The show "Osbournes Reloaded" will NOT air locally on WXIX-TV/DT 19 tonight after American Idol, due to objections from FOX19 and Raycom officials over the content.
According to Kiese's item:
Fox says the seven Raycom stations are the only ones pulling the plug on the Osbourne family, made famous by their MTV reality show (2002-05). From what I can tell, it's the first time a local station here has not run a network show since Ch 9 and ABC affiliates balked at airing Oscar-winner "Saving Private Ryan" in 2004 due to its coarse language, to prompt clarity on language issues from the FCC. In the 1990s, Ch 5 would refuse to air some "Jerry Springer" shows because of potentially offensive content. In the 1970s, CBS' "Cher" didn't air here because the Ch 9 manager thought her costumes were too revealing.
Kiese goes on to cite two officials at FOX19:
Says Rick Oliver, Fox 19 operations director about the bleeping Little Osbournes: "I just don't think it's right for kids to see that." Says his boss, GM Bill Lanesey: "Some people might find humor in that, but I don't. This one just doesn't feel right."
WXIX will air the 10:00 news immediately following Idol tonight, then at 10:30 will air a special report, called "Surviving Severe Weather" hosted by Chief Meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer. That special report will talk about severe thunderstorms and the tools used in predicting them.
You can be sure that Your Tri-State Media Watcher will be recording that program to watch late tonight.
By the way, if you live in Dayton's TV coverage area, you'll still see the Osbournes...it will be on WRGT-TV/DT 45.
9 comments:
Not that I care one little bit for the Osbornes, and frankly I wouldn't even watch the show if it aired, but I don't like anyone who tries to force their morals on people. Frankly, if your network wants to air this, air it. It is not your responsibility to be my filter. Now, if they were pulling the show because they couldn't sell any advertising for it, or because the ratings were horrible, well thats a business decision and thats their right as a business. But because they are admitting they aren't airing this because they think they should control our moral values is insulting and hypocritical.
Aggrazel:
While I do agree that it's not anyone's responsibility but our own to act as our filter, I think there may be more to it than trying to filter what we watch. You're right - FOX19 has to fill a certain amount of local ad spots per hour. And some of those advertisers target families...and likely would not want to be associated with that program. Thus, FOX19 nipped it in the bud early.
WXIX is no longer alone in dumping this Osbournes show -- now a station in Florida is joining them.
www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2009/03/31/daily.8/
Fox Affil Refuses to Air 'Osbournes'
Associated Press, Mar 31 2009, 5:40 PM ET
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — A television station in the Florida Panhandle is not going to air a new variety show hosted by Ozzy Osbourne and his family because it contains profanity and adult content. The head of Panama City Fox affiliate WPGX says he watched a six-minute preview of "Osbournes: Reloaded" and found that the time slot for the show makes him uncomfortable.
The show is set to debut Tuesday at 8:20 p.m. CDT. The offbeat time is intended to keep viewers of top-rated "American Idol" watching the show.
WPGX General Manager David Cavileer says he would have aired the Osbournes show later in the evening. Instead, he'll air "The Simpsons" during the earlier time slot.
A Fox Broadcasting Co. spokesman says any affiliate can pre-empt a program it deems inappropriate for its market.
Correct Rich. In this case, WXIX and 6 other Raycom FOX stations have deemed it inappropriate.
Ah, right you are, Jeremy -- I hadn't looked into their ownership to see if they were also a Raycom station. I assumed (wrongly) that this article was announcing a new station besides those already known.
Yes, yes, I know -- never make assumptions -- and we all know why...
FYI for those wondering, WXIX and WPGX share common ownership...Raycom Media owns both stations, as well as the five others not airing the program. WRGT-TV 45 is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns WKEF-TV 22 in Dayton also, as well as WSTR-TV 64. Needless to say, if Cincinnati and Dayton's markets ever were combined, Sinclair would be in serious violation of FCC rules. But then again...Only one of each network affiliate would likely remain, anyway.
I was looking forward to watching Osbournes Reloaded after American Idol went off tonight. But the guy came on and said that it would not be shown because of the kids that might be watching. I would like to know how you think that Family guy which is on at 9:30 just like Osbournes Reloaded was supposed to be on. How is Family guy which talks about masturbation, sex ,sex between a human and a dog is appropriate for children. The thing I am getting at is how could you play one in the same time slot as the other? If people didn't want their children to watch then they should change the channel. Thank you.
CLS: Again, as Aggrazel points out above, the parents do have the responsibility to send children out of the room in these situations. But again...I pointed out that it may have been more of a "If you show this program, we can't advertise during it" situation for WXIX and the other 7 Raycom stations, than the content itself. The content might have been why advertisers didn't want to advertise during that half hour. WXIX made, in my mind, the business decision, and pulled the plug.
There haven't been any mentions of upset advertisers in any of the articles I read. I think it was a "morals" thing because it was Raycom's decision. If it was solely WXIX's decision, I could see it being an advertising issue.
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