Owner of Macon, Georgia ABC station says the network has a "liberal agenda"

[Scotty]

Changes ahead for Macon ABC affiliate

Mike Stucka - [email protected]

"FlashForward" two months, and the viewers of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives" may be "Lost" after the ABC television network shifts its affiliation to a new station in Macon.WPGA will become independent, while FOX 24 will add ABC programming on a new channel beginning Jan. 1. Keith True, who manages the WGXA FOX 24 station, said the new ABC channel would be sent over the air and also on cable and satellite.

"The opportunity to be associated with ABC's strong entertainment, news and sports programming provides a great service to our community along with the addition of local news on the new station," True said in a statement.

It was unclear Thursday whether the additional local news would be similar to the news on the FOX affiliate or whether it would be a separate broadcast.

Lowell Register, the president of WPGA, said his family-owned station had been discouraged by risque soap operas, as well as sex and violence across its shows. He declined to give specifics, but he said he didn't want to turn his station over to ABC's liberal agenda that doesn't mesh with a family-friendly station.

"I had somebody tell me they're running a good bit of gay and lesbian stuff on it. That's really just in-your-face, so to speak, and I'm not sure that's appropriate. That's happening in prime time," he said. "I'm not really happy with it."

Register said he would build his programming from syndicated material and other networks such as Retro TV. The Retro Television Network includes shows such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Quincy, M.E." and "Dragnet."

Register said he'd be keeping " 'Ellen,' Martha Stewart,' 'Judge Mathis,' 'People's Court' — all the programming that people already see during the day, other than the soaps and this pretty rough prime-time programming we won't be running."

Those shows he's holding onto are syndicated and do not come through ABC.

Lynn Murphey, a vice president at the Cox Communications cable company, said Thursday the company was just learning of the changes. She said Cox will determine how to carry the channels in the two months before the switch.

In other words, there has been no decision about what will happen with WPGA's prized Channel 6 location on local cable boxes. Register said he didn't think his location would change.

Register said he's been arguing for years with ABC's president over the nature of its programming. Register said this year, instead of ABC offering WPGA a small amount of money to carry ABC's show, ABC demanded that it be paid instead.

ABC requires most of its shows to be broadcast and restricts how shows can be aired or interrupted. Register said that was a tough complication: He won't be able to break into one of his shows with results from next Tuesday's local elections. Losing the ABC affiliation adds flexibility.

"We feel there's a lot of good syndicated and other network programming out there, and we just don't have to put ABC on it," Register said. "We may be making a big mistake, but we don't think so."

WPGA has a heavy reliance on ABC programming. Today's broadcast, for example, includes 13 1/2 hours of ABC programming, including "Good Morning America," "General Hospital" and "Ugly Betty."

Register said he plans to televise the three hours of "Your Morning Mix with Charles E and Kenny B." Currently, it airs on radio for three hours, but only one hour is televised.

Register said his station is still researching its options for the primetime lineup and other spots.

"There's just too many positive things for us to continue with ABC," he said. "Hopefully we can do better things than they do, especially with the Macon market."

Telegraph staff writer Phillip Ramati contributed to this report. To contact writer Mike Stucka, call 744-4251.

Link: http://www.macon.com...ory/898170.html

[bellcurve]

So, the tame gay content in daytime and primetime are a problem, but he'll continue to keep syndie fare like Ellen(who is openly gay), Martha(who, let's face it, is also openly gay), and the People's Court, which is bound to have some sort of flamboyant guy suing his boyfriend case at least once a week. What kind of sense does that make? Watch him sell that affiliate in a few years when syndie companies want their programming on a profitable affiliate and he's not making a dime from it. We have an RTN affiliate in my town and it sucks balls.

ALSO...

Since when has ABC ever pushed a "liberal agenda"? Hello, has he ever seen their news division? Chris Cuomo is dripping neo-con blood from his fangs and Chuck Gibson threw softballs at Sarah Palin. That doesn't sound like a liberal agenda to me.

Sounds like this guy is a nutjob.

[DRW50]

ABC also had "Path to 9/11", and has "V", which conservatives are effectively spinning as being about the dangers of Obama.

It's sad that a handful of shows which have gay characters, and an even smaller amount which have gay men who are allowed to kiss or be affectionate with each other, are so appalling that an affiliate dumps them.

I hope this won't have a chilling effect on gay portrayals, as it's already not exactly that bold on network or cable as it is.

[Max]

While I'm not going to generalize to the network as a whole, there is no denying that the Nixon soaps--AMC & OLTL--have displayed a liberal bias from day one. (Whereas the CBS & NBC soaps have usually avoided getting involved with social and political issues.)

ABC's news division, on the other hand, is the least liberal of the "Big 3" networks. I feel that Charles Gibson does a good job towards maintaining objectivity (even though I suspect that his personal political views are liberal).

[Scotty]

This is my favorite quote from the article: "I had somebody tell me they're running a good bit of gay and lesbian stuff on it. That's really just in-your-face, so to speak, and I'm not sure that's appropriate. That's happening in prime time," he said. "I'm not really happy with it."

[All My Shadows]

This guy is nuts, but I wish we had an RTN affiliate. They show all the good old [!@#$%^&*].

[You're Soaking in it]

Not to stray too off-topic, but I know exactly what you're talking about - and I really hate the contrived spin these conservative nutjobs are making about V.

I've watched it - and love it. I concede that its premise includes the idea of people's admiration for the "Visitors" (the aliens) turning into outright worship. To me, that makes for great storyline. It was also part of the original, 1980's "V" story concept. Were the writers from that version - one of which works on the 2009 edition - trying to warn us about Obama back then?

To my knowledge, Obama isn't from outer-space (contrary to what some of those nuckleheads might assert), and I don't see mobs of people attending weekly masses of devotion for the President. As it stands, one would have to possess a certain level of lunacy to truly believe the show was taking aim at Obama.

I would say even more lunacy than this Georgia TV-station honcho has. I bet the alien-content probably bothers him, too!

[soapfan770]

Wanna know something hilarious? Check out they're schedule:

http://wpga58.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1930:new-schedule&catid=41:front-page-rotators

Yes, they're going to be running Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives syndicated reruns as well as Ellen. Clearly this man is a hypocrite, and obviously was looking for a cheaper route and still use ABC shows to generate his money. Like a true cold-heartless power player...

[bellcurve]

You'll love this...apparently COX Communications is not their friend in the digital age.

COX is dropping WPGA from the lineup and is adding the ABC sub channel that the FOX affiliate has created and developed for them. Without the cable viewership, that station is dead.

He should have just bit the bullet.

[alphanguy74]

HAHA... that's sweet. I'm a big advocate of Over The Air, but even I know that 20 percent of the public's eyes do not a TV station make.

[Saving ATWT]

I like ABC Network's bias; however, this guy is right when he calls them liberal. In the deep south, the Bible Belt, people really do think and act like this guy. I'm sure this all has something to do with money BUT this guy is also trying to push an agenda of his own. He is probably the most popular guy at his church! I'll also bet that he is a closet case! This guy sounds like a repressed gay so his wife should really keep an extra eye on him 'cause I bet he's sucking **** on the side!