MUMBAI: For the first time in US presidential debate history, CNN and YouTube will get together to feature video questions submitted to YouTube to be broadcast and answered by the candidates on CNN.

 

CNN’s Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour debates and pose follow-up questions. The Democratic debate, the first Democratic National Committee-sanctioned presidential forum of the 2008 election cycle, will be held at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on 23 July 2007, from 7 to 9 pm (ET) and will air live on CNN. The Republican presidential forum hosted by CNN and YouTube will take place on  17 September 2007, from 7 to 9 pm (ET) in Florida.

Starting Saturday, YouTube users can submit their questions at www.youtube.com/debates
CNN will produce the televised events and will select the questions used in the debates. Select YouTube users will be among the live audience.

YouTube will feature special debate coverage on its “You Choose ’08” platform and its Citizentube political channel before and after the debates. Immediately after the debates, user questions and candidate answers will be featured prominently on YouTube where people can interact with the content through YouTube’s community features, extending the life of the debates.

In addition to the live airing on CNN, the events will be simulcast on CNN.com, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Radio and CNN Airport Network.