FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE CARRIED ACROSS ALL ABC NEWS PLATFORMS

ABC News will carry the 90-minute debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates live on the ABC Television Network, "ABC News Now" and ABC News Radio. Peter Jennings will anchor two-hours of live coverage on the ABC Television Network THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET.

Mr. Jennings will be joined on the air by a team of ABC News correspondents and analysts, including "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos, Fareed Zakaria, ABC News consultant and editor of Newsweek International, and Martha Raddatz, ABC News national security correspondent. ABC News political director Mark Halperin, Terry Moran, with the Bush campaign and Dean Reynolds with the Kerry campaign will report live from the debate in Coral Gables, Florida. Jake Tapper will report from Washington, DC. "Nightline" will provide in-depth coverage and analysis during its regularly scheduled broadcast.

In addition to coverage on the broadcast television network, broadband channel "ABC News Now" will carry the debate live as well. A special edition of "Trail Mix" will kick off political coverage on "ABC News Now" at 7:30 p.m., ET. ABC is offering "ABC News Now" to its affiliates for transmission over their digital television signal until November 2. It is currently available to 65% of the country via numerous ABC affiliates, including all 10 Owned Stations. "ABC News Now" is available via broadband and wireless through a subscription to ABC News On Demand or RealNetworks' SuperPass, to AOL members, Comcast.net, SBC Yahoo! DSL and BellSouth FastAccess DSL customers. "ABC News Now" launched on July 26 and continues on this expansive array of delivery platforms through election night.

Sam Donaldson will anchor ABC News Radio's live coverage of the debate. Correspondents Ann Compton, Bob Schmidt and Andrew Colton will report from the University of Miami in Coral Gables.

ABC NewsOne/ABSAT will provide live reports and production facilities in Coral Gables for ABC stations and clients.

ABCNEWS.com continues to provide in-depth reporting of political issues and news of the day, serving as a valuable resource for 800,000 unique visitors daily. Following the debate Thursday evening, video highlights will be available at ABCNEWS.com. The Note, the widely acclaimed morning political briefing from the ABC News Political Unit, is available at: www.abcnews.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html. Daily news content and political analysis from The Note is supplemented in "Noted Now," available at www.abcnews.com/sections/politics/.