Presidential Debate Moderators Announced

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."