Fox News to increase candidate speaking time by 30 seconds at Monday debate

Chris Moody
·Political Reporter

It's not quite the three-hour Lincoln-Douglas style debates that Newt Gingrich craves, but it's a start.

At Monday's Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Republican presidential candidates will be treated to an extra 30 seconds of speaking time to respond to each question, Yahoo News has learned. Traditionally, networks provide one minute for questions, a rapid-fire format that critics--and some of the candidates themselves--have panned as insufficient time to discuss topics of national importance.

A Fox News spokeswoman confirmed the new debate ground rules Friday.

Just like previous debates, if a candidate's name is mentioned, he will receive a 30-second time slot to respond.

The two-hour debate begins at 9:00 p.m. ET Monday and will be moderated by Bret Baier, host of "Special Report."

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