On Tuesday, February 24, 2004, CleanTV founder Steve DeVore and his brother Dr. Greggory DeVore met with KSL President Bruce Christensen and his boss Bruce Reese, President of Bonneville International.

The Participants
Steve DeVore Founder, CleanTV	Bruce Reese,President, Bonneville	Bruce Christensen, President, KSL

DeVore requested the meeting to ask why KSL continues to run salacious NBC programming. (To learn how bad KSL's programming really is, read the "KSL Raunch Report")

At the end of the meeting, DeVore asked Christensen's permission to quote KSL's official position ("If you don't like it, turn it off") to CleanTV members. Christensen agreed. Below is Reese's and Christensen's rational. We call it the "Reese-Christensen Doctrine."

The Reese-Christensen Doctrine
Since 1996 KSL has been an independent commercial business with minimal oversight (a short phone call once a month) with its owner, the LDS Church.

KSL's mission is to establish and maintain a community voice through its news division. KSL is not motivated by ratings for money but ratings for building a large news viewership in order to have this voice.

The NBC relationship is valued and vitally important to KSL's mission. Without NBC programming, ratings would fall and KSL would lose its community voice.

KSL advertises its news on NBC's programming in order to attract viewers from these programs into the news. NBC's programs are vital to increasing KSL's news ratings.

KSL's position, according to Bruce Reese, is that television programming reflects the morals and values of the community and KSL is only giving the community what it wants.

According to Reese, KSL research shows that the primary viewers of NBC's salacious programming are members of the LDS Church. Research also shows, explained Reese, that the more salacious the programming, the more LDS viewers are attracted to NBC's programming.

Christensen provided an example. KSL recently added "Ellen," a non-NBC program, to its afternoon line-up. Ellen is hosted by Ellen Degeneres who Time Magazine recently identified as America's lesbian icon. When asked if Christensen thought the program was inappropriate for KSL to run, Christensen said it was "funny." More importantly, he said, it increased KSL's news rating by two ratings points.

Do the Means Justify the End?
So, in KSL's perspective, the means justify the end. In order to maintain a voice in the community it uses the most salacious programming on commercial broadcast television to attract viewers. (Read the KSL Raunch Report to see how grossly indecent KSL's programming really is.) Without NBC's programming, according to Christensen and Reese, KSL would lose its community voice.

Asked three times if he thought the NBC programming was immoral, Christensen said, "If you don't like it turn it off. Tell your people, if they don't like it, turn it off. Tell the people of Utah if they don't like it turn it off. That is KSL's official position!" Thus, "The Reese-Christensen Doctrine."

Analysis
We find the "Reese-Christensen Doctrine" indefensible and twisted. If we are going to persuade positive change in broadcast media, KSL has to be the first to change.

In discussions with Utah's other television station's management, they told us that as long as KSL airs its salacious fare, they will not change. They said that as the local ratings leader, KSL sets the community standard of program decency.

"Why should we change and lose more ratings to KSL," they ask.

KSL is the Stumbling Block for National Change as Well as the Hope
In fact, they claim it is KSL that raises the bar of indecency. If offensive programming sells, then the other stations need to become even edgier to compete with KSL. Then in response, to remain the leader, KSL gets edgier. It a vicious cycle that ends in the sewer. And we are the victims.

The battleground for change is in Utah. If KSL will not change, there is little hope that the other 1,200 network affiliates will change. If KSL changes, it will set an example for the other stations throughout the country. The war to reclaim our public airways starts and ends here in Utah. If we fail here, the battle for decency will be lost.

The only way KSL is going to change is through public outcry. The time has come for all good people to stand up and let their voices be heard. Enough is enough!

Join Us in Our "Rally for Decency"
CleanTV is organizing a "Rally for Decency" that will be held at KSL headquarters on a Saturday afternoon yet to be scheduled within the next 30 days. If you feel you would like to tell KSL that the "Reese-Christensen Doctrine" does not reflect your values, please plan to join us.

If you would like to participate in "CleanTV's rally for decency, please let us know at what time and on what Saturday date would be the most convenient for you. The rally will last for approximately 2 hours. Click here to let us know of your desire to participate.

Also, bring your friends. Let our voices be heard. Tell KSL programmers that they are wrong and you want the sewer line from KSL into your home to stop!!