The Republican National Committee is debating sanctioning party presidential primary debates and selling the broadcast rights, reports CNN.com.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting last week of top RNC officials, although it’s unclear if it’s legal for the group to sell broadcasting rights, since it might be considered a political contribution under federal law, the story notes.

It’s also not known whether news organizations would pay to exclusively air a presidential primary debate, it adds. CNN and other news broadcasters have said they plan to hold presidential primary debates in 2011 and 2012.