CNN Dedicates Prime-time Coverage to First Voter-generated Presidential Debate

CNN, YouTube and South Carolina Democratic Party on Monday, July 23, will offer the first of two unprecedented presidential debates that will feature the candidates responding to video questions submitted directly by the American public. Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour Democratic forum with questions submitted through YouTube and then answered by the candidates live on CNN.

The Democratic debate, the first presidential forum of the 2008 election cycle to be sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee, will be held at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on Monday, July 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. (ET) and will air live on CNN. The Republican presidential forum hosted by CNN and YouTube will take place on Monday, Sept 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. (ET) in Florida.

The public may submit their questions to the candidates via YouTube at www.youtube.com/debates. CNN will select the questions used in the debates and produce the televised events.

CNN’s top political correspondents including senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, chief national correspondent John King and American Morning anchor John Roberts will preview the event throughout the day and be on hand for special post-debate programs. Programming highlights include:

- 7 p.m.-9 p.m. CNN/YouTube Democratic Candidate Debate

- 9 p.m.-10 p.m. The Situation Room, special post-debate program anchored by Wolf Blitzer from Washington, D.C.

- 10 p.m.-11 p.m. Anderson Cooper 360º live on location in Charleston and anchored by Anderson Cooper

- 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Replay of CNN/YouTube Democratic Candidate Debate

In addition to the live airing on CNN, the debate will appear on CNN International and CNN en Español and will replay on Headline News on Tuesday, July 24, from 10 a.m. to noon (ET). CNN.com will stream the entire debate live as well as provide continuous updates through the CNN Political Ticker. After the debate, CNN.com will post pundit scorecards and solicit I-Reports from users to provide their own analysis and opinions of the debate.

CNN Radio will provide affiliates worldwide with a pre-debate program anchored by Ed McCarthy and Dick Uliano beginning at 6:34 p.m. (ET), followed by the debate itself at 7 p.m. (ET). CNN Newsource will provide its affiliates with reports and packages throughout the day.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.