Hollywood Breakdown
Upcoming debate expected to bring in huge ratings
As the first presidential debate approaches, networks are nervous about how best to prepare their moderators in a year where Donald Trump has been determined to make his perceived treatment by the media part of his campaigning process.
By Kim Masters • • 3m ListenThe most-viewed presidential debate was in 1980 with Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. More than 80 million people tuned in. More recent debates have brought in viewership in the 50 and 60 million people range, but given the uniqueness of this election, Monday's debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is expected to be closer, or maybe even higher than 80 million. The moderator on Monday will be NBC's Lester Holt. Trump has already called him a Democrat, though in reality, he is a registered Republican. He has also called out Anderson Cooper, who is moderating another debate later on, saying he works for the "Clinton News Network." In earlier Republican debates, Trump accused Fox's Megyn Kelly of treating him unfairly. Now, networks are in the strange position of having to be prepared for Trump to make them part of his story and attack them directly.
