Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH has launched a content-sharing partnership with Columbus Business First.

Don DePerro, the publisher of Business First, will appear weekly on the station’s 6 a.m. newscast to discuss the week’s business news.

“NBC4 is excited to share content with Central Ohio’s best source for local and regional business news. We know it is important content that our viewers are interested in and this partnership will help us deliver it to them,” WCMH president and general manager Dan Bradley said in a statement.

While last night’s final Presidential debate may be the most visible example of politicians taking their message to the people, many politicians throughout the country got their chance to show their stuff this election on a much smaller stage, the local TV debate.  Which begs the question, can a debate turn an election even on a local level and, most importantly, are they still relevant?

“I do think they are relevant,” Dennis House, anchor for Hartford, CT CBS affiliate WFSB, told TVSpy.  “Even in a small state like Connecticut where the odds are greater that you will meet a candidate, it is still important to see them in action debating the issues.”

Dan Bradley, president and general manager of NBC affiliate WCMH in Columbus agrees.  “I believe journalists have a responsibility to get the candidates to say something beyond their pat stump speeches and reality distorting commercial messages.”

You can watch the first of a series of Connecticut Senatorial debates with Dennis House as moderator after the jump.

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NBC-affiliates across Ohio are partnering to present a statewide debate centered on Issue 2, a controversial state referendum up for repeal. The debate will be moderated by NBC News political director Chuck Todd and broadcast from Columbus on Tuesday, October 25th.

The debate will be carried by WLWT Cincinnati, WKYC Cleveland, WCMH Columbus, WDTN Dayton, WLIO Lima, WNWO Toledo, WTOV Wheeling-Steubenville, WFMJ Youngstown, and WHIZ Zanesville. It will also be streamed live on each of the stations’ websites. Read more