Jim Lehrer
PBS Announces Plans for Debate and Beyond
Tonight Jim Lehrer, host of PBS's The News Hour, will moderate the first presidential debate of the general election, which will take place at University of Mississippi in Oxford.
PBS will be one of nine networks broadcasting the debate tonight. With Mr. Lehrer in the moderator's chair, Ray Suarez will anchor PBS's pre- and post-debate coverage.
According to the network's release:
Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor and Anchor of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, moderates a debate that will focus on foreign policy and national security, at the University of Mississippi in Oxford Mississippi. Analysis by Shields & Brooks; reports from NPR reporters covering the respective campaigns - Don Gagne reports from the Obama campaign; Scott Horsley covering McCain; and perspective from presidential historian Michael Beschloss; Jeanne Cummings, senior correspondent at Politico; Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune
Earlier this week, the Media Mob asked Lester Crystal, the president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and the former executive producer of The News Hour, why viewers, given all the choices tonight, should tune into PBS. read more »
Commission on Presidential Debates Teams Up with MySpace on Fall Debates
Today executives with News Corporation's MySpace announced that they have formed a partnership with the Commission on Presidential Debates to create MyDebates.org—a site that will include a downloadable application capable, in part, of streaming the fall presidential and vice presidential debates live.
Yesterday, the commission announced the slate of moderators for the fall debates, which will include PBS's Jim Lehrer, NBC's Tom Brokaw, PBS's Gwen Ifill, and CBS's Bob Schieffer. It's an esteemed group. But also one that's somewhat long in the tooth.
Back in April, we wrote about Google's frustrated attempts to team up with the commission on some sort of new media debate. read more »
Lehrer, Ifill, Brokaw, and Schieffer to Moderate 2008 Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced today the roster of moderators for the three presidential and one vice-presidential debates coming up this fall.
PR Newswire has the details:
First presidential debate
Friday, September 26
The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
Jim Lehrer
Executive Editor and Anchor, The NewsHour, PBS
Vice presidential debate
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
Gwen Ifill
Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour, and Moderator and Managing Editor,
Washington Week, PBS
Second presidential debate (town meeting)
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.
Tom Brokaw
Special Correspondent, NBC News
Third presidential debate
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
Bob Schieffer
CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent, and Host, Face the Nation
Not on the list: Katie Couric, who was the only broadcast evening news anchor not to moderate a single debate in this year's primary season. read more »
Stock Up on Red Bull, Jim Lehrer!
PBS executives announced today that they will be broadcasting extensive, "gavel to gavel" coverage of both the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer.
From the release: read more »
PBS' NewsHour Suffering from Major Budget Shortfall
A few weeks ago, facing the worst budget crunch of its 25-year history, PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" froze salaries at the show and put on hold company contributions to 401(K) retirement funds, according to a report today in the New York Times.
"The financial squeeze was precipitated last summer when Archer Daniels Midland ended its 14-year sponsorship of the program," reports the Times. read more »
Jim Lehrer Won't Have to 'Do Fisticuffs' on Chip McGrath After All
Jim Lehrer, the longtime anchor of NewsHour on PBS is upset with an article in the New York Times.
No, not that article.
In his bedroom, this past Sunday morning, Mr. Lehrer pored over a piece in the Times by writer-at-large Charles McGrath, entitled "Is PBS Still Necessary?"
"I was stunned," said Mr. Lehrer. read more »
In Mexico, Suarez Smiles Suddenly
Of course I ascribe a portion of his enthusiasm to his habla-Spanish engagement with the story, but at dinner last night, a couple of friends pointed out that the culture of the NewsHour under Jim Lehrer is a bit dour. No smiles, a kind of thoughtful but impersonal professionalism. This viewer, anyway, is grateful for the new mood.
Don's New Tempest: Hewitt Conjuring PBS 60 Minutes
Don's New Tempest: Hewitt Conjuring PBS 60 Minutes
