OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Leader's Debates Commission announces the debates producer and moderators for two leaders' debates, one in English and one in French.
Debates Producer
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will produce, promote, and distribute the English debate and Société Radio-Canada will produce, promote, and distribute the French debate.
Each leaders' debate will be widely distributed and streamed across the CBC's and Radio-Canada's television, digital & social media platforms, as well as on YouTube.
Both the CBC and Radio-Canada bring decades of experience and a long history of producing and broadcasting large-scale national and international events, from the Olympic Games to national commemorations to major political moments.
The debates will be available and free for media organizations, networks, and platforms to distribute.
The debates will also be available in Indigenous languages and non-official languages, and accessible in ASL, LSQ, closed captioning and described video.
Moderators
Each debate will be moderated by one single moderator.
Steve Paikin, journalist and host of TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin, will moderate the English debate.
Patrice Roy, journalist and news anchor of Radio-Canada's Téléjournal avec Patrice Roy, RDI's En direct avec Patrice Roy as well as host of numerous news specials, will moderate the French debate.
Both are experienced journalists and skilled moderators, with more than 30 years of live television experience, moderating panels, and hosting programs with many people on stage or set.
Between them, they have moderated 12 leaders' debates.
Mr. Paikin has moderated three federal leaders' debates (2006, 2008, and 2011) and five Ontario provincial leaders' debates (2007, 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2022).
Mr. Roy had hosted two federal leaders' debates (2019 and 2021) and two Québec provincial leaders' debates (2018 and 2022).
Debates Producer and Moderator Selection
The debates producer was selected following a competitive and open bidding process - a Request for Proposal (RFP).
The debates producer selected the moderators.
In the RFP, the debates producer was asked to propose a moderator for each debate who embodied the characteristics defined by the Commission.
Serving Voters
The Commission also put forward in the RFP moderation and format principles which aim to produce the most effective and informative debates for voters:
- a simple format that encourages meaningful exchanges between the leaders, helps Canadians learn about their policy positions and party platforms and sheds light on the leaders' character;
- one moderator for each debate - an experienced journalist - with no other journalists or hosts on stage; and
- a simple and intimate set and production design that keeps the focus on the leaders and on the content of the debate.
These principles are the result of wide consultations with debate organizers from here and aboard as well as the experience of recent debates in Canada and internationally.
Website: www.debates-debats.ca
X: @debates_can / @debats_can
About the Leaders' Debates Commission
The Leaders' Debates Commission is an independent and impartial public body mandated is to organize two leaders' debates in each federal general election that are in the public interest, one in each official language, while paying special attention to Canada's Indigenous languages. The Commission is responsible for setting out production, promotion, and distribution requirements for the leaders' debates, while respecting journalistic independence for the content of the debates as well as setting participation criteria for the debates.
SOURCE Leaders' Debates Commission
Chantal Ouimet, Director, Strategic Policy, Operations & Communications, [email protected]
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