The Clinton campaign agreed months ago to four debates proposed by the bipartisan debate commission.

"Independent candidates or third party candidates have no voice on the debate commission."

She said members of the debate commission have already said they would like to use this format again in future election years.

Network executives said that the debate commission had worked hard to avoid the sports conflicts.

But by the time Mr. Bush's representatives sat down with the debate commission's officials today, they really had no other choice.

As the candidate played hard to get, she said, the debate commission grew agreeable to talking about creative, spontaneous formats for the debates.

The nonpartisan debate commission will deliver its judgment on that matter next week.

But the debate commission's executive director, Janet Brown, said that was not necessarily so.

This flows from the fact that the presidential debate commission was established jointly by Republican and Democratic leaders in 1987.

Ifill did not inform the debate commission about her book.