No Saturday Night Live last night (1 Viewer)

[streeter]

Last night, several NBC affiliates refused to air the live episode of SNL hosted by Al Sharpton. NBC lawyers certified that it could be broadcasted nationally without breaking equal time rules, but some affiliates showed infomercials, Cheers reruns or The Best of Steve Martin instead.

The next morning, Sharpton was on CBS This Morning. That was broadcasted nationally...

I was really disappointed by this. I'm a big SNL fan, and I haven't missed a show in over 8 years.

If you lived in one of the cities where it wasn't shown, call or e-mail your NBC affiliate and complain.

I was really looking forward to this episode because Tracy Morgan was supposed to return. Anyone else see it?

 

[Edward Mann]

Thanks for posting this, I was scatching my head this morning while watching the best of Steve Martin. I wonder how many affiliates actually showed the new episode?

 

[Jacinto]

My wife and I watched the first three skits and then went to bed. I hadn't heard anything about this. What was the stink over?

 

[Patrick Sun]

As I was channel-surfing, I saw a small tidbit of SNL, and it was during a skit that featured Sharpton, and Tracy, so I assumed it was a repeat and kept on surfing to get to Sportscenter on ESPN.

 

[Patrick_S]

They showed it in the Bay Area.

I was channel surfing and caught the skit about Michael Jackson on the roller coaster, it was pretty funny.

It would be interesting to see a list of the stations that refused to air the episode.

 

[ChrisMatson]

It was not shown here in Iowa. As the first caucas in the nation (January 19th) and in the middle of the heated campaigns, the four indidual NBC affiliates in Iowa decided not to run the program. As I understand it, equal time laws require broadcasters (including radio--a similar hiccup occured on the Howard Stern show some weeks ago) to give air time to all serious candidates if they give air time to one. News programs are exceptions. I believe the Howard Stern fiasco was resolved when it was determined that his show qualified as a "news show."

Here is an article from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/1....ap/index.html



BONUS:
Here is a link explaining the news exemption and Howard Stern:
http://www.techlawjournal.com/topsto...3/20030909.asp

 

[Francois Caron]

The Canadian channels were showing last night's live broadcast while the Boston affiliate on ExpressVu was broadcasting the Best of Steve Martin.

I actually watched most of the Steve Martin special with a quick jump to the Weekend Update segment on the live broadcast.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

wish they would have showed this episode everywhere and allowed the other Democratic candidates to also come on SNL if they wanted equal time.

 

[ThomasC]

They talked about this in the opening skit and on Weekend Update, where Tina and Jimmy made fun of the cities that didn't show it.

I taped it, I've got a video capture card...PM

 

[Jodee]

I loved the skit that showed the other candidates all hanging out watching the show together. John Kerry took off his coat, and his shirt sleeves were already rolled up underneath.

And John Edwards was portrayed as an quasi-efeminate ass-kisser trying to secure a VP nomination. Funny stuff.

I was expecting one of the black male SNL-ers to dress up as Carol Moseley Braun, though. Too bad they ran out of white guys, no one did Kucinich. They should have had Amy Poehler play him.

 

[Rocky F]

We got it in Little Rock, (hometown of Wesley Clark) and I thought it was one of the funnier episodes lately. I also really enjoyed Jimmy and Tina making fun of the cities that didn't air it.

 

[Lee Jamilkowski]

And gotta love Don Pardo's little announcement at the end of that section of the Weekend Update segment. Of course, after that, the highlight of Weekend Update was Jimmy Fallon interviewing Paris Hilton. Don't we all wish we could ask her those questions?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I thought it was a pretty unfunny episode, but there were a few highlights. The Magi being pulled over on their camels for driving while black was hilarious. Update was pretty good. Sharpton was game, but the writers let him down.

The Democratic Candidates had a few amusing characterizations, but the sketch was pretty soft, overall.

Regards,

 

[Chris]

States and cities where it was perceived as having an impact on early primaries (Iowa, Conneticut) dropped coverage. Wasn't because of negativity toward Sharpton. The law says that if he gets 1 1/2 hour time from the station, the station must provide equal time to his opposing candidates in the primaries.. no station wants to give up 12 hours at this point to other candidates free of charge to air a single ep of SNL. Lobby groups for those candidates were successful in areas where they were able to contend campaigning had already begun in that state and fair access laws applied.

 

[Malcolm R]

It wasn't shown here in Vermont/northern NY either. Probably at the request of Howard Dean...putz.

 

[Chris]

Probably because those overlap into Connecticut, where campaigning has officially begun

 

[Malcolm R]

Doubtful, since the state of Massachusetts lies between VT and CT.

More likely it was in deference to NH, part of which is within the broadcast area of one of the NBC affiliates.

 

[Nick Graham]

I wondered why flipping by NBC I saw an old Steve Martin skits.....I just now realized that one of the NBC affiliates we get is based in Joplin, MO, and the other is in KC, MO.

 

[Chris]

KC, MO blacked out because of Iowa. They noted this earlier. Correct on the NH reference, my brain wasn't working this morning

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I'm surprised any of Iowa is in range of Kansas City. it's more than 100 miles from the border. Unless they have relays farther north, but still, that part of Iowa is more or less unpopulated.