Bonneville NBC outlet KSL-TV Salt Lake City has declined to run NBC Television Networks fall offering “The Playboy Club,” but it will be available at its regularly scheduled time nonetheless, thanks to a My Network TV outlet owned by Four Points Media and operated by Nexstar.
The station that will carry the program Mondays at 9PM Mountain will be KMYU-TV, which is actually a digital side channel of CBS KUTV. The actual KMYU is licensed to St. George clear down on Utah’s southern state line.
According to TV Guide, KMYU VP/GM Steve Carlston stated, “We respect the position of KSL and are pleased that KMYU can provide a home for The Playboy Club. This highly anticipated crime drama will now have the opportunity to be seen by the viewers throughout (the Salt Lake City market).”
TV Guide notes that KSL also refuses to air “Saturday Night Live,” and says that it is carried locally on CW KUCW.
RBR-TVBR observation: Freedom finds a way – while we respect Bonneville’s decision to honor its own values and what it believes to be the values of its viewers, we also think that ultimately the decision on whether or not to watch this program belongs to the citizens. Now people in Salt Lake City can vote on this program with their channel controllers.
And on the plus side for the indecency watchdogs, if the program does happen to go over the line, there may well be a large constituency in SLC that will join in protesting the program to the FCC.
We suspect any watchdogs lying in wait for a decency lapse on this program will be wasting their time. If ever a prime time show came with pre-screening red flags, this is it, and they will likely take extra special precautions to make sure the content adheres to the letter of the law.
