More than 62 million watched US presidential debate

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - More than 62 million US viewers tuned in to the first of three presidential debates in this year's election campaign, making it the most watched since 1992, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic Senator John Kerry debated foreign policy and national security issues Thursday at a forum broadcast live on major US television networks and leading cable news channels.
Viewership surpassed the first debate four years ago between Bush and then-Vice President Al Gore by nearly 16 million, the ratings firm said.
Those numbers underscore voters' high level of interest in this year's presidential election.
Debates held ahead of the 1992 presidential election were credited with building support for Bill Clinton in his ultimately successful challenge of incumbent president George Bush, the father of the current president.
Snap polls said Kerry won the contest Thursday but experts warned it would take days to accurately assess the exchange's impact on the hard-fought campaign.
They also agreed that the close-fought debate raised the stakes for the second presidential face-off, set for October 8.
A third debate is scheduled for October 13, with voting taking place on November 2.