PITTSBURGH— WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR news station, and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation announced today that four Democratic candidates for the office of Mayor of Pittsburgh confirmed they will participate in a debate on Tuesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. airing on 90.5FM and streaming at wesa.fm.
Confirmed candidates include State Representative Ed Gainey, retired police officer Tony Moreno, incumbent Mayor William Peduto and south Oakland resident Mike Thompson. The debate will be moderated by Pittsburgh Black Media Federation board member and WESA reporter Ariel Worthy and WESA government and accountability editor Chris Potter.
“It is a tremendous pleasure to partner with 90.5 WESA to show the region (and the nation), the true essence of democracy in Pittsburgh. It is our expectation that the audience will find this debate engaging,” said Brian Cook, president of the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.
The debate will take place virtually and the format will include questions on crucial issues such as the city’s livability and affordability, policing, tax and fiscal concerns, and economic, racial, and social equity. WESA and Pittsburgh Black Media Federation will also solicit questions from the community.
“Pittsburgh has undergone tremendous change, but the question I hear all the time is: What kind of place is it becoming, and who is it for? We hope candidates will share their answers -- and that doing so will help voters decide which candidate is right for them,” Potter said.
The debate will re-air on Friday, April 16 at 9 a.m. on 90.5FM, and will be available to watch at wesa.fm/mayoraldebate.
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90.5 WESA is Pittsburgh's NPR News Station. Our mission is to work for the public to inform people in ways that engage and inspire them to create dialog about community issues and stories. As southwestern Pennsylvania’s only independent public radio news and information station, we give voice to provocative ideas that foster a vibrant, informed, diverse and caring community. 90.5 WESA can be heard on 90.5 FM in Pittsburgh, PA; 92.3 FM in New Baltimore; 100.5 FM in Johnstown, and 104.1 FM in Ligonier and Somerset.
90.5 WESA is a service of Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that also operates independent public radio station 91.3 WYEP.
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The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, which is an organization of journalists, communications specialists and students, supports black journalists, hosts programs that recognize excellent media coverage of minority communities and trains young people to enter the media industry.
Founded in 1973, PBMF was developed to advocate for blacks in the media in two ways. It seeks fair representation of the African-American community in the news and an increased presence of minorities in newsrooms. PBMF also was designed to create a social network for black media professionals in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. In the early 1990s, PBMF became an affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists.
