Republican campaigns are trying to take control of the GOP debate process by drafting a list of demands to share with the networks broadcasting the debates, a move that likely circumvents the Republican National Committee’s role in negotiating debate conditions.

After the disastrous CNBC debate last week, individual Republican campaigns are trying to take on a larger role in negotiating with media sponsors to ensure that future debates are better organized and reflect the concerns of actual Republican voters, as opposed to the provincial concerns of New York- or D.C.-based journalists.

Sunday night, representatives for multiple GOP campaigns met with leaders of the RNC. What came out of that meeting was a draft letter, put together by lawyer Ben Ginsberg, with questions and requirements that candidates could send along to media sponsors.

The letter is essentially a list of demands phrased as questions aimed at the media sponsors. One telling question (“Will you commit to provide equal time/an equal number of questions to each candidate?”) alludes to the timing inequalities persistent in previous debates.

During last week’s debate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke for 9 minutes and 42 seconds, making him #3 in the final tally of talking time among candidates, beating out Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Ted Cruz, all of whom significantly outpoll Kasich among likely Republican voters.

NEW: Draft letter from Ben Ginsberg to campaigns about debates. What they want networks NOT to do pic.twitter.com/Q9VKrZ7Fk8 Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) November 2, 2015

Though the specific language of the draft letter is still in flux, one particular question contains a laundry list of behaviors and activities that media should commit to not doing during future debates:

Ask the candidates to raise their hands to answer a question

Ask yes/no questions without time to provide a substantive answer

Have a “lightening round”

Allow candidate-to-candidate questioning

Allow props or pledges by the candidates

Have reaction shots of the members moderators during debates

Use behind shots of the candidates showing their notes

Show an empty podium during the break (describe how far away the bathrooms are)

Leave microphones on during breaks

Allow members of the audience to wear political messages (shirts, buttons, signs, etc.)

Before the start of each debate, the campaigns reportedly plan to hold a group conference call with the media sponsor to review the terms of the debate and discuss the debate’s format, a responsibility that the RNC previously handled. Going forward, the RNC’s role will be reduced to handling logistics and little else.

Sunday’s meeting occurred just one day after the RNC announced that Sean Spicer, the party’s chief strategist and communications director, would no longer be negotiating with media sponsors about debate details. Instead, chief of staff Katie Walsh and attorney Sean Cairncross will be responsible for future negotiations.

The candidates’ decision to directly negotiate debate terms with the networks isn’t anything new. This election cycle was the first time the RNC tried to maintain central control over the debates, a responsibility that Republican candidates are now taking back.

Here’s the current schedule for future Republican primary debates, via U.S. Presidential Election News, to be updated if necessary:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Fox Business/WSJ Republican Debate

9pm ET (8pm CT, 6pm PT) – Main Debate

6pm ET (5pm CT, 3pm PT) – Undercard Debate

Aired On: Fox Business Network (Channel finder)

Location: Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Sponsors: Fox Business Network, Wall Street Journal

Moderators: Neil Cavuto, Maria Bartiromo, and Gerard Baker

Candidates: Candidates who score 2.5 percent or higher in an average of the four most recent national polls conducted through Nov. 4 will be invited to the main debate stage, the rest on the undercard stage

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

CNN/Salem Republican Debate

Aired On: CNN

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group

Candidates: To be determined

January, 2016 (Date TBD)

Fox News Republican Debate

Aired On: Fox News Channel

Location: Iowa

Sponsors: Fox News

Candidates: To be determined

Saturday, February 6, 2016

ABC/IJReview Republican Debate

Aired On: ABC

Location: St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire

Sponsors: ABC News, IJReview.com

Candidates: To be determined



Saturday, February 13, 2016

CBS News Republican Debate

Aired On: CBS

Location: The Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina

Sponsors: CBS News

Moderator: John Dickerson

Candidates: TBD

Friday, February 26, 2016

Republican Debate

Aired On: ?

Location: University of Houston in Houston, Texas

Sponsors: National Review and NBC/Telemundo

Candidates: To be determined

Notes: NBC News has been removed by the RNC as a sponsor – details here.



March, 2016*

Fox News Republican Debate

Aired On: Fox News Channel

Location: TBD

Sponsors: Fox News

Candidates: To be determined