CBS News Town Halls Will Continue, With Sponsor, Despite Rough Start
CBS will keep making room for a series of new town hall programs, even if the first entry in the format wasn’t the network’s biggest moment.
The network said Thursday that it planned to air a series called “Things That Matter,” which would feature town halls and debates involving newsmakers and people shaping American life. The events will be held in front of audiences with some stake in the issue, in venues across the nation. The program will launch formally in the new year, with what a person familiar with the matter says is a rotating series of hosts.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Maryland Governor Wes Moore will take part in town halls, while debates will feature Isabel Brown and Harry Sisson; Ross Douthat and Steven Pinker. and Liz Plank and Allie Beth Stuckey.
“We believe that the vast majority of Americans crave honest conversation and civil, passionate debate,” said Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, in a statement. “This series is for them. In a moment in which people believe that truth is whatever they are served on their social media feed, we can think of nothing more important than insisting that the only way to get to the truth is by speaking to one another.”
CBS will make the series an occasional part of its lineup even though a first town hall, during which Weiss interviewed conservative activist Erika Hall, did not fare well in the ratings and suffered from a notable lack of mainstream advertising support. CBS said that Bank of America had agreed to serve as title sponsor for “Things That Matter.” The deal was put together through the financial-services company’s support of The Free Press, according to the person familiar with the matter. CBS News’ corporate parent, Paramount Skydance, purchased the opinion site., which Weiss founded, earlier this year for a reported $150 million.
More to come…
