---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ---------------- Televised Presidential Debates Announced in Cedar Rapids Coalition sponsoring 2000 Presidential iACE Debatesi to promote discussion of Agriculture, Conservation, Energy and Environment issues FOR RELEASE: October 4, 1999 For Additional Information Contact: Lisa Wade, LCV Education Fund (202)785-0730 Chuck Peters, Gazette Communications, Inc. (319)368-8878 Paul Hansen, Izaak Walton League (301)548-0150 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA -- Agriculture, conservation, energy and the environment will take center stage at the January 2000 presidential ACE Debates announced today in Cedar Rapids. Sponsored by Iowa Farmer Today, The Gazette and KCRG, the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Izaak Walton League of America, the ACE Debates will be held January 10 and January 12 at the historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids. Each debate will be broadcast live, both in Iowa and nationally. Invitations are being delivered to each candidateis national and Iowa campaign headquarters today. - Iowa Farmer Today, The Gazette and KCRG are sponsoring these debates as a public service for the thousands of Iowans who care deeply about agriculture and conservation issues, but might not have the chance to hear a substantive discussion of these issues in other national debates,i said Chuck Peters, chief operating officer of Gazette Communications, Inc. iIssues concerning agriculture and the environment affect our everyday lives. Itis appropriate to have a forum for the presidential candidates devoted just to these issues.i A poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund in August showed that 87 percent of likely Iowa caucus attendees believe environmental protection should be a top priority for presidential candidates. Strong support for presidential candidates committed to environmental protection is broad-based among voters identified as Republicans (82 percent), Democrats (94 percent) and Independents (87 percent). iVoters in Iowa, and throughout the country, want to hear where the presidential candidates stand on issues pertaining to agriculture, conservation, energy and the environment,i said Deb Callahan, president of the LCV Education Fund. iThe quality of our air, our water and our natural resources are issues too important to be ignored by the presidential candidates. The ACE Debates will provide a forum in which voters can hear a real dialogue about each candidateis vision for the future on these issues that are central to everyoneis quality of life.i Two debates are scheduled: the first on January 10, for the presidential candidates participating in the Iowa Republican caucus and the second on January 12, for the Democratic presidential candidates. An expected audience of 1,200 people will view each debate in person, while millions more will watch the debates on television and over the Internet. The events will be aired live on KCRG-TV and KCRG radio and will be available over satellite at no charge to stations across the country. iThe Izaak Walton League has been a strong voice for conservation in Iowa for over 75 years,i said Paul Hansen, executive director. iAs an organization comprised primarily of conservation-minded Americans who hunt and fish, the League brings a special perspective to these debates and to the conservation community.i The Izaak Walton League of America has over 6,000 members in Iowa alone. The debates are being funded solely through the primary sponsors. A broad consortium of local and national groups interested in agriculture, conservation, energy and the environment will also serve as hosts for the professionally produced ACE Debates. Additional details about the format, moderator and content will be released in the next few weeks. ### ABOUT THE SPONSORS Gazette Communications, Inc. is a media company located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which publishes The Gazette newspaper, The Iowan magazine, Iowa Commerce magazine, Iowa Farmer Today, local shoppers, and does commercial printing. Gazette Communications, Inc. has numerous sites online, audiotex services and direct marketing services. In addition, its affiliates include KCRG television and radio as well as two software development firmsoDecisionmark and Gazette Technologies. Find out more about Gazette Communications, Inc. and its publications at www.Iowa.com. Iowa Farmer Today is the leading publication in the region devoted to agriculture and farming. Published by Gazette Communications, Inc., the award-winning Iowa Farmer Today is circulated weekly to over 71,000 farm owners and operators throughout the region. Now in its 15th year, Iowa Farmer Today has covered wide-ranging topics of importance to Iowa farmers -- from presidential elections to shifting farm legislation, from droughts and floods to advances in crop and livestock production. Find Iowa Farmer Today on the Internet at www.IowaFarmer.com. The League of Conservation Voters Education Fund is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues and encouraging citizens to participate in the democratic process. For more information, visit the LCV Education Fund website at www.lcvedfund.org. The Izaak Walton League of America is a national conservation organization with 50,000 members and supporters, 21 state divisions and more than 300 local chapters. Founded in 1922, the League now has over 6,000 members in 54 chapters in communities throughout Iowa. Visit the Izaak Walton League of America website at www.iwla.org. ============================================================= <snip> League of Conservation Voters 1707 L Street, NW Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 (202)785-8683 fax: (202)835-0491 email: [log in to unmask] ============================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]