Montana PBS to host live U.S. Senate debate on Sept. 30

BOZEMAN - Montana PBS will host a debate with Montana U.S. Senate candidates Jon Tester and Tim Sheehy at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30.

The one-hour debate will take place live in the Montana PBS studio on the Montana State University campus in Bozeman. It will feature incumbent U.S. Sen. Tester, a Democrat, and Sheehy, the Republican challenger, debating issues and answering questions from Montana PBS journalists John Twiggs and Anna Rau. There will not be a live audience in the studio during the debate.

The format will allow Tester and Sheehy to present in-depth answers, according to Aaron Pruitt, director and general manager of KSUM-TV/Montana PBS. There will also be an opportunity for direct exchanges and, potentially, for the candidates to question each other.

"Our live studio debate format offers Montana viewers a close-up view of the U.S. Senate candidates and allows for dynamic interaction on the most pressing issues in our state," Pruitt said. "This debate, along with our other pre-election programming, aims to provide voters with as much information as possible before they cast their 2024 votes."

The debate will be simulcast live on Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio, online at montanapbs.org/live and on the Montana PBS Facebook page.

A team of faculty and students from the University of Montana School of Journalism will be fact-checking the debate. Their work will be available later that evening online at montanapbs.org/programs/ElectionCoverage.

Pruitt noted that the selection of the candidates invited to participate in the debate adheres to Montana PBS's established debate participation criteria, available for review at montanapbs.org/about/publicinformation.

Production of Montana PBS candidate debates is made possible with support from the Friends of Montana PBS and the Greater Montana Foundation. Montana PBS is a service of Montana State University and the University of Montana. It includes KUSM-TV in Bozeman, KUFM-TV in Missoula, KUKL-TV in Kalispell, KBGS-TV in Billings, KUGF-TV in Great Falls and KUHM-TV in Helena. For more information, visit montanapbs.org.