Good morning al ‘After preliminary discussions wth several ofthe parties on our invite lst, Macleans wants to provide the following updated debate plan, and urge everyone to give us your partys answer to ‘ur invitation by Wednesday. We are eager to announce this debate and work toward making it happen. Our offer asit stands now: VENUE, DATE, COVERAGE ‘The debate would take place in Toronto, where Rogers has its best studios and tachrical capabilities, We have secured two hours of broadcast time in August. The signal woud be broadcast nationally on CtyTV, Omni and CPAC, as well asa lve webeast on websites including Maclean's For discussion purpose, and with fond hopes of securing a consensus around a date, | am Proposing the folowing debate dates: Aug. 40r5, or Aug, 11 or 12.4 would be gratetu parties ‘would identify preferences as wells any dstes they ean accommodate. FORMAT: We have had no objections to our single-moderator format or tothe nation that Pau Wells would be the moderator. Speak now or forever hold your peace. Inthe interest of diving right nt the discussion among leaders, we are proposing toeliminate ‘opening statements. We stil plan to keep 90-second closing statements There's an emerging consensus that leaders would prefer standing to siting, So we're proposing that leaders stand at podiums. ‘The rest ofthe proposal is as Mark Stevenson suggested In our original eal. That's our offer: National audience, simple format, an eatly opportunity forall partis to make their case to Canadians as an important election approaches, We're grateful for everybody's Interest in our novel idea. 'm eager to eiscuss further. My phone number i (513) 867-0369, (Once again, urge everyone to respond byWednesday. ‘Thank you Paul Well Political editor, Maclean's magazineBREET vor recoranon 2015 Feoenat Leavens’ Denarss Prepared by The Broadeast Consortium April 24, 2015HEREEREEERE 01 on ose 2018 Federal Leaders’ Debates (Canada's major Frech end English television networks have joined together to produce debates: ‘among the leaders of the main political parties. The programs ae designed to help votes better Understand the choies es they prepare to vote in Canada’s 2015 Federal Election. ‘As broadcasters we believe this is best achieved by engaging the largest audience in debate- rogram that wil te seen by Canadians as “must watch” on prime time television. We ee ‘committed to an open fai and equitable exchange of ideas nd a sharing of leaders" visons for the foture of Canad. 1. TheDebater ‘8. The broadcast consortium is offering o produce at least four federal leaders” debates in 2015, to in English and two in French ', The first English and French debates willbe held shortly after the writ hs been dropped, withthe Final two debeos closer to the end of the campaign The consoium will choose the debate dates in consultation with the invited parties alter the wit is dropped. 4. Bach debate willbe 120 minutes in length. The debates will be simultaneously ‘broadcast rationally ad live-streamed by all consortium networks on the chosen dates. The fed wil also be evailable based ona rate eard to other media outs. 2 Debate Venue ‘& The debates wil be held ata university ina major Canad city. The consortium will invite universities o submit proposals to host the even, ireluding details onthe ‘proposed stage venue, parking, technical neds, security, and secondary rooms needed. for consortium, the partis and other mei . The debate venue wil have seating fora minimum of 30-person audience. Each audience member willbe registered in advance, with tickets distributed four ways: ‘+ guess ofthe participating partes ‘Busts of the Broadcast consortium + uests/students ofthe host university pubic lonery as conducted by the consortiumA 001% osrn0vn0m The tive audience will not participate in the debate and will be instructed t listen respectflly throughout. Applause willbe permitted ‘The leaders wil bea standing height podiums in sn audence-fcing are. ‘The leaders will notcarry any briefing notes onto the seg. Each podium wil have a blank notepad and pen. 3. Debate Moderators a ‘The debates willbe co-hosted by three moderators, ech representing the broadcast networks. ‘The moderators will shae the debate opening and closing, and will allemate ‘moderating and keeping ime during the formatted segment, 4. Debate Format ‘The debate wil be formatted with nie segments, as follows: ‘Segment 1: Welcome and Entrance Segments 2-7: ‘2 Theopening segment involves a weloome to the venue, moderator introductions, and a welcome and entrance to the stage from the par leaders. The leaders will ret one another at centre stage briefly, then move to podiam positions. . The podium and question order is desided by advance draw (se podium grid below), The next six segments wil be a maximum of 17:00 esc, framed around a theme 1nd question as chesen by the moderator and senior editors from the consortium. 1b. These six themes wil be shared with the partes five days before the debate, The specifi questions will no be pr _Pre-vetiod questions from the audience onthe given these may be integrated into the moderators opening question for some, but not al of the segments.FERRE 101 ron srmouron 4. Each ofthese themed segments will begin with each leader answering the {question within 1:00. As noted above, tae order willbe desided in advance by draw. ‘After each leader has answered the question, the moderator will open the conversation up for active debate between all eaders fora msximium of 10:00. Tt {is the moderator's jb to ensure that each lade" hasan equitable amount of time to participate in these open debate sections, {The segment wil close with the moderator allocating. 30 seconds to each leader for closing statement onthe segment theme, ‘Segment &: Canada Responds Segment '& With support fom Twiter Canada, the consortium will invite Canedians to ‘submit follow-up questions and comments using a set hashing, live during the ebate. These tweets willbe dretly elated to statements made during the debate broadeast. '. Twit will provide real-time analytics to evalute voter sentiment based onthe ‘questions and comments in any given ares. © Based on this realtime sentiment dt, represeriatves from Twiter andthe consortium will select one subject ares pr leader fora follow-up question. 4. Esch leader will have 1:00 to answer their question, without interjection or debate amongst the other leaders, ‘Segment 9: Closing Segment 8. Each leader will have 1:00 for a closing statement.RY 01 ron srusvom S. Debate Timing Program length 2 hours (self-sustaining ~no commercials) 0:00 - Opening, greeting, explanations (0:03 - Topic 1 ‘Ste segments will follow the format below. The free-for-all length may be edjusted prior lo broadeas far program timing purposes only. Intro & Main Question on Topic for this Segment (1:00) Leader Statement (1:00 each) Pree for All Debate (10:00) ‘Leader wrap-up statements (230 each) 0:20 -Topic2 0:38 —Topic3 0:54 Topica EM Topics 1:28 Topic 1:45 ~ Canada Responds Leader Followup (1:00 each) 1:52 Closing Leader Closing Statements 1:00 each) ‘Moderator Goodnight (1:00) Handshakes and reds (1:00)[Nor FoR pisraBUTION) 6 Blank Podium Grid (competed by draw) Podium Podium Podtums | Podiuma Segment 1 (anchor A) Segment 2 (anchor 8) Segment (anchor) Segment 4 (anchor a) Segment (anchor 8) Segment (anchor) canada [ Responds ‘Gosing Statement 7. Possible institut for host proposals: University of Toronto ‘MeMastr Univesity University of Otwa York Universty Carleton Universy Ryerson Universiy McGill Universi Université de Montréal Laval University Concordia University University of Brith Columbia Simon Fraser University University of Alberta University of Calgary Dabhousie University University of Sashachewan University of Manitoba