Debates are must-see TV

Tue, October 07, 2008 - 10:13 AM

We’ve got another presidential debate tonight, the second of three.

And a new report from Nielsen, the organization that measures TV viewership, shows the debates are must-see TV and drawing more than normal television viewing.

Sixty-one percent of all U.S. households watched at least one of the two election debates. The first was between presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. The second was between vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

And no surprise here given the intense interest – at least 41 percent of all homes watched the debate between Biden and Palin, up one third from those who watched the first presidential debate.

Both debates drew viewers that were mostly white and college educated with incomes higher than $100,000. The majority were also age 55 and older.

The debates reached only 20 percent of viewers ages 18 to 24. (I guess that doesn’t include the folks in bars drinking a beer every time Palin said “maverick” or “reform.” Not that I would know anything about that.)

So which city tunes in the most? Both debates were heavily watched in battleground states. But Baltimore, in heavily Democratic Maryland, was the most plugged in television market for both debates.

If you’re interested in tonight’s debate, come back and visit us here on the Herd. I’ll be live-blogging beginning at 8:45 p.m.

-- Amy Dominello