The first and probably the only vice-presidential debate between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz will take place October 1 at the CBS Broadcast Center, a historic studio in New York.
New York City has not hosted a presidential or vice-presidential general election debate since 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon met for their fourth debate.
Where is the debate taking place?
The debate takes place in Studio 45 of the CBS Broadcast Center, located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. After the debate, campaign representatives and press will visit the filming room at Studio 42, another 800,000-square-foot Broadcast Center studio. Members of the media will follow the debate and submit their articles from a press pen installed in the cafeteria.
Until this summer, Studio 45 was the filming location for “Inside Edition.” “Captain Kangaroo” was also recorded at Studio 45 from 1964 to 1981.
Michele Crowe/CBS News
Who will be at the CBS Broadcast Center for the debate and what are the rules?
On Tuesday, both vice presidential candidates Vance and Walz will be in the room for the debate, along with moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan.
The vice president’s faceoff is the last scheduled debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump had a debate. Harris accepted an invitation from CNN for another debate, but Trump rejected the idea, saying it was “too late” for another debate. The former president debated President Biden on June 27and Mr. Biden dropped out of his re-election race a few weeks later.
There will be 90 minutes of debatestarting at 9 p.m. ET, with two breaks of four minutes each. There will be no live audience.
For each question, the candidate to whom the question was asked will have two minutes to respond, and the other candidate will have two minutes to respond. Then, each candidate will have one minute for additional rebuttals. And moderators may, at their discretion, grant candidates an additional minute each to pursue a topic.
CBS News reserves the right to mute candidates’ microphones, but otherwise the microphones will be hot.
How to watch the vice presidential debate at the CBS Broadcast Center
The vice-presidential debate will be broadcast on CBS television. It starts at 9 p.m. ET. Coverage of the game on CBS stations will begin at 8 p.m. ET on CBS – find your local CBS station here.
Coverage of the debate began at 4 p.m. ET on CBS 24/7. CBS News will host a post-debate show for reaction and analysis on the CBS Television Network, CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+ around 10:30 p.m. ET.
What is the history of the CBS Broadcast Center?
In 1952, CBS acquired Sheffield Farms, which was the largest milk distribution center in the world. The building was used to bottle and distribute milk to retail outlets by train – the train tracks are still located in the basement of the building. In the 1890s, the building housed a brewery.
CBS News moved into the facility in 1964, and Walter Cronkite broadcast the 1964 election results from Studio 41, now home to the “Drew Barrymore Show.” Before moving to the CBS Broadcast Center, CBS was located in the Grand Central Terminal building.
The giant studios and soundstages have hosted several soap operas, including “As the World Turns” at Studio 41 and “Guiding Light” at Studio 42. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” is currently filming at Studio 42.
In the early 1980s, CBS added 176,400 square feet to the 500,000-square-foot building as part of a $100 million update.
CBS Broadcast Center now hosts CBS News 24/7, CBS Sports and Sports Network WCBS-TV and several other corporate and third-party productions. It is also the distribution center for the CBS television network.
Where are CBS News shows filmed?
CBS News shows are filmed in a variety of locations. “CBS Evening News” is currently taped in Washington, D.C., while “CBS Mornings” is filmed in Times Square.
Several 24/7 CBS News shows are filmed at the Broadcast Center, including “The Daily Report with John Dickerson” at Studio 57. WCBS-TV films at Studio 46.
CBS News is hosting the only scheduled vice presidential debate between Vance and Walz tonight at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS News 24/7. Download the free CBS News app for live coverage, post-debate analysis, comprehensive fact-checks and more.
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.
