Peter G. Peterson Foundation To Be Broadcast Sponsor of Bloomberg/Washington Post Presidential Primary Debate on the Economy, October 11 in New Hampshire

Peterson Foundation Debate Broadcast Sponsorship Part of Broader Initiative to Foster Bipartisan Dialogue on Fiscal and Economic Issues throughout the 2012 Election

NEW YORK (October 6, 2011) – The Peter G. Peterson Foundation announced today that it will be the exclusive broadcast sponsor of the Bloomberg/Washington Post Republican Presidential Debate, to be held on Tuesday, October 11th at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Peterson Foundation’s sponsorship of the first Republican primary debate on the economy is part of a broader initiative to generate a bipartisan discussion of the nation’s long-term fiscal and economic challenges throughout the 2012 election.

“We believe a presidential debate focused on economic and fiscal issues provides an important opportunity to advance the dialogue needed in both parties on our nation’s economic challenges and potential solutions,” said Foundation Chairman Peter G. Peterson. “The Peterson Foundation looks forward to additional opportunities to provide public platforms for both parties to put forward their roadmaps on how to strengthen the economy today while developing a plan for long-term fiscal sustainability.”

As part of its broadcast sponsorship, the Foundation will feature a number of informational advertisements before, during, and after the debate on television, radio, and Bloomberg.com that will aim to raise awareness about the urgency of addressing the nation’s fiscal challenges. Former Democratic Senator Bill Bradley and Republican Senator Judd Gregg will close the series of advertisements with a message underscoring the need for a bipartisan effort to put America on a sustainable fiscal path. The advertisements will also be available for viewing on www.pgpf.org.

“Interest in the nation’s fiscal and economic condition has never been greater, making this a critical time to increase public awareness and understanding of these key issues,” said Michael A. Peterson, Vice Chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. “This sponsorship is one of a number of efforts we are planning to undertake throughout the 2012 election season to ensure Americans are well-informed about the important choices we face as a nation.”

The hour-and-a-half debate will feature all of the leading Republican presidential candidates and will be moderated by Charlie Rose, Washington Post political correspondent Karen Tumulty and Bloomberg TV White House correspondent Julianna Goldman. The debate will be conducted in a roundtable format with candidates sitting side-by-side with the moderators, surrounded by the audience. This unique debate format is intended to foster an interactive discussion between the candidates on their economic and fiscal policies.

The debate, which will be broadcast live from 8:00pm to 9:30pm EST on Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, will be available to viewers across multiple digital platforms including livestream on Bloomberg.com, washingtonpost.com/debate and Bloomberg Mobile. To find Bloomberg Television in your area, visit http://bloomberg.viewerlink.tv/.

About the Peter G. Peterson Foundation
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established by Pete Peterson – businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key long-term fiscal challenges threatening America's future and to accelerating action on them. To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find and implement sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. To learn more, please visit www.PGPF.org.