How To Watch The Next Dem Debate

Just two days after the New Hampshire primary, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders will step behind their respective podiums for the sixth Democratic debate. The event is set to be the first opportunity Clinton and Sanders will have to meet face to face post-New Hampshire. With Clinton's lead over Sanders shrinking, Thursday night is sure to be an interesting exchange you won't want to miss. But with a rotating pool of host networks, it's not always clear what channel the Democratic debate is on. Thursday's debate will be hosted by a network that has yet to serve as a debate sponsor in this election cycle.

PBS will host the sixth Democratic debate this Thursday from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Helen Bader Concert Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 9 p.m. ET. Viewers can tune into any of PBS' 350 member stations to catch the debate, which will be moderated by PBS NewsHour anchors Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff. You can use the PBS Station Finder to learn your local station. A partnership with the cable news network CNN will see the debate simulcast live on CNN, CNN International, and CNN en Espanol.

"We are proud that PBS stations will broadcast this Democratic candidate debate at such a critical time in the election cycle —on the heels of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary," PBS executive Beth Hoppe said in a statement announcing their sponsorship of the debate. "I know that PBS NewsHour and WETA will produce a debate that is as engaging as it is informative, and which will help the public learn more about the positions of these candidates."

Not owning a television is no excuse for keeping up with where the Democratic presidential candidates stand on important issues like gun control, reproductive rights, and healthcare reform. PBS will be live streaming the debate online, and has also given CNN permission to simulcast the event on their website and across their mobile platforms via CNNgo.

PBS has also teamed up with Facebook to measure the opinions and concerns of a select group of voters that will inform moderators' questions come Thursday. Data regarding online discussion of the debate (which should include the hashtag #DemDebate) gathered by the social media network during the debate will reportedly be shared with viewers as it becomes available.

With Martin O'Malley bowing out of the Democratic presidential race following the Iowa caucuses, things have heated up between Clinton and Sanders. In the few months that remain before the Democratic National Convention, it's important to stay informed about the candidates and while great opportunities to learn where presidential hopefuls stand on issues that matter, debates also produce a few chuckle-inducing one-liners you won't want to miss. So, whether you're tuning in for the facts or "the artful smear," be sure to set your dials to PBS this Thursday.