MontanaPBS to host U.S. House, Senate debates in Bozeman, Missoula

MontanaPBS will host U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives candidate debates this fall.

Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Montana Auditor Matt Rosendale will discuss issues in Missoula as they face off for a seat in the U.S. Senate on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Republican incumbent Rep. Greg Gianforte will debate Democratic challenger Kathleen Williams on Saturday, Oct. 6, in Bozeman.

Both debates will broadcast at 7 p.m. across the state on MontanaPBS and will be studio-based without a live audience.

MontanaPBS journalists John Twiggs and Anna Rau will question the candidates and facilitate the discussion. The debates will be aired later on Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio.

A unique format featuring an open discussion period will facilitate the exchange of ideas and policies. This debate style cuts through the rhetoric, the advertising and the noise, with the two candidates sitting at the same table discussing the country’s most important issues.

In the weeks preceding the debates, MontanaPBS and Montana Public Radio will solicit questions on social media from viewers and listeners to potentially ask the candidates.

“It is part of our MontanaPBS mission to inform the residents of our state,” MontanaPBS General Manager Aaron Pruitt said. “We hope the debates will shed light on the candidates and their positions before Montanans cast their votes.”

The selection of the candidates invited to participate in the debates adheres to MontanaPBS established Debate Participation Criteria, available for review at http://www.montanapbs.org.

The broadcast of the debates is made possible with production support from the Greater Montana Foundation, which encourages communications on issues, trends andvalues of importance to present and future generations of Montanans.

MontanaPBS (KUFM-TV in Missoula, KUSM-TV in Bozeman, KUKL-TV in Kalispell, KBGS-TV in Billings, KUGF-TV in Great Falls and KUHM-TV in Helena) is a service of the University of Montana and Montana State University.