CBS News Debate To Also Air Live On BET

CBS EVENING NEWS anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell and CBS THIS MORNING co-host Gayle King will moderate the CBS News Democratic presidential primary debate in primetime on Tuesday, Feb. 25from 8:00-10:15 PM, ET, at the Charleston Gaillard Center in Charleston, S.C. Joining O’Donnell and King in the questioning will be FACE THE NATION moderator and CBS News senior foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan, chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, and 60 MINUTES correspondent Bill Whitaker. 

The debate is sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee and will be held in coordination with the DNC and the South Carolina Democratic Party. 

The debate will be streamed live on CBSN, CBS News’ free 24/7 streaming news service, and on Twitter via @CBSNews. The debate will also air live in its entirety on BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS and the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience.

Immediately following the debate, CBS News will continue with live coverage from 10:15-11:00 PM, ET, on the CBS Television Network, CBSN, and Twitter. CBSN’s “Red and Blue” anchor Elaine Quijano, with CBS News’ political correspondent Ed O’Keefe, will anchor the post-debate program, produced by CBSN, which will feature live interviews with the candidates, surrogates and other newsmakers, plus in-depth analysis and reporting from the team of CBS News journalists and contributors in Charleston.

CBS News will co-host the debate with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social welfare organization that aims to educate today’s voters and train tomorrow’s leaders. Twitter is a debate partner. Using the hashtag #DemDebate, voters from around the country will be able to tweet questions, which the moderators may ask of the candidates live on the debate stage.

CBS News and the Democratic National Committee will announce the format and the candidates who qualify for the debate at a later date.

The CBS News debate is the last before the key South Carolina primary and Super Tuesday.

In addition to the moderators and network correspondents, CBS News’ robust team of 2020 campaign reporters will continue their coverage of the candidates as they arrive in Charleston and join the debate stage.

Below is a summary of CBS News’ coverage plans:

• Gayle King will anchor CBS THIS MORNING on Feb. 24 and 25 from Charleston. As part of the coverage, King will interview Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and talk with voters about the generational differences in South Carolina that are impacting the Democratic primary race. She will also speak with organizers who are campaigning to get the vote out.CBS News correspondent Nikole Killion will examine how the legacy of slavery and the Civil War still impact South Carolina politics.
• Norah O’Donnell will anchor the CBS EVENING NEWS from Charleston on Feb. 24 and 25. While there, the broadcast will explore local stories that illuminate the challenges and opportunities facing South Carolina voters. Nikole Killion will report on the Palmetto Palace, a nonprofit mobile health unit that provides dental services, medical check-ups and vaccinations free-of-charge to people in need. Killion will interview the founder about how the program is helping improve the lives of South Carolinians in some of the state’s most rural counties.
• In addition to streaming the debate live, CBSN will present live pre- and post-debate coverage from Charleston with anchors Elaine Quijano and Vladimir Duthiers and CBSN political reporter Caitlin Huey-Burns on the ground throughout the day. Quijano will anchor special coverage leading up to the debate beginning with “Red & Blue” at 5:00 PM, ET, and a preview show at 7:00 PM, ET, joined by Huey-Burns and CBSN contributors Leslie Sanchez, Antjuan Seawright, Lynda Tran and more. CBSN’s coverage will feature “Local Matters” segments focused on South Carolina issues. Post-debate coverage, anchored by Quijano and O’Keefe, continues from the Spin Room beginning at 10:15 PM, ET. The post-debate coverage will feature chief Washington correspondent Major Garrettand CBS News political contributors Robby Mook, Jamal Simmons, and Terry Sullivan. CBSN is available on CBSNews.com and the CBS News app for mobile and connected TV devices, via the CBS All Access subscription service. Continuous updates will also be available throughout the day and night on the CBSNews.com live blog.
• CBS News Radio will anchor live coverage for the run-up to the debate, in addition to post-debate analysis from Charleston featuring correspondents Steve Dorsey, Allison Keyes and Jim Krasula. CBS News Radio will also stream its coverage online, on mobile apps and on smart speakers. Download the CBS News Radio App for iOS and Android or ask any Alexa-enabled device to play CBS News Radio.
• CBS Newspath, CBS News’ news-gathering organization providing news and information to 200+ affiliates nationwide and to broadcasters around the world, will feature extensive coverage and digital content. CBS News correspondents Natalie Brand and Danya Bacchus will report from Charleston.