Beginning with the televised presidential debate on Sunday, UNLV's Hank Greenspun School of Communication will serve as the local host site for DebateWatch '96, a national program developed to stimulate interest and promote understanding of the debates.

DebateWatch is sponsored by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates. The program gathers groups in locations across the country to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates and to discuss them afterward. Survey and opinion material gathered at each site will be compiled by the commission and a summary of the results will be announced within 78 hours of each debate.

The first presidential debate will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday. Participants are asked to arrive around 5:30 p.m. so that everyone can be seated before the broadcast begins. DebateWatch will be held in the Allan Padderud Media Production Facility located on the first floor of the Dungan Humanities building on the UNLV campus at Maryland Parkway and Harmon Avenue.

The second round of the presidential debates will be held at the same time on Oct. 16. A debate between vice presidential candidates will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 9.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend broadcasts of all three debates. Members of the UNLV debate team will attend to help lead the discussion.

For additional information, call the Hank Greenspun School of Communication at (702) 895-3325.