CBS News commits to more town hall and debate telecasts with a major sponsor
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- CBS News is launching “Things That Matter,” a town hall and debate series featuring guests including Vice President JD Vance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore discussing key issues.
- The initiative is Editor in Chief Bari Weiss’ first major project, with debates on the American dream, feminism, and religion reflecting her vision for civil discourse.
- A test town hall with conservative figure Erika Kirk drew 1.9 million viewers, matching CBS’ typical prime-time ratings for the season.
CBS News is moving forward with a series of town hall and debate telecasts with a major advertiser backing them, the first major initiative under Editor in Chief Bari Weiss.
The news division announced Thursday that it will have a series of one-hour single-issue programs under the title “Things That Matter,” done in collaboration with the digital platform the Free Press.
CBS News parent Paramount acquired the Free Press, which was co-founded by Weiss, in September.
Bank of America will be a major sponsor of the series.
Town hall participants will include Vice President JD Vance, who will discuss the state of the country and the future of the Republican Party, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman, who will focus on artificial intelligence and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, who will look at the future of the Democratic Party.
The debate subjects include “Should Gen Z Believe in the American Dream?” “Does America Need God?” and “Has Feminism Failed Women?” The debaters include journalist Liz Plank, New York Times opinion writer Ross Douthat, and Isabel Brown, a representative for the right-wing organization Turning Point USA.
No dates have been set, but the programs will air in the current 2025-26 TV season, which ends in May.
CBS tested the town hall format Saturday with a telecast that featured Weiss sitting down with Erika Kirk, the widow of slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The program taped in front of an invited audience and averaged 1.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen data, on par with what CBS entertainment programming has delivered in the 8 p.m. hour in the current TV season.
The town hall format, where a news subject takes questions from audience members, has long been a staple of cable news channels. Broadcast networks have typically used it only with presidential candidates.
The president wants new owners and leadership at the cable network he has spent years attacking.
“Things That Matter” is less of a play for ratings than a symbol of the new vision for CBS News under Weiss.
“We believe that the vast majority of Americans crave honest conversation and civil, passionate debate,” Weiss said in a statement. “This series is for them. In a moment in which people believe that truth is whatever they are served on their social media feed, we can think of nothing more important than insisting that the only way to get to the truth is by speaking to one another.”
Weiss hosted the town hall with Kirk. CBS News has not announced the on-air talent for the “Things That Matter” series.
Weiss was recruited by Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison to pull the news division toward the political center, where he believes most of the country stands.
The Free Press gained popularity with its criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion, so-called woke policies, and its strong support of Israel. The site is often described as “heterodox” and has been critical of numerous actions of the Trump administration. But its biggest fans tend to be those in the business community who disdain high taxes and big government.
