Suddenly, on Wednesday morning, the year’s television booking was up for grabs.
Since 1987, presidential debates have been broadcast simultaneously on all major networks in the country. But President Biden’s shocking announcement that he would skip previously planned showdowns this fall in favor of debates sponsored by individual news outlets caused an uproar among network executives.
Planning these discussions often takes months. Instead, in three hours, CNN and ABC News outmaneuvered their rivals to deliver a pair of prime-time showdowns between Biden and former President Donald J. Trump that promise huge ratings and prestige.
Given the circumstances, there was some improvisation.
CNN President Mark Thompson was backstage at Madison Square Garden, about to deliver a crucial presentation to the network’s advertisers. He began rewriting his comments after his assistants confirmed by phone that both candidates had agreed to a debate on CNN on June 27. Thompson pulled out his reading glasses to deliver the announcement on stage, reading from a script scribbled on a crumpled card.
Debra O’Connell, director of ABC News, was immersed in an annual meeting with regional affiliates when the news broke. Because her network also airs major sporting and entertainment events, her team had to coordinate with executives at Disney, ABC’s parent company, to find a free night in the schedule. Shortly after, ABC announced a debate for September 10.
Details about the events are still being gathered.
Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the CNN debate, which will air at 9 p.m. ET. ABC has not yet selected its moderators. ABC will share the September debate with other broadcast and streaming news networks for simulcast; CNN has only said that their debate will be broadcast on its own platforms.
Trump said Wednesday that he would also appear on Fox News for a debate in October, but the Biden campaign quickly made clear that its candidate would not participate.
Competitors NBC and CBS were left wondering what could have happened. Some journalists at those networks privately expressed frustration Wednesday that their bosses had not secured the coveted events.
Representatives for CNN and ABC declined to elaborate on their exact conversations with the candidates. Several network journalists said executives seemed as surprised as anyone by Biden’s announcement and that the day had unfolded at lightning speed.
Some networks may have been better prepared than others.
The prospect that individual news organizations could end up serving as sponsors of the debate had already been the subject of widespread speculation within the highly competitive television news industry. Some executives had begun to think about contingency plans.
Biden had repeatedly refused to commit to participating in the fall showdowns organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has sponsored general election debates since 1987. One of Biden’s closest advisers, Anita Dunn, is a critic for a long time. of the commission. And although Trump had promised to meet with Biden “anywhere and everywhere,” he, too, has complained about the commission.
The debates between Biden and Trump were good news for journalists at CNN and ABC, networks that have had problems lately.
Former ABC News president Kim Godwin resigned this month after a tumultuous tenure marked by morale problems and weakening ratings at the network’s flagship morning show. CNN, which emphasizes straight reporting, has struggled to compete against more partisan competitors in an era of polarization.
Jeff Zucker, former president of CNN, on Wednesday praised the cable news network for securing the first debate of the general election, which is typically the highest-rated. “I’m incredibly proud that they’ve achieved this and I think it’s going to be a really momentous night for the country,” he said at a conference in London.
Zucker also offered a prediction. “This will be,” he said, “the most watched event, day and night, in the history of CNN.”
Juan Koblin contributed reports.