HOUSTON, TX – October 9, 2023 – Telemundo Houston KTMD-TV, KPRC 2, ¡Que Onda! Magazine and The League of Women Voters will host a mayoral debate on Tuesday, October 10.
The debate will be live at 7PM from Dunham Theater at Houston Christian University and broadcast on KPRC 2, KPRC 2+ and www.Click2Houston.com and Telemundo Houston’s digital platforms www.TelemudoHouston.com and streaming on Samsung TV Plus channel 1255, Roku channel 904, FireTV, XumoPlay, freevee and LocalNow.
The 1-hour debate, moderated by KTMD’s Crystal Ayala and KPRC’s Daniella Guzman, will include 5 of the qualifying candidates, determined by the number of individual campaign donors, discussing their vision of Houston’s future specifically related to crime, city infrastructure, disaster preparation as well as equity and equality in housing and employment. The remaining candidates were each invited to record statements that will air immediately following the debate at 8PM. All 18 campaigns were informed and aware of the debate parameters.
“Our commitment to Inform and engage our community goes hand in hand with the spirit of civic involvement,” states Freddy Oldenburg, Telemundo Houston’s VP of News. “It's our duty to amplify the voices and stories that empower our citizens to participate in the process and inspire positive change in our great city.”
“The health of our democracy depends on an engaged and informed electorate,” said Bernice Kearney, News Director of KPRC. “Our roles as news organizations and as a provider of nonpartisan voter information and registration are crucial components of the election process.”
“The League of Women Voters of Houston, KPRC 2, Telemundo Houston and ¡Que Onda! Magazine are committed to providing our community with helpful resources that will encourage an informed choice on Election Day,” added Claudia Ortega Hogue, President League of Women Voters of Houston. “We believe candidate debates are an important element of this outreach.”
The diverse group of candidates that qualified to take part in the debate include: Annie “Mama” Garcia, Lee Kaplan, M.J. Khan, US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and State Senator John Whitmire. Candidates with recorded statements include: Gaylon Caldwell, Dr. Jack Christie, Robert Gallegos, Gilbert Garcia, M. Griff Griffin, Robert (B) Ivy, David Lowy, Julian Martinez, Chanel Mbala and Robin Williams.
The debate will include a live audience of invited guests and additional coverage by KTMD’s Antonio Hernandez and KPRC’s Khambrel Marshall. Election Day is November 7. Early voting begins October 23 and runs through November 3. The deadline to register to vote is October 10.
About Telemundo Houston / KTMD
Telemundo Houston / KTMD is Telemundo’s local television station serving Spanish-speaking viewers in Houston, the fourth largest Hispanic television market in the country. Telemundo Houston aired the market’s first-ever Spanish-language television newscast more than 30 years ago. Owned by NBCUniversal, today, the station locally produces approximately 30 hours of news and information programming each week and delivers viewers the most up-to-date local news, weather, sports and entertainment headlines across all platforms, including online at TelemundoHouston.com, via its dedicated mobile app and through its social media channels. Telemundo Houston is the Spanish-language television home of the Houston Texans and the Spanish-language television sponsor of the world’s largest rodeo, Rodeo Houston. Viewers can find Telemundo Houston on local channels Xfinity 6 or 606 in HD, Dish and DirectTV 47 and over the air 47.1.
About KPRC-TV Channel 2
KPRC-TV Channel 2, an NBC affiliate, is owned by Graham Media Group (GMG). GMG (www.GrahamMediaGroup.com), a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC). Graham Media Group is comprised of 7 local media hubs, Graham Digital and Social News Desk delivering local news, programming, advertising solutions and digital media tools for television, online, mobile, OTT, podcasts, and audio devices. We are dynamic, local brands that extend well beyond the traditional TV set. Our work helps inform, celebrate, and knit together the communities we serve. GMG operates in 6 states: KPRC–Houston, WDIV–Detroit and WSLS–Roanoke (NBC); KSAT–San Antonio (ABC); WKMG–Orlando (CBS); WJXT–Jacksonville (fully local), and WCWJ–Jacksonville (CW). Based in Detroit, Graham Digital is a digital media and technology development group widely recognized as a leading industry innovator. Social News Desk, headquartered in Atlanta, provides its 2500+ worldwide newsroom-customers with a single dashboard to publish, measure, curate and monetize local news content on social platforms.
About League of Women Voters of Houston
The League of Women Voters of Houston is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. With over 100 years of experience, the League is one of America’s oldest and most trusted civic nonprofit organizations. The League’s mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate.
About ¡Que Onda! Magazine
¡Que Onda! Magazine is a bilingual news and entertainment publication serving the Houston community for three decades. The free, bi-weekly tabloid is the largest and oldest Hispanic publication in Houston and can be found at newsstands at Taquerias Arandas, El Bolillo Bakery, HEB, Doneraki, La Hacienda, Pasadena Courthouse and on-line in digital form. J Gabriel Esparza is publisher and second generation to run the family business.
(Post taken from a release sent to me by KTMD)
