January 13, 2010

WSIU TV, radio to carry candidate debates

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- WSIU-TV and radio are teaming up with Illinois Public Media/WILL-TV, to present coverage of Republican and Democratic debates for candidates in the Feb. 2 Illinois gubernatorial primary.

Republican candidates will meet in the WILL-TV studio in Champaign-Urbana at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, while Democrats face off at WSIU-TV in Carbondale on Jan. 21, also at 8 p.m. The debates will be distributed to public television and public radio stations statewide by the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council.

WSIU-TV and WILL-TV will carry both debates live, as will WSIU Radio and WILL-AM. WSIU Radio and WILL-AM also will stream the debates live at wsiu.org and will.illinois.edu, respectively. WSIU-TV will feature repeat broadcasts of the debates, with the Republican gubernatorial debate airing a second time on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. and the Democratic debate repeating on Jan. 24, also at 6 p.m.

All the candidates have agreed or tentatively agreed to participate. Republican candidates are Adam Andrzejewski, state Sen. Bill Brady, state Sen. Kirk Dillard, Dan Proft, Jim Ryan, and Bob Schillerstrom. Candidate Andy McKenna was invited, but declined to appear due to a scheduling conflict. WILL-TV's John Paul will moderate the Republican debate.

The Democratic candidates are Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes. WSIU's Jak Tichenor will moderate the Carbondale debate. David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, and Jennifer Fuller of WSIU Public Radio will question the candidates.

WSIU and WILL are producing the debates in collaboration with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIUC and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs.