MSNBC To Air GOP Presidential Debate at Iowa University
News Net Also Celebrates Decade Of ‘Hardball With Chris Matthews’
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 10/4/2007 2:57:00 AM
MSNBC will telecast a Republican presidential-candidates debate live from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Nov. 6, university and network officials said Thursday.
The debate will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. from the university's Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. MSNBC.com will also stream the debate live. The debate, which was originally announced last February, was originally slated to take place at Iowa State University.
“As the political season heats up, Iowa is the place to be and we're excited to partner with UNI to provide this important forum for the candidates,” Phil Griffin, senior vice president of NBC News, and executive in charge of MSNBC, said in a statement.
MSNBC is also celebrating a decade of Hardball with Chris Matthews, which premiered on CNBC in 1997, and on MSNBC in 1999. It was telecast on both CNBC and MSNBC through July 2002.
As the 2008 presidential election season heats up, Hardball is showing growth. At 5 p.m., the show was up 26% in total viewers (463,000 versus. 368,000) and ahead 20% among adults 25 to 54 (153,000 versus. 128,000) in September compared to August. At 7 p.m. Hardball grew 13% compared to August (449,000 versus 399,000) in viewers, and 15% in the the aforementioned demographic (155,000 versus 135,000).
Compared to September 2006, Hardball was up 43% in total viewers at 5 p.m. (463,000 versus 324,000) and 27% at 7 p.m. (449,000 versus 353,000), while both Fox News Channel and CNN saw declines in both hours. In the 25-to-54 demo, Hardball increased 13% over last year (153,000 versus 136,000), and 14% at 7 p.m. (155,000 versus 136,000).
