(23 August 2007 3:56 pm)

MUMBAI: After video sharing site YouTube and CNN partnered to hold a US Democratic debate, social networking site MySpace and MTV have now joined forces to bring together users and US presidential candidates for a series of one-on-one dialogues that will be shown on web and television.

The front-runners for the US Presidential post will hold individual dialogues with voters using instant-messaging, e-mail or by texting their questions in real times during the events that will be webcast live on MTV.com and MySpaceTV.com.

Slated from September through December, 11 dialogues have been lined up, each lasting about one-hour which will include real-time polling that rates the online audience's response to the candidates answers.

MTV spokesperson Ian Roew said, "This is not a debate. Each one of these dialogues is an opportunity for young people both on a college campus, as well as millions watching via a live stream on MySpace and MTV.com to have a one-on-one, direct, unfiltered conversation with each candidate."

The discussions will be unfiltered, but only to a certain extent by a moderator who will choose questions. He will be accompanied by group of political experts and an MTV News correspondent. About 100 to 200 students will be able to physically attend the discussions and presidential candidates will be typically located in college campuses.

The earlier YouTube Democratic debate attracted 2.6 television viewers on CNN. A Republican debate with CNN and YouTube is scheduled for 28 November.

The current dialogues are a part of the MTV's 'Choose or Loose' campaign, launched in 1992 in a bid to encourage youngsters to vote.

Meanwhile, in March, MySpace launched the Impact channel which is a section dedicated to the 2008 presidential election. Candidates profiles appear on http://impact.myspace.com