NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator
Moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News listens as President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. (Jim Bourg/Pool via AP)
NBC's Welker sharp in first turn as debate moderator
“I'm jealous,” said Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace, moderator of the first debate. When the candidates were allowed to more directly engage, Welker was generally successful in striking the balance between giving them room and cutting off the discussion when it was becoming unproductive. “But you're the president,” Welker replied. But she received praise for her performance from across the political spectrum, including conservative personalities Ben Shapiro and Brit Hume. “Kristen Welker is putting on a master class on how to moderate a presidential debate,” tweeted Philip Rucker, a Washington Post reporter.
Debate commission says it will make changes to format
NEW YORK – The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. He called on the debate commission to act. Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience, after receiving praise for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016. Scully moderates the Miami debate, a town hall format where citizens get to ask questions, which may make interruptions more difficult.
Trump's audience doesn't match Biden's; president hails CNN
President Donald Trump thanked CNN Tuesday for its Republican convention coverage, while Fox News heard complaints from some viewers that it wasn't showing enough. Overall, 15.8 million people watched the final hour of convention coverage Monday, down 16% from Democratic candidate Joe Biden's first night last week. Fox's audience was up 238%, but Democratic convention viewership beat Republicans on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC. While MSNBC and CNN combined had just under 10 million viewers for Bidens first night, they had 3.6 million for Trump, Nielsen said. Enough with Hannity, Hannity, Hannity, tweeted Steve Walsh, press secretary to a Republican congresswoman from Missouri.
A different view of the Democrats on Fox News prime time
NEW YORK Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are providing television viewers with a distinctly different vision of the Democratic National Convention each night from their perches on Fox News Channel. But as cable rivals CNN and MSNBC devote three hours in prime time to the convention including showing the Democrats' feed virtually uninterrupted Fox will not dislodge its biggest opinion stars. Hannity called the convention a predictable dose of poorly produced, cult-like, psychotic rage (and) hysteria against all things Donald Trump. Hannity had 3.88 million viewers Monday, and many Fox viewers clicked away when news coverage of the convention began. Fox pointed out that its convention coverage schedule was the same as it was in 2016 and will be for next week's Republican national convention.
Coronavirus upends conventions, changes TV coverage
LOS ANGELES The Democratic and Republican conventions will lack for crowds but not television coverage. The Democratic meeting will be virtual, with Biden planning to make his acceptance speech from Wilmington, Delaware. Broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC plan an hour of nightly coverage of the conventions at 10 p.m. EDT. CNN's commentators for the Democratic meeting include Van Jones, Jennifer Granholm, Andrew Yang, and Scott Jennings. Commentary for the Republican convention will be handled by Rick Santorum, David Urban, Amanda Carpenter and Granholm.
Hypocrisy gone viral? Officials set bad COVID-19 examples
From U.S. President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, global decision-makers have frequently set bad examples, whether it's refusing to wear masks or breaking confinement rules aimed at protecting their citizens from COVID-19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said normally she would fire Clark but that the country couldnt afford massive disruption in its health sector while it was fighting the virus. He and others didnt wear masks during those meetings, and Putin also didnt cover his face for events marking Nazi Germanys defeat in World War II. The prime minister has respected all guidelines, according to a statement read by a spokesman. And as such the prime minister was with her during her last night."