-TV Houston; WPLG-TV Miami; WKMG-TV Orlando; WJXT-TV Jacksonville; and KSAT-TV San Antonio. In addition to the presidential race, each state has important senatorial and congressional races.
"The 2012 elections are of critical importance, both locally and nationally. Our responsibility as news and public affairs leaders is to ensure that candidates and voters have a platform for rigorous public discussion and debate,” said a station representative.
In addition to free airtime and Web-time, Post-Newsweek stations will offer at least 10 minutes per weekday to locally produced political news during the political season, featuring on-air debates, town hall meetings and public service announcements to encourage voter participation.
Candidates for the 2012 elections will be eligible for free airtime and free Web-time in the 30 days preceding the general elections. Post-Newsweek stations will offer free airtime on its television stations in the battleground states of Texas, Florida and Michigan: WDIV-TV Detroit; KPRC-TV Houston; WPLG-TV Miami; WKMG-TV Orlando; WJXT-TV Jacksonville; and KSAT-TV San Antonio. In addition to the presidential race, each state has important senatorial and congressional races.
"The 2012 elections are of critical importance, both locally and nationally. Our responsibility as news and public affairs leaders is to ensure that candidates and voters have a platform for rigorous public discussion and debate,” said a station representative.
In addition to free airtime and Web-time, Post-Newsweek stations will offer at least 10 minutes per weekday to locally produced political news during the political season, featuring on-air debates, town hall meetings and public service announcements to encourage voter participation.
Hearst Television’s Commitment 2012 will involve an intensified effort at the group’s 25 news-producing TV stations, and on their respective local websites and mobile sites, to provide comprehensive coverage of national, state and local election campaigns. Hearst Television owns the leading television stations in Des Moines, Iowa (KCCI-TV), a centerpiece of the January 3 Iowa Caucus and Manchester, N.H. (WMUR-TV), a focal point of the January 10 New Hampshire primary.
Commitment 2012’s“12 in 12” pledges a minimum 12 minutes’ airtime for daily political news and candidate-discourse per weekday and on weekends (when possible), in the 30 days prior to the primary and general elections. Each station will also produce a “Virtual Town Hall” in the 30 days leading up to the election.
As part of “Commitment 2012 Investigates,” award-winning reporters from the Hearst station group will produce a series of reports throughout the year examining the campaign money trail and other issues important to viewers. The Election App, due for launch in spring 2012, will include customizable content in each market to help voters make informed decisions on-the-go, yet another way Hearst stations are delivering a comprehensive “3-screen experience” for audiences.
“We will continue to urge major political candidates to appear on our television stations,” said David Barrett, president and CEO of Hearst Television Inc. “In return, we pledge to provide the most thoughtful, in-depth and responsible electronic news coverage of the political process in our markets. And we promise to do so in a way that effectively reaches voters of all demographics – on-air, online and on-the-go.”
Hearst Television’s Commitment 2012 will involve an intensified effort at the group’s 25 news-producing TV stations, and on their respective local websites and mobile sites, to provide comprehensive coverage of national, state and local election campaigns. Hearst Television owns the leading television stations in Des Moines, Iowa (KCCI-TV), a centerpiece of the January 3 Iowa Caucus and Manchester, N.H. (WMUR-TV), a focal point of the January 10 New Hampshire primary.
Commitment 2012’s“12 in 12” pledges a minimum 12 minutes’ airtime for daily political news and candidate-discourse per weekday and on weekends (when possible), in the 30 days prior to the primary and general elections. Each station will also produce a “Virtual Town Hall” in the 30 days leading up to the election.
As part of “Commitment 2012 Investigates,” award-winning reporters from the Hearst station group will produce a series of reports throughout the year examining the campaign money trail and other issues important to viewers. The Election App, due for launch in spring 2012, will include customizable content in each market to help voters make informed decisions on-the-go, yet another way Hearst stations are delivering a comprehensive “3-screen experience” for audiences.
“We will continue to urge major political candidates to appear on our television stations,” said David Barrett, president and CEO of Hearst Television Inc. “In return, we pledge to provide the most thoughtful, in-depth and responsible electronic news coverage of the political process in our markets. And we promise to do so in a way that effectively reaches voters of all demographics – on-air, online and on-the-go.”
Station owner Bill Binnie’s WBIN-TV Derry, N.H., was a broadcast partner of the Republican presidential debate at Dartmouth College. As the first debate focused solely on the economy, the debate was a chance for many viewers to see WBIN-TV, a new station, for the first time.
"We are the only broadcast station that has the rights to air it in New England," Binnie said.
The debate also broadcasted live on Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio. Presidential candidates Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum participated.
“It’ll be something of a coming out party for WBIN,” said Charlie Arlinghaus, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy in Concord. “This is their big chance.”
As more voters start to choose a candidate, debates allow WBIN to start a conversation with New Hampshire residents. WBIN-TV will host more debates in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For Binnie, a successful businessman who unsuccessfully ran for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010, it stems from his fascination with political theater.
“I joke that it’s the sport of New Hampshire,” he said.
As part of its commitment to 2008 political coverage, WISN-TV in Milwaukee, Wis., asked students from Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to be political correspondents. The project, "Student Commitment 2008," involves six university advisers and 33 students currently studying journalism, political science and communications. The young journalists, who represent an important voting population in the 2008 elections, broadcast their work through several venues, including news reports, radio podcasts, blogs and videocasts on a student-driven political Web page on the station’s site. Station staff meets with the students at least once a month. On February19, 2008, during the Wisconsin primary, the students added content to a live stream of WISN’s coverage. "I love the multi-media aspects of this initiative," said Cheryl O’Brien, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior in broadcast journalism. "We are the future in journalism, and this really gives us an opportunity to report the news, participate in the political process and hopefully make a difference."
Four GOP candidates - Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul - participated in a debate sponsored by NBC News, the Tampa Bay Times, The National Journal and the Florida Council of 100. It was the first of two debates focused on the Florida GOP primary.
"Florida has often been the stage for history in politics; we look forward to hosting a substantive and stimulating forum for the candidates to make their case to the voters in this crucial state and the whole country," said NBC News Senior Vice President of Specials Mark Lukasiewicz.
The event was aired live on the NBC television network and was also streamed live on nbcpolitics.com, nationaljournal.com, and tampabay.com. Telemundo’s live broadcast featured simultaneous Spanish-language translation.
Univision communications is enhancing its political coverage for the 2012 election cycle with Destino 2012. In addition to extensive interactive and on-air coverage, Univision is adding political commentary from analysts Helen Aguirre Ferré, Dr. Emilio Gonzalez and Fabian Nuñez.
"As Hispanics continue to grow in number and influence, and become even more engaged with technology and social platforms, Univision will continue to lead the efforts with providing unparalleled coverage regardless of where they consume," said Isaac Lee, president of news, Univision Communications.
The analysts will engage in roundtable discussions and interviews during several programs. Destino 2012’s online and mobile coverage of the primaries and the presidential campaign focuses on issues that significantly impact U.S. Hispanics. Users can find information on local elections, including policy details, voter registration forms and important dates.
According to a nationally representative survey conducted January 5-8 by Project for Excellence in Journalism News Interest Index, 37 percent of respondents say there has been too much coverage of the 2012 presidential campaign by the national news media.
Republicans were following the campaign more closely than Democrats, with 40 percent saying they followed election news very closely, compared with 27 percent of Democrats and 25 percent of independents.
According to PEJ, 39 percent said the 2012 coverage was the right amount. It was also the story respondents were most interested in, with 27 percent saying they followed campaign news the most closely, followed by 19 percent interested in the economy. According to the survey, 30 percent said they hear mostly bad news on the economy, which is down dramatically from the 67 percent in August.
The E.W. Scripps Co.’s "Democracy 2012," strives to be "a one-stop shop of voter education." Stations in all 13 of the company’s TV markets will provide candidates at least five free minutes of airtime nightly between 5-11:35 p.m. in the 30 days preceding the general elections. They provide free airtime in the 30 days preceding primary elections.
Democracy 2012 includes:
"Political education and discourse are a centerpiece of our local news presentation. In one of the most crucial election cycles in our lifetimes, we’re going to marinate our audience in political coverage so they’ll make fully informed choices when it comes time to vote," said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps television division.
CBS Television’s WBZ-TV Boston announced a debate between U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren. The candidates have also agreed to another televised debate hosted by a consortium of media outlets in Springfield. CBS Radio’s WBZ-AM and Greater Media’s WTKK-FM are working with the candidates to schedule radio debates. "It is of paramount importance that the people of Massachusetts be able to hear from both candidates for U.S. Senate," said Mindy Myers, Warren’s campaign manager.
Emmis Communications’ KFTK-FM St. Louis joined the Missouri News Horizon to host a primary senatorial debate featuring Republican candidates Todd Akin, Sarah Steelman and John Brunner on June 11. The debate was broadcast live on KFTK-FM from the Bezemes Family Theater on the campus of Lindenwood University. It was also streamed live on the station’s website. KFTK-FM’s morning show host, Jamie Allman from "Allman in Morning" moderated the event. Click here to listen to the debate.
Hearst’s KOAT-TV Albuquerque hosted a debate between the three Democratic candidates running in the primary for New Mexico’s first Congressional District seat. The candidates included Marty Chavez, Eric Griego and Michelle Lujan Grisham. The debate was co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal.
Hearst Television’s WMTW-TV Portland-Auburn, Maine held two live debates for the candidates running for Olympia Snowe’s former U.S. Senate seat. On May 30 all four Democratic candidates participated in a live one-hour debate in WMTW-TV’s studio. On June 6, WMTW-TV hosted six Republican candidates at the studio for a live hour-long debate. In both debates, questions for the candidates came from the station’s editorial board, viewers and social networking platforms. Both debates were unsponsored and commercial-free. WMTW-TV also has created a webpage on the station’s website that features candidate profiles.
Media General’s WBTW-TV Myrtle Beach produced and aired a one-hour debate on June 4 for the Republican candidates vying for South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District seat. The debate aired live from the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center. On June 7, WBTW-TV ran a second hour-long debate for the Democratic challengers. All five Democratic candidates participated in the debate that was broadcast live from the Coastal Carolina University’s Wheelwright auditorium from 7 to 8 p.m. Both debates were moderated by WBTW-TV’s anchor Bob Juback and were streamed live on www.scnow.com. This October, WBTW-TV will air a third debate with the nominees from both parties.
Barrington Broadcasting-owned WPDE-TV Myrtle Beach broadcast two primetime debates the week of June 4 for candidates in South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District. All four Democratic candidates participated in a live debate June 5, while the 10 Republican candidates debated live Thursday, June 7. Both debates were streamed online. In addition to debates, every candidate that is running for an elected position in WPDE-TV’s DMA has been a guest on its Sunday morning show, "Carolina This Week," where they had 15 minutes to discuss their platform.
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch participated in an hour-long debate with his Republican opponent, Dan Liljenquist, on Bonneville’s KSL-AM/FM Salt Lake City on June 15. The debate was moderated by KSL-AM/FM host Doug Wright. The candidates were running for Utah’s Republican senatorial nomination, which was won by Hatch. He will face Democrat Scott Howell in the November general election.
El Dorado Broadcasters Spanish Talk WSUA-AM Miami will start the new year with a greater emphasis on political coverage through a new weekly show "Caracol Decision 2012". The show will air live every Tuesday from 8-9 p.m. until election night and will be hosted by veteran news journalist Yoly Cuello, who has covered the last four elections for Radio Caracol. The coverage will include exclusive interviews with local, state, and national candidates from both parties, top political experts, and discussions among listeners on topics that are important to them.
In an unprecedented event, several Honolulu stations ran Hearst-owned KITV-TV’s Honolulu Mayoral Debate live on July 11. Raycom Media’s KGMB-TV and KHNL-TV, GMC Television’s KFVE-TV and Clear Channel’s KHVH-AM all ran the debate live, while PBS Hawaii re-broadcast the event later in the evening. "In order to best serve the public with this important debate, Hawaii’s local broadcasters agreed to make the production as widely available as possible," said KITV President and General Manager Andrew Jackson.
Belo Corporation’s "It’s Your Time" will provide congressional and gubernatorial candidates free air time for the ninth consecutive election cycle. In each of the six weeks before the general election, news stations will air at least one hour of political coverage. The debates with local, state and federal candidates will also run on multicast channels. Station websites will host archives of debates and interviews, candidate issue statements, e-town meetings and voter registration information. Belo will promote its smartphone and iPad apps and Facebook and Twitter conversations. Candidates get five minutes of free airtime: four to address voters and one to answer questions. In 2010, Belo’s "It’s Your Time" provided 151 candidates with more than 18 hours of free airtime. "Belo has a long-standing commitment to providing robust election coverage that helps create an informed electorate in the local communities we serve," said Peter L. Diaz, Belo’s president, media operations.
Independently-owned WJAR-TV Cranston, Rhode Island hosted three congressional and senatorial debates on Nov. 1. All were held at Rhode Island College and open to the public. The 2nd Congressional District debate featured Rep. Jim Langevin, Republican Mike Riley and Independent Abel Collins. The U.S. Senate debate pitted incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse against Republican challenger Barry Hinkley. The 1st Congressional District debate with Rep. David Cicilline, Republican Brendan Doherty and Independent David Vogel broadcast live on WJAR, C-SPAN and streamed live online.
Gannett Broadcasting-owned WUSA-TV Washington, DC aired a live broadcast of a 30-minute debate between Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett and challenger John Delaney to reach voters in Maryland’s 6th District. The discussion covered controversial issues including gay marriage, the federal government’s role in improving the economy and an upcoming ballot question that would allow some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Maryland schools.
Hearst Television’s "Commitment 2012" included a minimum of 12 minutes of daily political coverage discourse in our markets 30 days prior to the primary and general elections. In addition to news coverage, the stations provided local specials and 70 debates in markets across the United States. Stations that aired debates included KCCI-TV, Des Moines, KETV Omaha, KHBS/KHOG Ft. Smith, Ark., KITV Honolulu, KOAT-TV Albuquerque, KOCO-TV Oklahoma City, WCVB-TV Boston, WDSU-TV New Orleans, WESH Orlando, WISN-TV Milwaukee, WGAL-TV Lancaster, Pa., WLKY Louisville, WMTW Portland, Maine, WMUR-TV Manchester, N.H., WPTZ Plattsburgh, N.Y., WTAE-TV Pittsburgh and WXII Winston-Salem, N.C.
Major broadcast networks’ election night coverage included multiplatform initiatives and elaborate presentations. NBC turned Rockefeller Center’s ice rink into a massive U.S. map with states turning red or blue as results returned. CBS utilized eight TV studios and three state-of-the-art control rooms to produce its coverage, including virtual reality models of the House and Senate. ABC’s broadcast from Times Square included a special edition of "World News with Diane Sawyer," panels of political analysts, and historical context from Barbara Walters, who has interviewed every President since Nixon. Fox Broadcasting Company’s live coverage included analysis, exit poll data and live reports from the candidate’s campaign headquarters and footage from battleground states. Univision highlighted important topics for Hispanic viewers and offered Tu Cámara for users to upload videos and photos from the polls to share online. ABC and Univision also used YouTube’s Elections Hub.
Salem Radio Network offered affiliates a live six-hour Election Night 2012 Special beginning at 6:00 pm. Dial Global’s syndicated NBC News Radio live broadcast from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. featured anchor Brian Williams and simulcast on NBC-TV. CBS Radio News and America’s Radio News Network began extensive live coverage at 7:00 pm and continued into the early morning. Fox News Radio’s coverage on three different channels, which included clean feeds of major speeches, aired between 6 p.m. and noon the following day. ABC News Radio’s election night live anchored coverage aired from 7 p.m. through 1 a.m. with six Election Coverage Status Reports each hour, ABC News "DecisionDesk" analysis, voter turnout from battleground states Florida and Ohio and reports on congressional, senatorial and gubernatorial races.
E.W. Scripps’ "Democracy 2012" included five minutes of free airtime daily to candidates in nearly 200 races, live streams of presidential candidate speeches, 15 debates for state and local races and "Get Out the Vote" PSAs. Scripps’ Florida stations and newspapers created an online portal with information on candidate platforms and voter registration. Participating stations were WXYZ-TV Detroit; KMGH-TV Denver; KGTV-TV San Diego; KERO-TV Bakersfield, CA; WCPO-TV Cincinnati; WEWS Cleveland; WRTV Indianapolis; WFTS Tampa; WMAR-TV Baltimore; KNXV Phoenix; WPTV West Palm Beach, Fl.; KSHB-TV Kansas City, Mo., and KJRH Tulsa.
Hearst Televison’s WMUR-TV Manchester, NH and The New Hampshire Union Leader hosted debates on Nov. 1 and 2. The Nov. 1 hour-long debate featured gubernatorial candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Maggie Hassan. On Nov. 2, WMUR-TV aired back-to-back congressional debates. The first featured Rep. Frank Guinta against Carol Shea-Porter, whom Guinta replaced two years ago. In the second hour, Rep. Charlie Bass faced challenger Ann Kuster.
Meredith Communication’s WFSB-TV Hartford, Conn., broadcast a senatorial debate between Chris Murphy and Linda McMahon. Moderator Dennis House encouraged social media engagement, pointing voters to WFSB-TV’s Facebook page and Twitter handles for himself and the candidates. House told TVSpy, "Even in a small state like Connecticut where the odds are greater that you will meet a candidate, it is still important to see them in action debating the issues."
Fox Television’s WNYW-TV New York stepped up on Election Day. Election officials set up tents at Public School 180 in Rockaway Park to allow residents displaced by Sandy to vote. Unfortunately, one of the two generators that was illuminating the voting tents stopped working. WNYW-TV offered its satellite truck to provide needed power. This video shows how an WNYW-TV truck helped to light the make-shift area so voters could see paper ballots.
Journal Broadcasting Group’s WTMJ-TV Milwaukee aired a senatorial debate between Tommy Thompson and Tammy Baldwin. The one-hour debate averaged a 6.6 rating between 7:00 and 8:00 pm, reaching the equivalent of 62,700 households. About 293,000 households tuned in to an earlier town hall debate on all four Milwaukee affiliates.
Back Porch Broadcasting’s WORT-FM Madison, Wis., partnered with local newspaper Isthmus, The Progressive magazine, and the Madison Public Library on a debate held August 8 for all Democratic candidates for the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. The eight candidates participated in a meet and greet before the hour-and-a-half long debate.
Independently-owned WHIF-FM Palatka, Florida held candidate forums with all the local candidates in the primary and general elections and made the audio available online. The station also hosted discussions to explain various amendments on the ballot.
Raycom Media’s WECT-TV Wilmington, NC aired a half hour, commercial free debate between the candidates for the 7th Congressional District, Mike McIntyre and David Rouzer. The debate was posted online in its entirety. WECT also hosted several local debates that aired live online, featuring candidates running for school board, county commission, state house and state senate.
Schurz Communications KYTV Springfield, Mo. aired a Republican primary debate with five candidates for Missouri Senate and a debate between U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and challenger Rep. Todd Akin. Reporter Jerry Jacob’s interviews with candidates for U.S. Senate, Governor, Lt. Governor and Treasurer aired during evening newscasts. The extended versions were posted online and on mobile apps. Election Night coverage began at 6:30 pm on Nov. 6, with local cut-ins for five minutes each half hour. Results crawled on-air and were constantly updated online and on mobile.
Schurz Communications Wichita, Kansas stations KWCH-TV, KBSH-TV, KBSL-TV, KBSD-TV, KSCW and KDCU offered free air time in October for candidates running in the 4th Congressional District. The stations aired two, 30-minute Live Candidate Forums for Sedgwick County Sheriff and District Attorney and a 30-minute Fluoride Special to educate viewers on the ballot issue. The stations tracked and analyzed polling data on the local races and the Fluoride issue. KDCU, a Univision affiliate, aired information in Spanish when possible.
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association hosted a special gubernatorial recall debate between Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on May 25. The hour-long debate was held in Hearst’s WISN-TV studios in Milwaukee and televised across the state. Several local television news anchors questioned the candidates along with the debate moderator, John Laabs, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation’s president and chief executive officer. Click here to listen to an audio clip of the debate. WISN-TV hosted a second debate on May 31 moderated by the station’s Mike Gousha.
Belo Broadcasting’s Texas television stations, WFAA-TV Dallas/Fort Worth, KVUE-TV Austin, KHOU-TV Houston and KENS-TV San Antonio, produced and aired the Texas Senatorial debate featuring candidates, Ted Cruz, David Dewhurst, Craig James and Tom Leppert. WFAA-TV’s John McCaa moderated a panel of journalists who questioned the candidates. The debate streamed live on station websites and the website for The Dallas Morning News. Belo offered all television stations the Spanish language broadcast and allowed all Texas radio stations to air the event.
Raycom Media’s KHNL-TV and KGMB-TV Honolulu recently televised a mayoral debate. Candidates debated a variety of issues, including funding for a railway and other transit projects, homelessness, urban development, sewer systems and landfills. Current mayor Peter Carlisle also fielded questions and comments related to his job performance over the past term.
Gannett Broadcasting’s WCSH-TV Portland and WLBZ-TV Bangor, Maine have sponsored and aired several political forums during the primary election season, as part of the Voice of the Voter series. WCSH-TV Portland held a 30-minute debate for Republican candidates running in Maine’s First District on May 29 and a similar 30-minute debate for Republican candidates running for Maine’s Second District seat on May 30, which WLBZ-TV also ran. The following week, both WCSH-TV and WLBZ-TV broadcast a 60-minute senatorial debate for six Republican candidates including Rick Bennett, Scott D’Amboise, Debra Plowman, Bruce Poliquin, William Schneider and Charlie Summers, on June 4. The Gannett stations held an hour-long debate for the Democratic candidates on June 6 featuring Cynthia Dill, Matthew Dunlap, Jon Hinck and Benjamin Pollard.
NBC Politics launched a new app for the iPad and iPhone to enhance election coverage. Key features include: an interactive "battleground map," a daily "tip sheet" from NBC Politics, live election results and social media features. In addition to candidate news and profiles, the app includes video from various NBC News programs.
The Montana Broadcasters Association is sponsoring a debate between Sen. Jon Tester and his challenger, Rep. Denny Rehberg on June 24. The debate follows a June 16 debate requested by Tester’s campaign that will include Libertarian candidate Dan Cox.
The Montana Broadcasters Association is sponsoring a debate between Sen. Jon Tester and his challenger, Rep. Denny Rehberg on June 24. The debate follows a June 16 debate requested by Tester’s campaign that will include Libertarian candidate Dan Cox.
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association also has launched a committee to plan and host a debate in October at its fall convention between candidates for U.S. Senate.
NBC News will partner with Telemundo to cover the presidential election. "Decision 2012" will include joint monthly polls, coverage of the campaigns and conventions and events focused on the role of the Hispanic vote, estimated at 22 million eligible voters. The partnership provides Telemundo access to NBC News’ political content and gives NBC News the benefit of Telemundo’s expertise in the Hispanic community. "This parnership will allow Telemundo and NBC News to offer news in both languages, reaffirming our deep commitment to inform and empower our community," said Emilio Romano, president of Telemundo Media. NBC News Senior Vice President Alexandra Wallace will oversee the effort.
Eagle Communications’ KSJQ-FM and KFEQ-AM St. Joseph, Missouri partnered with the St. Joseph Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Committee to host a primary senatorial debate featuring the Republican candidates Todd Akin, Sarah Steelman and John Brunner on May 7. KFEQ-AM’s host Barry Birr moderated the event, which was broadcast live on KFEQ-AM from the Holiday Inn Conference Center.
Raycom Media’s WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, La. hosted a live debate between the mayoral candidates for East Baton Rouge Parish which was simulcast on Guaranty Broadcasting’s WBRP-FM. Incumbent Kip Holden and challengers Gordon Mese, Mike Walker and Steve Myers discussed issues such as crime, traffic, education and Baton Rouge’s soaring AIDS rate.
NBC-owned WTVJ-TV Miami televised a Florida senatorial debate on October 17, featuring incumbent Bill Nelson and Republican challenger Connie Mack. The debate was part of "Decision 2012: Before You Vote" and was produced by the partnership with Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association. All 11 television markets in Florida broadcast the debate live.
Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL-TV Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, N.C., offered viewers a wide range of news coverage and special programming. The station aired and streamed four statewide debates, two of which were produced by WRAL News; produced and aired 10 election-focused half-hour discussion programs titled "On the Record," dealing solely with the races and candidates important to the North Carolina electorate; and provided innovative, interactive online and mobile tools for voters. On Election Day WRAL.com had 6 million desktop Web views, 1.4 million mobile views, 80,000 video views on Web and mobile, and at one point peaked on the Web at 450,000 page views an hour.
Hubbard Broadcasting’s WARH-FM promoted the American Cancer Society’s "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" at two local walk sites. The walk honors survivors, promotes awareness and raises money to support American Cancer Society initiatives for research, information dissemination and access to mammograms. Since 1993, eight million walkers in the U.S. have raised more than $460 million through Making Strides, including $60 million last year.
NexStar Broadcasting Group’s KARK-TV Little Rock hosted a debate before a runoff election between Q. Byrum Hurst and Gene Jeffress. The runoff determined the Democratic nominee for southern Arkansas’ fourth Congressional District. Hurst and Jeffress both promised to focus on job creation and to protect Social Security during the half-hour debate.
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association recently created a committee to plan and host a debate in October at its fall convention between candidates for U.S. Senate.
Sarkes Tarzian-owned WRCB-TV Chatanooga co-sponsored a debate with the Chattanooga Times Free Press on May 21 for the candidates running for Tennessee’s third Congressional District seat. The debate, which was held on the campus of The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, featured the GOP incumbent, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and two of his three challengers, Weston Wamp and Ron Bhalla. The event was streamed live on both the station’s website and the newspaper’s website. WRCB will co-sponsor a future debate featuring the Democratic candidates.
Cox Media Group’s WGAU-AM Athens, Ga. hosted a debate between U.S. Representative Paul Broun and challenger Stephen Simpson on July 2. It follows a July 1 debate on Gannett Broadcasting’s WMAZ-TV Macon. WGAU-AM News Director Tim Bryant served as moderator and encouraged listeners to call with questions. Debate topics included health care law, immigration and the local economy. Both candidates are running as Republicans in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District.
TAB, Univision and Others Host Dewhurst and Cruz Debate
The Texas Association of Broadcasters, in partnership with Univision, North Texas Public Broadcasting’s KERA-TV, KERA-FM Dallas and other partners, hosted a debate between Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and challenger Ted Cruz in preparation for a senate runoff election on July 31. The first debate aired live on Univision, the KERA stations, as well as London Broadcasting Company’s KCEN-TV’s multicast channel, Me TV, on June 22.
Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine announced he will particpate in eight broadcast debates preceding the general election for U.S. Senate. The debates will air on TV and radio stations across Virginia and will be held in geographically diverse regions. Kaine said he wants to work with Republican candidate George Allen so voters can hear from both sides. "George Allen looks forward to engaging in vigorous debates with Tim Kaine on their very different visions for America’s future," Allen spokeswoman Katie Wright said. The debates will be sponsored by a variety of organizations including, Radio One, Allbritton’s WJLA-TV, NBC Television’s WRC-TV, Raycom Media’s WWBT-TV, Commonwealth Broadcasting’s WCVE-TV, Media General’s WSLS-TV and Belo Corporation’s WVEC-TV.
Journal Broadcasting’s "2012 Red, White and Blue Election Initiative" provided election news on TV and news-talk radio stations in the 30 days before the election. These stations aired at least 10 minutes of prime time coverage of federal, state and local candidates each weekday, posted election news online and on social media and aired "Get out the Vote" PSAs: KIVI-TV and KNIN-TV Boise; WFTX-TV Fort-Myers, Fl.; WSYM-TV Lansing, Mich.; KTNV-TV Las Vegas; WTMJ-TV and WTMJ-AM Milwaukee; KMTV Omaha; KMIR-TV Palm Springs, Calif.; KTTS-FM and KSGF-AM/FM Springfield, Mo.; KGUN-TV, KWBA-TV and KQTH-FM Tucson; KFAQ-AM Tulsa; and KFDI-FM and KLIO-AM Wichita.
Quincy stations aired 12 debates and produced "Candidates and Issues" segments. Quincy’s 11 news stations invited 461 candidates to record a message to voters that aired unedited on-air and online. Of the 461 candidates, 193 (42 percent) chose to participate. These stations aired and/or co-produced live debates for senatorial, congressional and gubernatorial races: WVVA Bluefield, W.V., WREX-TV Rockford, Ill., WGEM-TV (commercial free) WKOW-TV, KTIV Sioux City, Iowa, WXOW-TV La Crosse, Wis., WAOW-TV Wausau, Wis. and KTTC Rochester, Minn. Those stations, plus WSJV South Bend, Ind., KWWL Waterloo, Iowa, and WQOW-TV Eau Claire, Wis., aired "Candidates and Issues" segments.
Hearst Television’s WCVB-TV Needham, MA aired a 30-minute congressional debate between Democratic U.S. Rep. John Tierney and Republican challenger Richard Tisei in late October. The debate covered a range of topics, including gun control, health care and taxes. The candidates exchanged heated words over controversies involving Tierney and his family.
Gannett Broadcasting’s WCSH-TV Portland, ME hosted a debate between the six senatorial candidates in Maine: Andrew Ian Dodge, Independent; Danny Dalton, Independent; Charlie Summers, Republican; Angus King, Independent; Cynthia Dill, Democrat; and Steve Woods, Independent. The debate was one of the few in which all six candidates participated. The independent candidates said they would remain as such if elected.
Gannett Broadcasting’s WLBZ-TV and WCSH-TV Portland, Maine, hosted the fourth and final debate between the candidates for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District on the Tuesday before the election. During the 30-minute event, Rep. Mike Michaud and Republican challenger Kevin Raye discussed job creation, energy policy, taxes, poverty and sequestration. The Affordable Care Act became a central part of both the economic and health care portions of the debate.
Providing up-to-the-minute election results on the hotly contested race for governor, among other notable federal and local races, KREM-TV in Spokane, Wash., was among one of the 15 news-producing Belo stations that extensively covered the election, hosted debates and provided free air time to candidates. In total, Belo stations averaged 115 election stories per week and dedicated over 210 hours of news time to election coverage. Additionally, stations donated over 14 hours of airtime to 140 candidates campaigning for various political offices.
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