KSL, the Salt Lake City NBC affiliate owned by the Mormon church, is opting not to air NBC's new comedy The New Normal. The show's premise involves a gay couple who hires a single mother to be to be their surrogate. The station deemed the show, "inappropriate on several dimensions", presumably referring to the show's gay relationship and politically incorrect dialogue. KSL also chooses not to air Saturday Night Live. Last season, it refused to broadcast The Playboy Club. Another Salt Lake City station, KUCW, will air The New Normal on the weekend.
Not to get too political, but KSL is a big reason why church and state need to remain separate (I know those words aren’t actually in the Constitution, but framer Thomas Jefferson did use the phrase, so…), because otherwise, you could have the government dictating what can and cannot air. Someone should point out to KSL that they do not own the airwaves, not does NBC. In theory, the American public owns the airwaves that both NBC and KSL broadcast on. Why doesn’t KSL allow those same people to decide whether or not “The New Normal” is worthy of their time? Let the ‘free market’ that the GOP (presently headed by LDSer Mitt Romney) decide the fate of “Normal”.
Another site mentioned that KSL has no problem airing “Law & Order: SVU” which is probably going to be more ‘inappropriate’ than “Normal” will be. Perhaps KSL finds it ‘appropriate’ to have heterosexuals killing each other on “SVU” but is ‘inappropriate’ for homosexuals to love/support each other on “Normal”. KSL also has no problem airing NBC’s daytime soap “Days of Our Lives”, which we all know is a paragon of family and moral values (although with a couple of now-openly gay characters, perhaps “Days” days are numbered on KSL), and had no problem airing the since canceled syndicated series “The Nate Berkus Show”, even though Berkus is openly gay. For some reason, back when it was a CBS affiliate, KSL would not show David E. Kelley’s “Picket Fences” until late night on Saturdays.
CBS had the good sense to grab NBC’s old Salt Lake City affiliate in 1995; maybe NBC should go looking for another home once its contract affiliation with KSL expires.
The last sentence in the first paragraph of my above post has a word missing. It should read:
Let the ‘free market’ that the GOP (presently headed by LDSer Mitt Romney) trumpets decide the fate of “Normal”.
@JR
Is this a Ryan Murphy show? Plot holes and writing on the wall here they come then!
Glee and AHS are absolute crap (like Popular), whereas Nip/Tuck was the only good show he ever did. When Nip/Tuck was good, it was outstanding, when it was bad, it was ridiculous. However, the first 2 seasons of Nip/Tuck are still some of the best seasons of any show ever. The S2 finale was a masterpiece.
In other news, grass is green and human blood is red. Hopefully this will contribute to a cancellation just like The Playboy Club. And then Justin Bartha won’t have as much in his schedule to get in the way of the very long-overdue National Treasure 3!
***POWER IS EVERYTHING***
***9.17.12***
Again with this B.S
@silvit
Yep, it’s a Ryan Murphy show. I can’t say that I’ve been a big fan or watcher of any of his shows, but with the exception of Popular, they’ve all been fairly successful.
Of course has to be affiliated to NBC.
The station is run by the Mormons, so of course they won’t show it, and that’s perfectly legal. If NBC is willing to stand for it, that’s their problem. (Personally, I think it’s one of those Morm publicity stunts that they pull every few months. They like those snapping camera bulbs and perhaps it soothes some of their constituency.) But frankly, I’m surprised at the strong feelings this program is raising in some posters. I mean I don’t watch BN anymore because I’m tired of the violence. That’s my right. But I could care less if others watch it. That’s not my business, and frankly, it’s not yours if I watch this silly little comedy (which I never was gonna do, but now, maybe I’ll take a peek.) BTW, what century are you living in? Modern Family? Will and Grace?
Why does the Canadian remark rile you up so much? Big deal.
@silvit
every show with a couple and a brat is NOT funny.
AMEN to that, brother. You said it.
“For example, we’re certainly within our rights to prevent all commenting from people above the 49th parallel if we wished. But since most of you are so polite, we’d never think of doing that
”
Bill, that’s very diplomatic. However, is there some way we can stop junk television shows like Rookie Blue and the LA Complex at the border? I swear, there’s more low budget drivel originating in the Great White North every season.
@Tom: Does that mean you would prefer American shows to film only in America? Like, would you want to ban Supernatural, Fringe, and Falling Skies because they film in Vancouver?
But yes, I find that a lot of Canadian shows are crappy, like LA Complex and especially Degrassi.
And don’t Canadians have some “Canadian Content” law that requires TV/radio to play a certain percentage of Canadian-made stuff? I’m surprised they get to play so many of our TV shows up north.
Oh, silly Americans, if you only knew how pathetic the rest of the world thinks you are…
I was thisclose to moving there some time ago but it looks like I backed out at the right moment. Amurrica just keeps getting more and more retarded as the rest of the world advances. How sad.
“Bill, that’s very diplomatic. However, is there some way we can stop junk television shows like Rookie Blue and the LA Complex at the border? I swear, there’s more low budget drivel originating in the Great White North every season.”
My earlier comment had nothing to do with Canadian produced TV shows, only the clown talking about American “censorship”.
@Ricky
don’t Canadians have some “Canadian Content” law that requires TV/radio to play a certain percentage of Canadian-made stuff? I’m surprised they get to play so many of our TV shows up north.
Canada airs so much of American programming because it’s really easy. It doesn’t have to be converted into another language, and it can air simultaneously, so no spoliers. In say, the UK, by the time primetime comes around, it will be 20 hours after the original US airing and can be found online.
Oh, and:
In other news, grass is green and human blood is red
Half the time human blood is blue.
@SJ: Maybe you could have come here, and tried to help us out, in order to prevent us from devolving into an Idiocracy world!
@Nick: True.
But if you bled blue, that wouldn’t be a good thing, would it?
@ Ricky The Canadian content requirement only applies to Canada’s broadcasters. I was referring to Canadian shows being broadcast in the U.S. My point is that I’d like to be rid of the bargain basement feel that seems to pervade too many Canadian productions. You can tell right away that shows like Lost Girl, King, Combat Hospital and Flashpoint are indigenous to Canada by the poor scripts and lousy backgrounds. I’m not sure if Arctic Air or Continuum air in the states, but they’re not far behind. I understand that U.S. production companies film in Vancouver for the tax breaks, but that’s not my point. And, for what it’s worth, the most popular television shows in Canada are American.
“@ Ricky The Canadian content requirement only applies to Canada’s broadcasters. I was referring to Canadian shows being broadcast in the U.S. My point is that I’d like to be rid of the bargain basement feel that seems to pervade too many Canadian productions. You can tell right away that shows like Lost Girl, King, Combat Hospital and Flashpoint are indigenous to Canada by the poor scripts and lousy backgrounds. I’m not sure if Arctic Air or Continuum air in the states, but they’re not far behind. I understand that U.S. production companies film in Vancouver for the tax breaks, but that’s not my point. And, for what it’s worth, the most popular television shows in Canada are American.”
Tom, the US networks buy those shows because they are cheap and their ad revenue during the summer won’t support the cost of US produced scripted shows.
Were they not able to buy cheap scripted shows (wherever they come from), the alternative wouldn’t be US produced scripted shows* it would be repeats or unscripted shows.
*I know CBS has announced that Unforgettable will air during summer 2013. I’ll believe that when I see it.
@Ricky
Maybe if you eat too much blueberries!