The Republican National Committee took partial credit for the dual-cancelation of CNN and NBC’s Hillary Clinton projects, both of which were announced on Monday, and said that it will again consider both networks as hosts of the party’s 2016 presidential debates.
As long as those networks, like others, follow new procedures dictated by Republicans.
“This was only the first step in the Republican Party taking control of our debate process,” RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski told TheWrap. “The purpose of our party’s debates is to better inform our grassroots and those participating in Republican primaries and caucuses.
Also read: Hillary Clinton Documentary Canceled by CNN Films
“Now that CNN and NBC have canceled their Hillary Clinton infomercials, we will work on developing a new debate model that will address the timing, frequency, moderators and venues that will come in the next few months.”
Kukowski said the RNC would not stand for any deviations from its demands. “Any media organization looking to be part of the debate process will have to comply with the new system,” she said.
Also read: NBC Drops Hillary Clinton Miniseries
The RNC attempted to put pressure on the networks by voting to ban GOP debates on NBC or CNN channels for their role in a planned Clinton mini-series and documentary, respectively.
NBC said its decision came after “reviewing and prioritizing our slate of movie/mini-series development,” while CNN dropped its Clinton programming after planned director Charles Ferguson exited the project. He cited pressure from the Clinton camp, but RNC took credit for its role in his departure.
“While CNN is not moving forward with its Hillary Clinton infomercial, it’s clearly not of their choosing but rather because the filmmaker quit in large part because of the RNC’s actions,” Kukowski said.