Political Debates
PRESIDENTIAL Debates
					HOUSEHOLD	PERSONS 2+
YEAR	NETWORK	DATE	CANDIDATES	RATING %	(in millions)	(in millions)
2004	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,	Sept. 30	Bush - Kerry	39.4	43.0	62.5
	CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	Oct. 8		29.6	32.5	46.7
		Oct. 13****		32.6	36.3	51.2
2000	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 3***	Gore - Bush	31.7	32.4	46.6
	FOX, CNN, MSNBC,	Oct. 11****		26.8	27.5	37.6
	FOX NEWS CHANNEL	Oct. 17		25.9	26.3	37.7
1996	ABC, CBS, NBC,	Oct. 6	Clinton - Dole	31.6	30.6	36.1
	CNN, FOX	Oct. 16 *		26.1	25.3	36.3
1992	ABC, CBS, NBC,	Oct. 11 **	Bush - Clinton - Perot	38.3	35.7	62.4
	CNN	Oct. 15		46.3	43.1	69.9
		Oct. 19		45.2	42.1	66.9
1988	ABC, CBS, NBC	Sept. 25	Bush - Dukakis	36.8	33.3	65.1
		Oct. 13		35.9	32.5	67.3
1984	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 7	Reagan - Mondale	45.3	38.5	65.1
		Oct. 21		46.0	39.1	67.3
1980	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct 28	Carter - Reagan	58.9	45.8	80.6
1976	ABC, CBS, NBC	Sept. 23	Ford - Carter	53.5	38.0	69.7
		Oct. 6		52.4	37.3	63.9
		Oct. 22		47.8	34.0	62.7
1960	ABC, CBS, NBC	Sept. 26	Nixon - Kennedy	59.5	28.1	N/A
		Oct. 7		59.1	27.9	N/A
		Oct. 13		61.0	28.8	N/A
		Oct. 21		57.8	27.3	N/A
VICE PRESIDENTIAL debates
					HOUSEHOLD	PERSONS 2+
YEAR	NETWORK	DATE	CANDIDATES	RATING %	(in millions)	(in millions)
2004	ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN	Oct. 5	Cheney - Edwards	28.1	30.9	43.6
	FOXNC, MSNBC
2000	ABC, CBS, NBC,	Oct. 5	Cheney - Lieberman	21	21.5	29
	CNN, MSNBC,
	FOX News Channel
1996	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 9	Gore - Kemp	19.7	19.1	26.6
	CNN
1992	ABC, CBS, NBC,	Oct. 13	Quayle - Gore - Stockdale	35.9	33.4	51.2
	CNN
1988	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 5	Quayle - Bentsen	33.6	30.4	46.9
1984	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 11	Bush - Ferraro	43.6	37.0	56.7
1976	ABC, CBS, NBC	Oct. 15	Dole - Mondale	35.5	25.3	43.2
Major League Baseball:
2004	FOX	Oct. 13	AL/NL Champ, Game 1 & 2	10.1	11.0	15.2
2000	NBC	Oct. 17	AL Champ, Game 6	8.7	8.9	12.5
2000	FOX	Oct. 11	NL Champ, Game 1	6.8	6.9	9.3
2000	FOX	Oct. 5	NL Div Playoff, Game 2	5.0	5.1	6.6
2000	NBC	Oct. 3	NL Div Playoff	3.7	3.8	4.8
1996	FOX	Oct. 16	NL Champ, Game 6	11.9	11.6	16.9
1992	CBS	Oct. 11	NL Champ, Game 5	12.0	11.1	17.8
* October 16, 1996 does not include FOX, because of a MLB Playoff Game
**�� October 11, 1992 does not include CBS, because of a MLB Playoff Game
*** Some NBC and FOX affiliates aired the Pres. Debate on a tape-delay due to MLB Playoff games
****Fox is not included in this total, due to a MLB Playoff Game
Note:� There were no televised Presidential debates for the years 1972, 1968, and 1964.
Copyright 2004 Nielsen Media Research