CNN, Fox News Release Qualifications for First GOP Presidential Primary Debates; Limit Will Be Set at 10 Candidates for First Tier Debate

Fox News and CNN have announced the qualifications for their first debates.

Fox News announced that it will include the top 10 candidates based on their averages in the five most recent national polls, calculated at 5 PM EST on August 4, leading up to its first debate on August 5 in Cleveland. The debate will be hosted by Megyn Kelly, Brett Baier, and Chris Wallace and will be co-presented by Facebook. Those candidates that fail to make the top 10 will be given airtime on Fox News on August 6.

CNN, on the other hand, has announced that it will include two debate rounds, a top tier round featuring the top 10 candidates in recent public polls, followed by a junior varsity round of all of the other candidates who have achieved a least 1% in a national poll. CNN‘s first debate, the second of the season, will take place on September 16 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. Hugh Hewitt and Jake Tapper are set to host the event. CNN will also require all candidates included in the debates to show that they have at least one paid campaign staffer in two of the four earliest voting states.

To be considered for inclusion in either debate, a candidate must have announced and properly filed his or her candidacy.

There are likely to be 16 candidates or more.

(via WaPo)