FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Jim Gorham, WABC-TV (917) 260-7160 Ken Frydman, NY Daily News (212) 239-6073

WABC-TV, NY DAILY NEWS, NOTICIAS 41 UNIVISION AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ANNOUNCE FIRST MAJOR TELEVISION DEBATES FOR NEW YORK MAYOR
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATE AUGUST 11TH, NOON DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY DEBATE AUGUST 13TH, 7 P.M.
NEW YORK, AUGUST 1, 2013It is one of the most exciting and hotly contested New York City mayoral races in a generation, and today WABC-TV announced it will broadcast the first major television debates for the office. Five candidates for the Democratic nomination and three Republican candidates will square off in two separate forums at the station s Upper West Side studio. On Friday, August 9th, Republican candidates John Catsimatidis, Joe Lhota and George McDonald will meet to debate the issues. The forum will be streamed live at 1p.m. on WABC-TV s website, 7online, and broadcast on Channel 7 Sunday, August 11th at Noon. Noticias 41 Univision will air the debate on Friday, August 16th at 7a.m. Eyewitness News anchor Sade Baderinwa will moderate. On Tuesday, August 13th, Democrats Christine Quinn, Anthony Weiner, Bill de Blasio, Bill Thompson, and John Liu will face off in an hour-long live debate at 7p.m. on WABC-TV. Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter will moderate. This will be the first television debate in the Democratic primary available to all New York area viewers. Eyewitness News Political Reporter Dave Evans, New York Daily News City Hall Bureau Chief Jennifer Fermino and Noticias 41 Univision Political Reporter Mariela Salgado will make up the panel of questioners for both debates. New York City will have a new mayor for the first time in 12 years, and WABC-TV, Eyewitness News and our partners are proud to provide viewers with the information they need to make an informed decision. This important debate in prime time continues our policy of holding critical political forums in front of the largest number of voters possible,said Dave Davis, President and General Manager of WABC-TV. With the future of the city at stake in this election, New York s hometown paper is proud to be a part of these debates,said Joel Siegel, the Managing Editor for Politics at the Daily News. While the studio itself is closed to the press, WABC-TV will have a screening room available. Credentialed press wishing to attend should call Jim Gorham at 917-260-7160. The debates are part of a series of Vote 2013 forums that WABC-TV is hosting. Last Sunday, Channel 7 broadcast the New Jersey s U.S. Senate Democratic Primary debate, and on Sunday, August 11th, WABC-TV viewers will also see the candidates for New York City Comptroller square off. WABC-TV is New York s most watched television station and is a proud co-sponsor of the debates along with Noticias 41 Univision, the New York Daily News, and the League of Women Voters of the City of New York.