Presidential Debates Face Tough Opponent: Baseball Playoffs

As the Bush and Kerry campaigns ironed out the terms of the presidential debates over the weekend, there was one scheduling conflict that the two sides couldn't resolve -- the baseball playoffs.

The third of three planned presidential debates, on Oct. 13, and the Oct. 5 encounter between the vice-presidential candidates occur on nights when Fox network is scheduled to air Major League Baseball playoff games.

Fox, which struck a six-year, $2.5 billion deal in 2000 to broadcast regular-season and postseason games, says it plans to air the playoffs as scheduled.

The second presidential debate, on Oct. 8, also overlaps with a divisional playoff, but that game is slated to run only on ESPN.

9-21-04 wsj article.