Censorship is alive and well in Utah. KSL, Utah’s NBC affiliate, isn’t going to carry The Tonight Show tonight, calling one of the segments “inappropriate and something I’m not comfortable with having on KSL-TV.”
This will be the third time in less than a week that KSL has decided not to air something, though this is the first time (this week) they’ve simply censored a show. Friday, they aired a BYU football game in place of Law and Order: SVU, and Sunday they showed LDS general conference instead of the NASCAR race. KUWB carried the race, thankfully, but I still missed SVU. They’re also trying to work Leno into their lineup tonight, which I probably wouldn’t normally watch, but I’m certainly going to catch it tonight and see just how “racy” it gets, and how paranoid KSL is.
Leno talked about ths last night. The guest is Puppetry of the Penis. Don’t ask me who they are, because I have no clue.
Ok, I guess you already know that. 🙂 Didn’t read the article before I wrote that.
I am sorry, but I am really glad I don’t live where you do. I don’t think I could stand it. People have the choice to turn off their TV. They do not have to watch it!
Yeah, that’s the way I feel about it too. KSL is owned by the Mormon church, so rather than forcing the entire state to live by their belief system by not showing Leno, they should simply pass along the message during church on Sunday not to watch Leno.
I’d think that choosing not to watch something objectionable would be preferable to not being given the choice in the first place. I guess the church can’t allow its sheep to stray too far now, can it?
I love this shit. One of the major beliefs in the LDS religion is free agency, yah know, freedom to make our own choices and accept the consequences. They can’t push that idea enough. And yet, they are choosing for us.
So was it on KUWB? I didn’t even hear about this till it was way too late.. (till I saw some crap like Suddenly Susan where Leno should have been on my PVR)…
Actually i don’t even know if I get KUWB. Heh…
I got so busy watching Junkyard Wars, I never did check to see if Leno was on the WB. As of about 9:30 last night, though, KSL said NBC hadn’t yet found somewhere to air it.
Leno said that the WB aired it. He was also making some jokes about NBC not airing it.
censor:
-“to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable”,
Not
-“cator you programming to the audience who buys the products advertised on your network.”
In Utah, exchanging BYU football for the tired Law and Order series and Conference for NASCAR is called “good business”.
Is it weak? You decide. But it isn’t censorship.
I think you mis-read what I said:
“This will be the third time in less than a week that KSL has decided not to air something, though this is the first time (this week) they’ve simply censored a show.”
As you can see, I said they “decided not to air” the first two shows. The censorship of Leno was the first time they’d censored anything this week, but the third time they’ve chosen not to air something. BTW, they haven’t aired Saturday Night Live for years, hence my wording about it being the first time this week.
If you are so angry at Utah, why don’t you move? Maybe I am missing something here, please tell me if I am.
If you really think it’s reasonable for somebody to pack up and move to another state because of a tv show, then you’ve got some seriously fucked up priorities. Things like this happen everywhere, not just in Utah, and the logical thing to do is change those things, rather than seek refuge from them. Luckily, somebody with the resources to do so has taken a big step in the right direction.
I understand, but I am not just talking about the Leno show. I am talking about all of the things you mention on this web site about how religion has a more powerful voice than logic in Utah. But I am glad to hear that it is still possible to change things in the theocracy you seem to live in.
Most of the things I bitch about here don’t really affect me that much, but they’re just so wrong that it’s hard to believe things like this even go on in this country. Luckily, the county I live in has the second-lowest concentration of Mormons in the state, so the church can’t get away with being too pushy, because there are too many people who would complain.
blah blah blah blah.
I come from a family that can teach you this, if nothing else: just because somebody thinks something does not make it right or wrong. Each of us has our own opinion, but it is an opinion, nothing more.
As a side note, I agree with Jason about moving since everything sucks, but that would suck if you moved too.
Jaysen, you’re making my point for me. People have their opinions, and they also have free will. If it’s your opinion that The Tonight Show is offensive, then don’t watch. Nobody will question your opinion, but at least other peoples’ opinions won’t be trounced upon, which is exactly what happened when KSL pulled Leno.
Just because I’m in the religious minority in this state doesn’t mean that I should move due to the overbearance of the majority. Don’t forget that this state is part of a bigger whole, and the rights that this nation provides don’t end at the Utah border.
Hi Dennis,
I’ve come across your web site a couple of times and have seen your gripes about KSL not airing shows that they found inappropriate. I thought I’d give you my perspective and see if it gives you something to think about.
You (and many people who’ve commented on your blog) say that KSL should just stay out of the way and air the shows. I’d say that you’re looking at the TV station as being similar to a network router – its function is to take whatever comes in one end and send it out the other end. Period. By that model, I can see why you feel the way you do about the times that the station doesn’t behave that way.
However, I don’t think that’s the right model. KSL and all other TV stations are companies. They’re a team of people. The owners are people. The program schedulers, news anchors, etc. are all people. Think of the owners of a little restaurant on the corner. They’re going to make their own choices about all aspects of the look and feel of their menu, decor, window displays and so forth because it’s a reflection on them and because it’s their creation and they want it to be what they want it to be. That’s what constitutionally protected freedom is all about.
It may be hard to remember it sometimes, but that’s exactly how KSL is, too. They’re not a mindless router. They are a group of people who created and own their company and they want to put the face on it that they want to. That’s freedom of speech.
Likewise, think of your web site. Although you have a forum where people can type whatever they want and maybe it will be posted, it’s still your site. You make it look like and say what you want it to. You certainly wouldn’t let it be hijacked and used to promote something that you’re opposed to. What if someone started spamming a bunch of neo-Nazi hate propaganda in your forum? Would you feel obligated to post it all to preserve their free speech? Of course not! This is your site. You’re responsible to make it meet your standards and be a true reflection of you.
It’s the same for KSL.
Sincerely,
David McAllister
You’re correct, I didn’t realize how KSL (or any other TV station) functions (as far as relaying network television shows), though I do realize that they must cater not only to their audience, but to their sponsors as well.
However, I think that by not airing something that the entire rest of the country was able to see through their local networks, KSL did a disservice to Utah. This state is often the laughing stock of the nation in some respects, and when things like this happen, it just becomes worse.
I’ve always allowed comments on my website that are contrary to my beliefs and opinions–the only thing I don’t allow is commercial spam/advertising. This has always fostered discussion, rather than stifled one side’s opinions (which I am certainly in a position to do, though I choose not to).
While I can appreciate why KSL has chosen not to air material they consider objectionable, and I agree that they have every right to make that decision, I simply disagree with their refusal to allow viewers to make that decision for themselves.