The RNC Is Boycotting CNN and NBC (Update)

Update: Fox Television Studios said it is canceling negotiations to produce an NBC biopic about Hillary Clinton hours after the RNC voted to ban NBC and CNN from hosting its 2016 primary debates in protest of the allegedly biased coverage. And we were so excited to see Diane Lane play Hillary.

The Republican National Committee unanimously passed a resolution Friday that will prevent NBC and CNN from hosting Republican primary debates unless the networks agree to cancel their projects about Hillary Clinton. NBC is currently planning to air a miniseries on the former Secretary of State; CNN is working on a documentary film.

The resolution is non-binding and is part of the RNC's effort to reform the primary debate process. The GOP is aiming to have fewer primary debates in 2016, because party leaders believe having 20 debates hurt their party and Mitt Romney. Both the rigor of having so many debates and the opportunity it gave Romney to make a series of gaffes were damaging during the presidential election against President Obama.

The anticipated CNN and NBC Hillary coverage turned out to be the high-profile impetus needed for party leaders to overlook the wishes of Republican state parties who often earn significant revenue from co-hosting the debates and associated events.

Here's the full resolution, as drafted by a private subcommittee of the RNC Rules committee.

WHEREAS, former Secretary Hillary Clinton is likely to run for President in 2016, and CNN and NBC have both announced programming that amounts to little more than extended commercials promoting former Secretary Clinton; and

WHEREAS, these programming decisions are an attempt to show political favoritism and put a thumb on the scales for the next presidential election; and

WHEREAS, airing this programming will jeopardize will the credibility of CNN and NBC as supposedly unbiased news networks and undermine the perceived objectivity of the coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign by these networks; and

WHEREAS, Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, contributed the maximum amount to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign committee, contributed $25,000 to Obama’s 2012 Victory Fund, and this year contributed $10,000 to the Democratic National Committee; therefore be it –

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee calls on CNN and NBC to cancel the airing of these political ads masked as unbiased entertainment; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that if CNN and NBC continue to move forward with this and other such programming, the Republican National Committee will neither partner with these networks in the 2016 presidential primary debates nor sanction any primary debates they sponsor, and, be it finally

RESOLVED, that the Republican National Committee shall endeavor to bring more order to the primary debates and ensure a reasonable number of debates, appropriate moderators and debate partners are chosen, and that other issues pertaining to the general nature of such debates are addressed.

The process of creating specific rules is expected to take several months, which may include harsh penalties for candidates that participate in unauthorized debates. Fun!