Don’t expect the little-watched, obscure cable network ReelzChannel to become the permanent home of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. CEO Stan E. Hubbard, who agreed to air the Miss USA pageant last month after NBC and Univision dropped it due to Donald Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants, insisted that his network is not the home for the pageants.
“They belong on a broadcast network,” Hubbard said on Sunday, reports The Associated Press.
Hubbard said that he believes the Miss Universe Organization needs a change in ownership, as it is currently owned by the Trump Organization. He added that the network only signed a one event deal with Miss Universe.
The CEO was also clear that he does not support Trump’s comments, which he called “terrible” and “ridiculous.” Reelz only picked up the pageant to help the competitors and Baton Rouge, which went all out to host the event.
While the pageant drew less than a fifth of the audience for NBC’s broadcast of the 2014 pageant, Hubbard was “darn proud” of the broadcast.
This was the second time Reelz picked up a controversial show. In 2011, Reelz agreed to air The Kennedys miniseries after the History Channel rejected it. While that series was a surprising hit, it didn’t turn Reelz into a well-known network in the long run.
Would Hubbard air reruns of The Cosby Show, though?
“If we picked up The Cosby Show, to me it would feel like a direct relationship and supporting (Bill Cosby),” Hubbard said. “From everything I know and read, that's not something I'm going to be supportive of.
Trump said he will sue NBC for dropping Miss USA and already filed a $500 million lawsuit against Univision.
image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski/INFphoto.com