The two national chains, which have for the past four years did all in their (very considerable) power to discredit IFE and the electoral reform that ended the lucrative political ad business, now refuse to broadcast the two national candidate debates on any prime time TV channel.
IFE Councilor Lorenzo Córdova put it very well:
This episode puts to test the fundamental commitment to democracy of Televisa and TV Azteca... The national chains are in the hands of two groups, and it would be desirable that they reconfirm this vocation.It is not an irrelevant fact that PRI frontrunner Enrique Peña Nieto is desperate to avoid exposure of unscripted appearances, and the anti-democratic decision of the two chains are of tremendous help.
Note as well that Peña Nieto again bailed out of a debate: The woefully unprepared PRI frontrunner refused to participate in a presidential debate organized by Milenio, as did the inept PAN candidate Josefina Vázquez Mota, with the latter again declaring she would participate in no debate unless Peña Nieto appears.
