The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition a consortium of broadcasters that has traditionally run federal party leaders' debates is fighting back in the wake of Stephen Harper's decision to skip its upcoming events. The Globe's Steven Chase writes the broadcasters, including CBC, Radio-Canada, CTV and Global, argue they alone can provide the greatest audience reach for these TV debates. The consortium argues the debates the Harper Conservatives have chosen to attend, including ones organized by Maclean's and Quebec-based TVA, will not reach a wide enough audience. Rogers will broadcast the Maclean's debate through assets including CityTV. The consortium's audience range is far wider. "Every Canadian has access to one, if not all, of the broadcast consortium's stations. Radio-Canada broadcasts to all francophones across the country," consortium spokesman Liliane Le said. A federal election is expected this October, and this Tuesday the Harper Conservatives shook up plans for campaign debates, saying they would refuse to participate in the traditional leaders' debates run by the consortium of broadcasters and instead take part in as many as five independently staged debates in the election run-up.