Rogers State University Public Television will broadcast “DebateWatch 2012,” a locally originated public focus group discussing the third and final presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
The public is invited to watch the nationally televised debate on Monday, Oct. 22, from 8:00-9:30 P.M in the Baird Hall Performance Studio on the RSU Claremore campus. Immediately following the debate, a 30-minute focus group will be taped on the RSU campus for RSU’s “Debate Watch2012” program.
“DebateWatch 2012” will then air on RSU Public TV at 7:30 p.m., Monday, October 29, and will be rebroadcast several times in November.
Members of the public are invited free of charge to join RSU students and faculty to view the debate and participate in the post-debate discussion, moderated by Dr. Jeff Gentry, RSU professor of communications and Greg Kunz Chair in Communications, and Dr. Ken Hicks, professor of history and political science. Doors will open at 7:40 p.m. and the focus group will conclude at 10:00 p.m.
Gentry has hosted DebateWatch events dating back to 1996 and has co-produced several U.S. Congressional debates. Hicks will be co-producing his second DebateWatch event at RSU.
The “DebateWatch 2012” initial broadcast will immediately follow RSU Public TV’s live congressional debate for the District 2 seat contested by Rob Wallace and Markwayne Mullin on October 29 at 7 p.m.
DebateWatch is a voter-education program coordinated by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has sponsored each presidential and vice presidential debate since 1988. The October 22 national debate will be moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
As the only full-powered public television station licensed to a public university in Oklahoma, RSU Public TV provides educational, cultural and general interest programming to an audience of 1.3 million viewers in northeastern Oklahoma, and the Tulsa metropolitan area. RSU Public TV broadcasts via DISH, DirectTV and UHF Channel 35 and is carried on 76 cable systems including Cox Cable Channel 109 (35.1) and 110 (35.2) in Tulsa and Claremore.
For more information on “DebateWatch 2012” at RSU, call 918-343-7740.