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.
How about we take this to the next level?
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mike
In reality, NBC can do whatever it wants here. They have a lovely stable of flesh-eating attorneys just itching for the chance to shred some affiliate.
Every affiliate contract contains broadcast standards and ethics clause, and should NBC choose to, it can end the relationship immediately using these clauses. Sure, NBC might be in the wrong, contractually, and a big lawsuit might ensue, but it’s unlikely a network affiliate could win such a suit prior to being bankrupted by the suit and pull-out of advertisers.
Scott Rose
It certainly would be appropriate for NBC to state official opposition to and repugnance over the segment that KETK aired. Also appropriate would be a commitment from NBC to examine in-depth, on air, and soon, nationwide, the nature of the hate propaganda exhibited in the segment. While the broadcasters showed President Obama delivering his “It gets better” message, they did not air the words he spoke in it. In his message, Obama spoke about acceptance, inclusion and love of gay human beings. As we know, his catalyst to doing so was a series of youth suicides. So what does it mean that KETK used images of Obama making that address in their anti-gay segment? Are they hoping more gay youths will kill themselves? Do they believe Obama was wrong to make that video? What are the statistics for gay youth suicide in Tyler, Texas, anyway? This is the moment for the nation to take an in-depth, hard look at exactly what is going on in that city.
JWOWW
At least some of the callers stood up for the gays.
Scott Rose
The way the KETK personnel handled callers’ remarks is only a further indictment of the personnel. One woman said “What we need to do is stop the hate.” It was as though she had not said those words. The announcers did not say “Hmm. Let’s talk more about stopping the hate.” Instead, they hung up on that woman, and then, when a caller opined that acceptance of gays is indeed leading to the downfall of America, the announcers engaged in back and forth with that caller, developing the theme that acceptance of gays is dangerous, that Obama’s policies of acceptance must be rejected, et cetera.
chris
Religion is like having a penis. Its fine to have one, its fine to be proud of one, but please dont whip it out in public and start waving it around AND please don’t shove it down everyones throat…unless consented of course 😉
WillBFair
I’d love to see this debated nationally, with one of our historians giving a long list of contributions we have made over the centuries. Logic and democracy spring to mind, not to mention the shaved head look for balding men. You’re welcome.
We’re bringing the fall of America? Please. The idea is wack. This country profits from us massively, taxes us unfairly for the public schools, denies us spousal benefits, and scoops up everything of ours that’s not nailed down without returning a dime.
Luc Gendrot
I don’t think the letter is grammatically incorrect…
It begins by saying “we are shocked…” and then comes the part where it says “as president…we demand that” the we is not referring to the president, but to the group doing the demanding. It makes perfect sense.
Anyway.
I saw that video this morning and I was taken aback, combined with the Facebook postings of the Arkansas school board official, it seems that the rash of (publicized) gay suicides is causing a sort of backlash among the conservative community.
Perhaps this conservative backlash will serve to highlight the bigotry, intolerance and hate that isn’t publicized nearly enough.
mda4791
I think we should give Texas back to Mexico
KETK is homophobic
I have seen the clip and signed the petition. It’s all over Facebook, thankfully. Aside from the callers who express their hate (but their Christianity!), the three “broadcasters” who tsked-tsked their way through the clip are homophobic and would be off the air if it were up to me. The far right so badly wants to roll the clock back to the 1950s, maybe even the 1930s. ‘Blacks, gays, women, Mexicans, anyone different – know your place. We white Christian folk have got this under control.’ Gay hating and hating of all kinds is bigotry on many levels. Listen to the callers! Hicks, all of them. We’re a big country with a lot of idiots in it. It just so happens many of them call Texas home. Sign me, a straight female who knows gays are people too.