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PEOPLE & ARTSMonday 10 August 2015

Reelz says Miss USA Pageant belongs on a broadcast network

ALICIA RANCILIO er than 1 million people Miss CEO REELZ Channel Stan E. Hubbard, right, speaks during a press conference prior to the
Associated Press watched, down from 5.6 2015 Miss USA pageant in Baton Rouge, La., Sunday, July 12, 2015.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — million viewers on NBC in
Stan E. Hubbard, the CEO 2014. Associated Press
of Reelz, says the network While Hubbard acknowl-
is “darn proud” of airing edged “we didn’t do were not trying to help to air “The Kennedys” mini- up and make some of
the Miss USA Pageant but it NBC numbers,” the rat- Trump whose comments he series when History decid- those tough decisions even
was likely a one-time thing. ings worked for the family- described as “terrible” and ed against it. in a politically charged at-
Reelz agreed to air the owned, independent Reelz “ridiculous.” We’re “a network that’s mosphere when they pop
event after NBC and Univi- channel because it provid- In 2011, Reelz swooped in able and willing to stand up,” Hubbard said.q
sion dropped out because ed an introduction to new
of pageant co-owner Don- viewers and advertisers.
ald Trump’s remarks about Hubbard said they con-
immigrants as he launched nected with “about 700
his presidential campaign. agencies” to ask about
“They belong on a broad- advertising for the pageant
cast network,” Hubbard and “almost universally we
told journalists Sunday. “I were told, ‘We love what
do believe that there prob- you’re doing, we’re glad
ably has to be an owner- that you’re doing it, but we
ship change in the orga- can’t.’”
nization. For my two cents The CEO reiterated that
I don’t see Trump going the reason Reelz decided
away easily for NBC. I don’t to pick up the Miss USA
know how it’s going to play Pageant was for the wom-
out. I don’t have a dog in en competing, the city of
the fight. Our agreement Baton Rouge which had
for the organization and “rolled out the red carpet”
the pageant was for one for the event and its long-
event,” he said. time fans.
Nielsen company said few- Hubbard stressed they