Jeff Bartlett, president and general manager of WMUR-TV Manchester, N.H., responded to the news that the Democrats had removed the station from co-sponsorship of the upcoming presidential debate.
“Needless to say, we’re disappointed that the efforts of the 140 WMUR employees in helping organize this debate [Dec. 19 in association with ABC] will now be undone," he said.
The national and state Democratic parties dropped WMUR from the debate Friday over an ongoing labor dispute with parent, Hearst, according to numerous reports.
"Nevertheless, we’ll continue to cover the debate, and the candidates and campaigns," Bartlett said in an email, turning to the issue of the labor negotiations. "As for the negotiations with this particular union, we will continue with the policy we’ve followed with the many prior union negotiations we’ve successfully concluded – to negotiate in good faith, and directly and not through third parties. To that end, we have a mutually agreed-upon date for another meeting, which has been scheduled and confirmed for some two weeks now.”
