Utah TV Station Bans NBC's The New Normal

Photo by Robert Trachtenberg/NBC

According to Entertainment Weekly, Utah’s Mormon-owned KSL-TV is refusing to air the upcoming NBC sitcom The New Normal.

The New Normal is the new comedy from Glee’s Ryan Murphy. The show is centered on a gay couple and the surrogate carrying their baby.

The parent company of KSL-TV, Bonneville International, is owned by the Church of The Latter-day Saints. The CEO of Bonneville International, Jeff Simpson, defended the decision of not running the show in the Salt Lake Tribune. “For our brand, this program feels inappropriate on several dimensions, especially during family viewing time,” said Simpson.

NBC responded to Bonneville International’s decision with their own statement saying, “The New Normal is a contemporary look at how families are defined today, portrayed through a comedic prism. We are confident that the show will find another home in the Salt Lake City market.”

This is not the first time that the local channel has refused to air an NBC show. Last year the station refused to air The Playboy Club, forcing the show to find a home on a different channel. According to the Tribune the The New Normal will air weekends on the independent station KUCW.

The New Normal is scheduled to make its premiere on Sept. 11 on all other NBC channels.

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