CBS News commits to more town hall and debate telecasts

CBS News is moving forward with a series of town hall and debate telecasts with a major advertiser backing them, the first major initiative under Editor in Chief Bari Weiss.

- BY STEPHEN BATTAGLIO

TOM BRENNER Pool Photo VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance is among the town hall series' scheduled guests.

The news division announced Thursday that it will have a series of one-hour, single-issue programs under the title “Things That Matter,” done in collaboration with the digital platform the Free Press.

CBS News parent Paramount acquired the Free Press, which was co-founded by Weiss, in September.

Bank of America will be a major sponsor of the series.

Town hall participants will include Vice President JD Vance, who will discuss the state of the country and the future of the Republican Party, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman, who will focus on artificial intelligence, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who will look at the future of the Democratic Party.