The Vice Presidential Debate Location Has a Pretty Surprising History
At this point, it seems as if America has heard it all when it comes to debates ahead of Election Day—cats and dogs allegedly being eaten in Springfield, Ohio; a current president disputing golf performances with a former president; you name it. On October 1, the country will yet again be treated to an examination of policy plans—a spectacle that promises to include a hearty serving of zingers. The upcoming vice presidential debate between JD Vance, the Republican U.S. senator from Ohio, and Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, will take place from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. Here’s what you should know about the venue.
Location and Features
The big event will be held at CBS’s main East Coast production hub in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood on 57th Street. The space clocks in at 800,000 square feet in total, with multiple studios and adjacent control rooms. Given its vast size, the Broadcast Center also contains bells and whistles like a “scenic design area, audience holding areas, dressing rooms, wardrobe storage and prep rooms, multistation make-up and hair rooms, [and] a multipurpose rehearsal space,” per its website.
Walz and Vance aren’t the only ones getting prepped before the big day. The CBS Broadcast Center itself is getting eleventh-hour touch-ups: Specifically, its entrance sign has been zhuzhed up to sleeker, politician-approved levels.
Why is the debate being hosted here? It’s only logical, as CBS News will moderate the proceedings, with anchors Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan taking turns putting the two VP candidates in the hot seat. The previous debate, between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, was moderated by ABC News.
History
For the curious among us, the CBS Broadcast Center actually has quite a fascinating history. Prior to beginning full-scale production there in 1964, CBS bought the space from Sheffield Farms, a commercial dairy company. This factoid is the reason there are still remnants of train tracks in the subterranean layers beneath the building: Sheffield used them to transport its bottled product.
As governor of Minnesota, Walz once signed a bill that included funding for a passenger rail line, according to Bloomberg. He’s also an advocate for funding high-speed rail service across the country. Coincidence? We think not.
Notable Programming
The CBS Broadcast Center has a serious legacy. Walter Cronkite, for one, anchored the CBS Evening News there for close to two decades. It was also home to the network’s many soap operas. The building currently hosts sports programming as well as hit programs like The Drew Barrymore Show, 60 Minutes, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; and—fun fact!—was the spot where our very own ELLE DECOR A-List designer Nate Berkus filmed his eponymous two-season talk show. If only (soundproofed) walls could talk!
How to Tune In
The 90-minute, sans-studio-audience debate will air on CBS and be simulcast across many other news channels. Lacking a TV hookup? It can also be streamed on the CBS app, Paramount+, Hulu + Live TV, Peacock, and beyond.
You Might Also Like
