CNN, which is hosting the first presidential debate on Thursday, has put in place rules that other news outlets and YouTube political commentators say are unusual and restrictive.
The division of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is providing a live feed of the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump to other networks, and those outlets must run it in full screen, with the CNN logo visible, according to terms the network distributed. Other channels aren’t allowed to cut away from the debate, or air analysis during commercial breaks.
The rival networks must refer to the event as the “CNN Presidential Debate.” All promotions, advertisements and TV listings must refer to it as the “CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast.”
This debate is different in that it’s being held by CNN and not through the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit that normally sponsors them and has its own rules.
CNN bans White House pool reporters from debate room
The White House Correspondents’ Association wrote to CNN on Tuesday requesting that the network allow their representatives to sit in the studio during the debate, a request the network denied, according to a person familiar with the letter and response. CNN cited security and space concerns.
The network is allowing a limited number of still photographers in the debate room. Some 800 others will be watching a feed in a building across the street from the main studio.
The concern among the other networks is that something could happen in the debate room that only CNN journalists would witness. Unlike past contests, this debate doesn’t have a live audience and microphones of the other candidate will be muted when one is speaking. That could mean rival journalists miss gestures and asides during CNN’s coverage, or something more serious like a medical emergency involving one of the candidates.
CNN Threatens YouTube Channels and Podcasts Covering Debate
Tim Pool revealed that CNN has warned any YouTube channels that intend to live stream the debate while providing commentary for viewers that this would not be permitted under copyright.
“Confirming that we are offering digital platforms the ability to stream the debate only via CNN YouTube,” said a CNN spox to Pool in a message. “We are not granting digital entities the right to stream the debate on their own YouTube channels. I hope that helps.”
Pool also had a phone call with CNN, arranged by YouTube, which he discussed on air. He said that he’d received a message from YouTube last week “asking to hop on a phone call to discuss the RNC and the presidential cycle.” During that call, which happened on Monday, he “briefly spoke with some individuals at YouTube… who made it clear that CNN reached out and is expressing concern, I don’t know the full extent, but making it known that YouTube better contact their news programs over the CNN debate.”
Pool and his team have previously streamed and commented on presidential debates in the past. After one debate, which had been broadcast on Fox, the network claimed that they had copyright protection for the content and made threats against several channels. Those threats were eventually dropped.
“Now of course, like all presidential debates,” Pool continued, “which is the epitome of civic responsibility, of civic participation. We will provide live commentary and fact-checking on this presidential debate as we have done for every other so long as the show has been around.
“In a show of good faith,” he said, “YouTube asked me to reach out to CNN to see
if if there was anything they would be looking for in this regard. Because apparently they are asking other networks who are doing the exact same thing to abide by certain restrictions.” Pool reached out, only to find that the network insisted that they would not allow anyone on YouTube, other than those who had been granted specific permission.
Trump-Biden Debate Thursday at 9 PM: Everything You Need to Know
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