Because of its large percentage of black households, the Baltimore area became known in the TV industry in the 1990s as part of the "Cosby Belt." The Cosby Show was a huge hit most everywhere, but scored exceptionally high ratings in Baltimore and cities demographically like it.
"When you look at the ratings for the debates, the large number of black households in the market would have to be a major factor," says Emerson Coleman, vice president of programming for Hearst-Argyle, which owns WBAL-Channel 11 in Baltimore.
The debates are captivating people of all colors and creating newfound political junkies who are watching together at movie theaters, bars, churches, college dorms, restaurants and in private homes.
"Baltimore has a history of very strong African-American involvement and concern about political literacy, and those ratings are an outgrowth of the fact that while we as a state don't have a lot of electoral votes, we as a city are very concerned and want to be involved in the issues at hand," said the Rev. Frank M. Reid III, pastor of Baltimore's Bethel AME Church, which is hosting a viewing party tonight. "It's not just a pro-Obama issue, it's an information issue."
In the city's Hollins Market neighborhood, the owners of Zella's decided to put the little pizzeria's single television to good use during the first debate. They alerted 500 people on their e-mail list that they would be showing the debate there. About 40 showed up to watch and sip Obama-tinis and McCain-tinis.
"I am close with many people in my community and speaking to the regulars, I can say this is something that's very important to them," Zella's owner Julie Ernst said. During the first debate, the pizzeria was also deluged with calls for pizzas, with almost every home they delivered to watching the debate.
Before the second presidential faceoff, an Obama supporter called the Charles Theatre, whose owner is also an Obama supporter, and convinced him to donate a screen for a viewing party.
When more than 150 people showed up with little more than word-of-mouth notice, the Charles decided to give tonight's debate-watchers the larger, 400-seat theater.
The keen interest "is quite a phenomenon," says Lipika Samal, a 29-year-old Fells Point doctor who's organizing the event, which is free and open to both Obama and McCain supporters. "I feel like people are much more in tune and excited with this election. It really sounds corny, but they actually have hope there could be some massive change this time around."
