Brandman University Announces Details of Fall Republican Gubernatorial Debate.

Televised Broadcast Details, Moderator, Panelists and Twitter Submission Protocol Have Been Solidified

IRVINE, Calif. -- Brandman University, a separate, fully accredited university within the Chapman University System focusing on working students, announced it will televise the GOP gubernatorial debate live on both KOCE-TV, one of the most watched PBS stations in the United States, and the OC Channel October 28 from its new Irvine campus.

The event is titled "Solutions to the California Financial Crisis" and will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on October 28. A similar event for the Democratic hopefuls is being planned for later this year.

The University is also pleased to announce that the panelists and moderator have been confirmed. Joining Dr. Michael Moodian as a panelist will be Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee, who has served as a journalist in California for nearly 50 years. Veteran broadcast journalist Ed Arnold, co-host of KOCE's nightly news program "Real Orange," will moderate the debate.

The event will be the first of its kind in that citizens of California will be encouraged to submit questions for the candidates through the social media Web site Twitter. To do so, the term "#cadebate" (known to Twitter users as a "hashtag") should precede questions that are submitted (also known as "tweets"). Some of the tweets will be selected by the moderator and panelists in advance and asked of the gubernatorial hopefuls during the 75-minute debate. The only requirement for consideration is that the tweets should relate to California's fiscal crisis in some way. Twitter submissions can begin immediately with the deadline for all submissions set for Wednesday, October 21. Moodian and Walters will develop and ask questions, while Arnold will facilitate the Twitter questions.

"The incorporation of Twitter will give citizens of the state a unique opportunity to participate in the debate," stated Moodian, assistant professor of social science at Brandman University. "This also enables us to utilize an innovative medium, which coincides with our educational philosophy."

In August, Brandman University issued the debate invitation via Twitter in what is believed to be the first time a political debate has been organized on the social media site, according to Moodian. Candidates Tom Campbell and Steve Poizner have confirmed their participation, while Meg Whitman has yet to announce her acceptance.

Just minutes after the invitation was issued, Poizner's campaign accepted via Twitter writing, "Happy to accept....Looking forward to substantive debate."

Campbell's tweet a short time later read, "Looking forward to offering & debating specific solutions to California's financial crisis with my fellow candidates at Brandman University."

In her own tweet, Whitman's campaign wrote, "Thanks for the debate invite - I'll consider the dates and respond soon."

These gubernatorial debates are a part of Brandman University's new ForeSight Conference Series, designed to encourage debate and inspire action to improve the communities in which we live.

About Brandman University

Brandman University (www.brandman.edu), which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, focuses on meeting the unique needs of the more than 10,000 working students it serves both online and through 25 campuses in California and the state of Washington. Brandman University is a member of the Chapman University System and is known for providing non-traditional students with in-demand degree and certificate programs, individualized support services, top-tier instructors and technology-driven teaching environments.

About Chapman University

Founded in 1861, Chapman University is one of California's oldest, most prestigious private universities and is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students and 1,500 graduate students at its home campus in Orange, California.

About KOCE-TV

KOCE-TV is one of the most watched PBS stations in America with an estimated 5.8 million viewers monthly. KOCE's award-winning programming offers the fifth-largest county in the nation a long-standing community hub for local news, culture and features, and broadcasts the best available national PBS programs to the entire Southern California five-county region. Known for its outstanding dedication to education, KOCE Classroom serves more than a half million K-12 students. A national Roper poll recently ranked PBS as number one in public trust for the fourth consecutive year.* The winner of hundreds of awards including Emmys and Community Service Awards, KOCE continues to be a vital community resource and connector for Southern California. For more information, please visit www.koce.org.

* Reported by the GfKRoper Public Affairs & Media poll (2007)