'Debate' on HDnet Makes Its Debut Tonight at 9 P.M. E.T.

'Debate' on HDnet Makes Its Debut Tonight at 9 P.M. E.T.

First Weekly Television Program Produced by USA TODAY LIVE

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- "Debate" on HDNet, a weekly television program in which guests question each other on controversial topics, makes its debut tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. In tonight's program, Allen St. Pierre of N.O.R.M.L. squares off against Calvina Fay of the Drug Free America Foundation in a debate over whether or not marijuana should be legalized.

Debate's moderator takes hot national issues and triggers intellectual discussion, bringing about heated dialogue between guests from opposing sides of the issues. Guests have the opportunity to override the moderator and ask questions directly to one another as well. In upcoming programs, Debate's topics include: abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, sex education, the war in Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina. The program attracts a wide variety of guests, including respected authors, heads of national organizations and U.S. Congressmen.

Content and topics for Debate are chosen from the editorial pages of USA TODAY. The show's moderator is Lauren Ashburn, managing editor and anchor for USA TODAY LIVE. USA TODAY reporters and editors offer journalistic expertise on selected topics. USA TODAY's reader editor Brent Jones wraps each episode with feedback from viewers and readers. Alex Walworth, formerly of The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, is executive producer. For more information on "Debate," please log on to http://www.usatoday.com/debate.

USA TODAY LIVE also recently produced an hour-long primetime documentary for Animal Planet on Hurricane Katrina called, "Animal Planet Heroes: Hurricane Rescues." A second documentary, "Animal Planet Heroes: Hurricane Reunions" will air on Animal Planet in November. LIVE also produces various news segments for Gannett television stations, a daily business travel segment for The Weather Channel, and uplinks USA TODAY reporters and editors to television news programs.

HDNet is available to approximately 60 million homes. The network launched in 2001 and includes up to 20 hours of original features each week, all produced in the highest quality 1080i HD -- more original high-definition programming that any other network.

USA TODAY is the nation's top-selling newspaper. It is published via satellite at 36 locations in the USA and at four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide. USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI). The USA TODAY brand also includes: USA TODAY Sports Weekly, a magazine for enthusiasts of professional football and baseball; USATODAY.com, an award-winning news and information Web site that is updated 24 hours per day; and USA TODAY LIVE, the television arm of the USA TODAY brand that brings the spirit and quality of the newspaper to television.

Website: http://www.usatoday.com/debate

Source: USA TODAY

CONTACT: Steve Anderson, Director-Communications, +1-703-854-5872 or sanderson@usatoday.com, Heidi Henderson, Manager/Media Relations, +1-703-854-5304 or hhenderson@usatoday.com, both of USA TODAY

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