View this newspaper clipping for FREE!
Start 7-Day trial. Get unlimited access to millions of newspaper pages
Start Free Trial NowTitle: Ch. 24 hangs tough on its decision to drop 'NYPD Blue'
Description: WNWO
HIRES Magic Ch. 24 hangs tough on its decision to drop ‘NYPD Blue’ Citing "overwhelming support” from Toledo viewers, Brett Corn- well, vice president and general manager of WNWO, Channel 24, remains determined to preempt the controversial new ABC series, NYPD Blue. The Steven Bochco-created series that makes its debut at 10 tonight will be missing from some 40 sta tions around the country, including Channel 24. Both Detroit’s WXYZ, Channel 7, and Cleveland’s WEWS, Channel 5, will carry the series Originally, the preemption was just for the pilot episode, but Corn- well said he has viewed episodes two and three and has decided to drop the series until further notice. NYPD Blue centers around the life of a crusty New York City cop and contains rough language, ob scene gestures, and partial nudity. Controversy has dogged the pro gram since it was shown to affiliate heads several months ago in Los Angeles, and it will contain a paren tal warning tonight. Last month, some 15 affiliates had decided not to run the program and now, Cornwell said, the number is about 40. Most are rural markets, however the Dallas/Fort Worth af filiate recently joined the boycott. Cornwell said the second episode was worse than the first. "There was more profanity and more nudi ty, 1 think. Number three backed off substantially, and if I had seen num ber three without seeing one and two, and if ABC would assure me that number three would be abso lutely as bad as it would get, I would probably run it and label the heck out of it with disclaimers for par ents. As it is, I’m not going to run any of them ABC isn’t going to make anybody assurances like that. I think that perhaps ABC got Bochco to soften up that third episode to try to push affiliates that were on the fence over in their favor ” He added that the reaction to his decision has been overwhelmingly positive. ‘Tve got a drawer full of letters and petitions on this subject. I’ve been in broadcasting almost 20 years now, and I’ve never seen any thing elicit this kind of public re sponse," he said. "I really think the public is saying: please be careful what you are putting in our living rooms." Not all the reaction was support ive. “I should say we received a hand ful of letters, maybe five or six, that have criticized the decision and call it censorship.” Cornwell disputes this contention. "I think censorship would be if I said this product shouldn’t exist, you shouldn’t consume this product, ter rible, strike it of the face of the earth. We’re not saying that. We’re saying it isn’t appropriate for this method of distribution. If you want to watch stuff that’s a little stronger than we want to broadcast, you’re welcome to it. Get it from cable, get it from video stores, get if from other broadcasters who don’t feel the way we do. We’re not saying it’s wrong and you shouldn’t have it, we’re just saying we don’t want to broadcast it and that’s a business decision we make." Business-wise, Channel 24 proba bly won’t get hit too hard in the pocketbook by eschewing the series. It will not receive compensation from the network for that particular program. However, by running something competitive in the place of NYPD Blue, the station will get all the ad revenue, so odds are that it probably will break about even The problem right now is just what to fill the space with. Cornwell says he is on the brink of a deal to obtain the miniseries Winds of War, which comes in 10 one-hour segments, but that won’t be concluded in time to begin to night. Therefore, Cornwell said, for tonight only, the station will run an episode of Renegade, a syndicated series that it has been broadcasting at 11.30 p.m. Saturdays Hauman’s
egg_and_dart
Clipped 27 days ago
- Blade
- Toledo, Ohio
- Sep, 21 1993 - Page 29