corporate agreements

Will NBC Cut Off Texas Affiliate KETK For Suggesting Gays Are Bringing The Fall Of America? Doubtful

And so begins the call for NBC Universal to cut off its affiliation with KETK, the Tyler, Texas, local channel that welcomed KTBB radio host Garth Maier on the program to discuss whether appointing gays in the Obama administration demonstrated the “fall of this country.”

“Dear Mr. Zucker and Mr. Burke,” begins a form letter the Courage Campaign is asking petitioners to write. “We are shocked by the segment aired on KETK-NBC in Texas in which the anchors asked viewers if the acceptance of gays would lead to the ‘downfall of America.’ As President of NBC Universal, we demand that you take action now to end your affiliate relationship with KETK immediately.”

Nevermind the Courage Campaign is asking supporters to send the executives of a multi-billion dollar company a grammatically incorrect letter (“As the President of NBC Universal, we demand”?), but NBC cannot simply flip a switch to end its affiliate relationship. Generally these deals are signed years in advance and last for years at a time. Any breach of the contract — say, NBC refusing to make available its news programming — would mean NBC Universal would find itself in court just as it’s trying to sell itself to Comcast.

So the Courage Campaign says NBC should “take action now to end” the relationship. Which is reasonable. Except Jeff Zucker is on his way out, and I doubt he’s going to use his last few weeks in the executive suite to piss off the new buyers.

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