Presidential Debate Moderators Announced

PBS' Jim Lehrer, CNN's Candy Crowley, CBS' Bob Schieffer, ABC's Martha Raddatz chosen by CPD

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/13/2012 12:11:10 PM

Correspondents from PBS, ABC, CNN and CBS have been chosen to moderate the 2012 general election debates, as announced Monday by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

PBS NewsHour executive editor Jim Lehrer will moderate the first presidential debate on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the University of Denver in Denver, Colo. ABC News senior foreign affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz will moderate the vice presidential debate on Thursday, Oct. 11, at Centre College in Danville, Ky.

CNN's Candy Crowley, chief political correspondent and anchor of State of the Union will moderate the second town meeting-style presidential debate on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Crowley will be the first female moderator of a presidential debate since 1992.

CBS News' Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation, will moderate the third and final presidential debate on Monday, Oct. 22, from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

"The new formats chosen for this year's debates are designed to focus big time blocks on major domestic and foreign topics," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairmen of the CPD. "These journalists bring extensive experience to the job of moderating, and understand the importance of using the expanded time periods to maximum benefit."