FOX News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute Present Two Presidential Debates for the 2008 Campaign

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX News and the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBC Institute) have jointly announced that they will present two 2008 primary debates, which are expected to attract the top Democratic and Republican contenders for President of the United States. The debates will be presented live on FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX News Radio.

“Our goal with each debate is to provide a platform that will allow voters to hear the positions of candidates from both political parties. Collaborating with FOX News provides an opportunity to take this presidential election to millions of households.”

The first of the two debates will be among Democratic candidates and will be held on September 23^rd at the Fox Theater in Detroit. The second debate will be among Republican candidates and will take place in the fall of 2007 at a location to be determined. Both debates will serve as a forum for the candidates to make their platforms known.

The CBC Institute previously partnered with FNC for two democratic presidential debates leading up to the 2004 election, in which all candidates participated. Both debates were among FNC’s highest rated political telecasts of the You Decide 2004 election season.

In making this announcement, FNC Executive Producer of Political Programming Marty Ryan said, “We are looking forward to working with the CBC Institute again during the 2008 campaign. The debates we conducted with the Institute during the 2004 campaign were among the most important and interesting of that cycle, and we expect these to be even better.”

FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes added, “FOX News is proud to work with the CBC Institute in 2007 as we did in 2003 to present these two key debates which will provide a special forum for the candidates to present their ideas and allow voters to make informed decisions.”

U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the CBC Institute commented, "As a leading organization dedicated to educating the public on issues of national policy, the CBC Institute is committed to presenting the presidential candidates to the broadest audience possible.”

Thompson added, "Our goal with each debate is to provide a platform that will allow voters to hear the positions of candidates from both political parties. Collaborating with FOX News provides an opportunity to take this presidential election to millions of households.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) said, “I am pleased that FOX News will broadcast two CBC Institute debates and especially honored that the Institute will host a debate in Detroit.”

She continued, “America needs strong leadership. We must educate and empower voters to select a candidate who will improve healthcare, create jobs and invest in education. These debates will help the public examine issues critical to our future and choose the candidate they believe will best serve as president.”

The Presidential Debate Program is one of several initiatives sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBC Institute), a nonprofit organization designed to train and educate African Americans and others on key issues of national policy. The CBC Institute also commissions policy research, holds conferences and symposia, and conducts a political education and campaign training program. Founded in 2000, the CBC Institute is governed by a board of directors comprised of individuals from academia, business, labor and elective office including members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Its activities are undertaken on a non-partisan basis. For more information visit http://www.cbcinstitute.org.

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, entertainment and business news. For five years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation and currently presents 9 out of the top 10 programs in cable news. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 85 million homes.