Presidential debate not a ratings draw

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The televised debate between White House hopefuls U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain drew surprisingly low ratings, Nielsen Media Research said.

While Commission on Presidential Debates Co-Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. had predicted record numbers for Friday night's debate, initial ratings indicate the televised event only averaged a 21.4 household rating, The Hollywood Reporter said Saturday.

"There could be 80 million people watching. It could be more," Fahrenkopf said prior to the debate. "This is probably going to be the most-watched debate in history."

The household rating means that 21 percent of all U.S. households watching television at the time of the debate tuned in to watch the Illinois Democrat and the Arizona Republican discuss their campaigns.

Final ratings from the 56 metered markets across the nation will not be available from Nielsen until Monday.

The Reporter said the top ratings for a presidential debate in history were earned in 1980 when Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan debated incumbent President Jimmy Carter.