PBC News:Williams Sesame Broadcasting president reconsidering ‘comedy-free Network’

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This article is part of PBC News, your source for up-to-the-minute anime.

2 December 2008 

Williams Sesame Broadcasting President Keith Crofford is still reconsidering a proposal to create an over-the-air educational, comedy-free network, according to tonight’s Sesame Street Journal:

The Williams Sesame Network is the most controversial network the company will tackle in June. Mr. Crofford shelved plans to consider a wider variety of educational-comedy programming pending at the company, including a request by the Cartoon Network studios to cancel original CN programming and anime programming so the network can offer new educational-comedy shows earlier.

The proposal to allow a no-anime, educational-comedy network programming is part of a proposal to auction off a chunk of CN originals. The winning lineup would be required to set aside a quarter of CN and Adult Swim schedules for an educational-comedy programming. The winner could establish a Subscription Pay-TV service that would require a digital-to-analog decoder box. The Pay-TV service could be pricey and would be required to censor out anime and other CN material that are not educational for viewers. The WSSW's proposal mirrors a plan offered by Turner Networks Inc., a start-up backed by Crofford & Lazzo partner John Deere.

Crofford was Deputy General Manager for the Williams Street-Sesame Workshop production merger.