GOP leader threatens to cut CNN, NBC from primary debates over Clinton specials

GOP leader threatens to cut CNN, NBC from primary debates over Clinton specials
Fox News

The head of the Republican Party threatened Monday to cut out CNN and NBC from the GOP presidential primary debates if the networks do not shelve their plans to air lengthy features on Hillary Clinton -- who is widely expected to be a Democratic candidate in the 2016 election.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus accused both networks of trying to put "a thumb on the scales" of the 2016 race with programming he claimed would be tantamount to an "in-kind donation" to the Clinton campaign.

Last month, CNN Films announced it was producing a documentary on Clinton to premiere next year, first in theaters and then on CNN.

NBC also announced a four-hour "Hillary" miniseries starring Diane Lane, on the life of the former secretary of state and first lady.

Priebus' statement on Monday marked the most aggressive challenge yet to those plans.  

In a written statement, Priebus said if the networks don't meet his demands, he will seek a "binding vote" at the upcoming Aug. 14 RNC meeting declaring that the party "will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor."

"It's appalling to know executives at major networks like NBC and CNN who have donated to Democrats and Hillary Clinton have taken it upon themselves to be Hillary Clinton's campaign operatives," he said.

In letters to the heads of both networks, Priebus said the Clinton specials would be unfair not only to Republicans, but to Democratic candidates who might also compete in the primary -- including Vice President Biden and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

"Secretary Clinton has been in the public eye for well over two decades, so you certainly cannot claim that a series about her political career is any sort of public service or informational docudrama on an unknown individual," Priebus wrote. "Quite the opposite is true: it would be most accurately described as an in-kind donation.

"Out of a sense of fairness and decency and in the interest of the political process and your company's reputation, I call on you to cancel this political ad masquerading as an unbiased production."

CNN defended its planned documentary in a written statement released Monday afternoon.

"This documentary will be a non-fiction look at the life of a former First Lady and Secretary of State. Instead of making premature decisions about a project that is in the very early stages of development and months from completion, we would encourage the members of the Republican National Committee to reserve judgment until they know more," the statement said. "Should they decide not to participate in debates on CNN, we would find it curious, as limiting their debate participation seems to be the ultimate disservice to voters."

The RNC letters were addressed to NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt and CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/05/gop-leader-threatens-to-cut-cnn-nbc-from-primary-debates-over-clinton-specials/#ixzz2bV2vcDw6

Moral of the story, if NBC, CNN, or any other news agency devotes the amount of attention to DNC presidential hopefuls as FOX does to ones from the GOP they'll be blacklisted by the Republican Party. Imagine the fallout if the tables were turned?

  That's pretty good Bryant.  Lol!  I don't think its any more unfair than CNN or NBC using left leaning shills (like Candy Crowley) to be moderators and try to help the Dem candidate though.
 
Well, there are too many debates anyway.

I agree with this. Why should the republicans sit back while the media pics the next candidate again?

Sir Pun wrote:I agree with this. Why should the republicans sit back while the media pics the next candidate again?

What the hell does FOX do? Its a ridiculous double standard. FOX can (and essentially does) hand pick the GOP contenders, but should any other media outlet give any exposure to a candidate FOX and the GOP throw a fit! The most interesting part is that this really isn't hurting the GOP, but rather other Democrats who want to run for President in 2016. I think the GOP is afraid of Hilary.

I just think its not unreasonable to expect the News organizations hosting the debates to be objective.  And NBC appears to be willing to run a 2 hr long infomercial to rally the troops for Hillary Clinton.
 
Curious as to how Fox handpicked GOP contenders?  Maybe they support them...but handpicking them?
 
(Btw...I notice NBC isn't running a movie about Joe Biden).    But I did see a report a few moments ago that Fox television studios producer of tv shows Family Guy and America Dad (not Fox news) may wind up producing the Hillary miniseries.  Fox television is hardly sympathetic to Conservatives though.
 
What I don't understand is why, in this day of media bias, don't the DNC and the RNC host their own debates.  Let George Stephanopolis of ABC host the DNC debate and let Sean Hannity host the RNC debate.  Then the two of them can host a debate between the two nominees.
 
THAT...would be fair.

I guess this just shows how mich bryant watched fox news last primary season. Mitt romney was in no way shown favor, and never was a conservative's candidate, neither was mccain. If anything, the left and the "mainstream" media influence republican primaries way more than fox. See, as a party, there is this phobia of getting the rough treatment from the left and the media, thinking this can somehow be avoided by picking "moderate" candidates. But hopefully the treatment mitt romney got will finally wake up and see that it doesnt matter who they put up, theyre gonna get the bush/palin/mccain/romney treatment