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NPR and ETV Radio Co-Produce Live National Republican Presidential Debate on Jan. 16

Steve Inskeep, Michele Norris and Robert Siegel to Moderate

For Immediate Release
December 20, 2007

Columbia, SC... NPR News and ETV Radio announce a radio-only Republican Presidential Debate, to be broadcast and Web cast live from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16. NPR News journalists and hosts Steve Inskeep, Michele Norris and Robert Siegel will act as moderators. The debate will take place at the ETV studios, located at 1041 George Rogers Blvd. in Columbia, SC. 

Coming on the heels of NPR's highly successful Democratic Presidential debate in Des Moines, this two-hour event, three days before the South Carolina Republican primary, will continue NPR's critically-acclaimed public radio format. A Washington Times editorial said the NPR debate was "a refreshing alternative to the usually snippy tenor that has characterized many previous forums. Rather than the usual attempts by moderators to trip up the candidates and provoke them to attack each other, the debate was a civil conversation centered on the issues." The New York Times asked: "Why aren't there more debates like this?"

Once again, the setting is relaxed:  the candidates sit closely together around a V-shaped table, with no studio audience or video cameras.  Breaking away from the rapid-fire question-and-answer structure traditionally presented by the television networks, the NPR/ETV Radio debate will feature three areas of discussion and the moderators will facilitate the candidates' ability to talk to each other. 

Commenting on the debate, ETV president Moss Bresnahan said, "ETV Radio, which numbers some of our state's most active and engaged citizens among its listeners, is proud to partner with NPR to offer voters a thoughtful exploration of where the Republican candidates stand on the issues. This debate marks the latest in a series of political specials and Winthrop/ETV polls that have won statewide and national attention. Its timing is particularly significant considering it takes place just prior to the all-important Republican primary in South Carolina."

The first broadcast of the debate will be exclusive to NPR member stations around the country; many stations will also rebroadcast it that evening and in other time periods.  The debate will also air on Sirius Satellite Radio, in more than 150 countries through NPR Worldwide Service and on American Forces Radio reaching U.S. military around the world.  The debate will be streamed lived at NPR.org and at numerous member stations' Web sites.  Following the initial exclusive broadcast and Web cast, NPR will make the recording fully accessible to all media outlets and individuals, without license restrictions; it will also be available for permanent on-demand streaming at NPR.org and via NPR member stations' sites. 

NPR programs reach more than 25 million listeners weekly, and NPR member stations have a weekly audience of more than 30 million people.  ETV Radio reaches 271,300 weekly listeners across the state.

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Contacts:  Leah Yoon, NPR Media Relations, (202) 513-2306 ph, (202) 744-2802 cell
                Catherine Christman, VP Comm. South Carolina ETV Radio, (803) 240-5863