MANCHESTER – Competing presidential debates the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary on Jan. 8 are infusing more drama into the final hours of the campaigns.

ABC News and WMUR-TV have announced back-to-back Democratic and Republican candidates' debates on Jan. 5. Fox News and the New Hampshire Republican Party plan a GOP debate Jan. 6.

But New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen raises the prospect of Republican candidates skipping the WMUR debate in favor of the Fox event, both to be held at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown.

"One possible outcome is ABC News comes out with the Democratic debate and Fox News comes out with the Republican debate," Cullen told the New Hampshire Union Leader last night.

WMUR General Manager Jeff Bartlett plans to hold two debates. He said Republicans should debate on the ABC affiliate because it reaches more New Hampshire voters, he said. "It's far better watched than Fox News Channel in this state. And it's on the ABC network across the country, which obviously has far more viewers than the cable offering Fox has," Bartlett said.

Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mike Huckabee have committed to the ABC News debate. McCain also plans to participate in the Fox News event.

WMUR announced the major Democratic candidates have agreed to participate in the Jan. 5 debate, listing Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson. A spokesman for Sen. Chris Dodd said the campaign has received and accepted an invite as well.

WMUR News Director Andrew Vrees said they would reach out to the campaigns again after the debate criteria are established.