The Playboy Club - NBC's Salt Lake City Affiliate Refusing to Air the Show

KSL Television has informed the NBC Network that the station will not carry the program, the Playboy Club, scheduled to begin on NBC in September.

The decision is based on the station's long-term policy to screen programming for material which significant portions of our audience may find objectionable.

KSL President and CEO Mark Willes said, "The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand."

KSL and the network will look for options to allow the show to be seen in this market on another channel.

KSL Programming Director Michelle Torsak said, "Our intent is not to tell people what they can and cannot watch, but rather to share programming with our audience in accordance with our mission."

KSL and the Deseret Media companies are sponsors of the "Out in the Light Campaign," which seeks to educate people on problems associated with viewing sexually explicit material.

The chairwoman of the Utah Coalition Against Pornography -- community activist Pamela Atkinson -- prepared a guest commentary on the issue.

"The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand." -Mark Willes


Source: KSL