Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. (LBI) has agreed to permanently remove its controversial show, “José Luis Sin Censura,” from Estrella TV network’s broadcast schedule.
The move comes after an 18 month-long campaign by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) non-profit advocacy groups, which complained the content of the program fueled violence against gays and at times bordered on being pornographic.
The groups filed a 200-page indecency complaint with the FCC in February of 2011. They also spearheaded an advertising boycott campaign, which prompted AT&T and Time Warner Cable to pull its advertising from the show in June of last year, due to the offensive, obscene and violent content. The campaign included a Change.org petition calling on LBI to take action regarding the show.
Episodes of the show featured audiences chanting profanities, anti-female terms, racial slurs and anti-gay language. It also showed nudity and female guests involved in violent fights and incited guests and audience members to engage in verbal and physical attacks.
LBI’s Chief Operating Officer, Winter Horton, informed NHMC and GLAAD of their decision in a letter, stating yesterday, August 8 was the show’s last day on any and all of its stations or affiliates.
“This is a hard-fought victory for tolerance, inclusion, and decency and it is further proof that programming that degrades or threatens the safety of entire segments of our population has no place in this country. For broadcasters that choose this path, this will always be the outcome. Spreading hatred and bigotry is not a sustainable business model,” said Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC.
Here’s Horton’s entire letter:
Dear Mr. Nogales and Mr. Graddick,
This letter serves to confirm that August 8, 2012 will be the last day Liberman Broadcasting will air the television show “Jose Luis Sin Censura” on any of its stations or affiliate stations. Liberman Broadcasting is pleased to have amicably resolved this matter with the National Hispanic Media Coalition (“NHMC”) and GLAAD and is glad NHMC and GLAAD will no longer discourage companies from advertising with Liberman Broadcasting. Can you please contact those clients with whom you have previously spoken and let them know that Liberman Broadcasting is no longer airing any programming that GLAAD or NHMC finds objectionable. We are confident that we can build upon this experience and work together to create positive experiences for the LGBT, Latino and Spanish-speaking communities.
Very truly yours,
Winter W. Horton
Chief Operating Officer Liberman Broadcasting, Inc.