NewsNation is the latest candidate to enter the Harris-Trump presidential debate

Join the growing list of television and news networks hoping to broadcast the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as NewsNation.

In letters sent to each candidate’s campaign headquarters on Sunday, which were reviewed by Diversity, Nexstar Chief Executive Sean Compton, who oversees NewsNation for parent company Nexstar Media Group, suggested the two sides consider a cable news partnership after Trump said Saturday he would not attend an event already scheduled with ABC News on Sept. 10 and instead proposed an event with Fox News on Sept. 4.

“I would like to propose an alternative that would satisfy both candidates — not to mention the American public — a fair, respectful and impartial debate on NewsNation, co-sponsored by The Hill,” Compton said, referring to the political news media outlet also owned by Nexstar. He added: “We are, of course, flexible on the time, format and location of the debate, although we certainly expect it to be in a battleground state like Pennsylvania.”

Nexstar could not immediately make the executive available for comment.

NewsNation’s pitch sheds light on the growing interest among media outlets in acquiring parts of the events leading up to the 2024 presidential election. Some of that is being fueled by the willingness of Democrats and Republicans to bypass the debate system long organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, and some of it is being driven by an intense desire for exclusive live events that can draw large audiences in an era when more TV viewers have migrated to one-on-one streaming sessions with Netflix, Hulu and other broadband outlets.

NewsNation has one of the smaller audiences among broadcast networks. The highly anticipated debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, which aired in June, drew 51.27 million viewers across a wide range of networks, while CNN, which moderated the event and allowed others to air it, drew 9.53 million viewers. Fox News grabbed 9.28 million viewers and ABC News drew 9.21 million. NewsNation drew a share of the 3.45 million viewers who also watched via Scripps News, Univision, BET, Newsmax and PBS.

NewsNation remains a rising star on the news scene that launched in 2021, and Nexstar hopes to provide an alternative to rivals that are biased. The network has hired anchors and producers known for their stints at Fox News Channel, ABC News and elsewhere, and is tapping newsrooms that are part of Nexstar’s extensive local station assets. The event drew 2.5 million viewers across NewsNation and its corporate sibling, the CW broadcast network.

Harris has already offered to appear on ABC News for the Sept. 10 debate between Trump and Biden. Fox News has suggested a Sept. 17 debate in Pennsylvania, moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

“As you know, NewsNation and The Hill journalists pride themselves on their impartiality,” Compton said. “Unlike some outlets, they are not identified as biased toward either Democrats or Republicans. That’s why NewsNation and The Hill are the perfect platforms for intelligent conversation about the key issues facing America as the election approaches.”

The director did not name any presenters who might moderate the proposed debate. Some of NewsNation’s most prominent staffers include Vargas; Chris Cuomo; Dan Abrams; Ashleigh Banfield; and Leland Vittert.