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Overview

The first presidential debate between President Gerald Ford and former Governor Jimmy Carter took place on Thursday, September 23, 1976, in the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The debate was moderated by Edwin Newman of NBC moderated the debate with a panel consisting of Elizabeth Drew, Frank Reynolds and James Gannon posed the questions to each candidate. This was the first presidential debate in 16 years. Eighty-one minutes into the broadcast of the 90 minute debate, the sound was lost and the debate was paused for 27 minutes before the problem was fixed and the debate could resume.