Democratic Presidential Candidates to Participate in
Forum Addressing Issues Facing African-American and Latino Communities
SIRIUS Left’s Mark Thompson, host of “Make it Plain,” to broadcast special programs from Iowa
SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that it will be the exclusive national radio outlet of the Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum and will broadcast the event live on Saturday, December 1st at 8:00 pm ET on SIRIUS Left channel 146. Co-founded in 1984 by current Iowa State Representative Wayne Ford and Latino Community Leader Mary Campos, The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum is the nation’s oldest continuous minority presidential forum in which all candidates have the opportunity to answer important questions concerning issues affecting African-American and Latino-Americans. All eight Democratic presidential candidates are expected to participate.
SIRIUS Left’s Mark Thompson, host of Make It Plain – a daily political and current events talk show from an African-American point of view – will broadcast his program live from Iowa on Friday, November 30th (5:00-8:00 PM ET) and talk with members of the community working to make a difference. In addition, Thompson will host special live call-in programs on SIRIUS Left channel 146 immediately preceding and following The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum where listeners will share opinions, comments, and debate.
“The Iowa Brown & Black Forum was founded to spark a national conversation about issues important to the minority community – from economic development to health care to immigration,” said Iowa State Representative Wayne Ford. “Partnering with SIRIUS ensures that we reach voters from all backgrounds across the country – the people who will choose our next president and must be part of the electoral process.”
“Our country’s Latino population is 43 million, and in the 2004 election we represented 6% of the votes,” said Mary Campos, Co-Chair & Founder, The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum. “The time is now to raise our voices and unite to impact the future of our country’s government and policies – airing our forum live on SIRIUS will help us reach our goals.”
“The Iowa Brown & Black Forum is at the center of the dialogue and debate surrounding minority issues,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS’ President, Entertainment and Sports. “SIRIUS’ mission is to deliver diverse, in-depth programming from all perspectives, and we are pleased to support this event and bring the voices of the people and the candidates live from Iowa to our listeners across America.”
The Iowa Brown & Black Forum will be moderated by Michele Norris, host of National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. SIRIUS Left is a national platform where well-respected and thought-provoking hosts including Thompson, Alex Bennett, Lynn Samuels, Bill Press, and many more discuss significant political issues and concerns daily.
For more information visit www.sirius.com/politicaltalk and www.sirius.com/siriusleft.
