What I have to blog about today isn't news related, but it still falls within the relm of TV broadcasting; more specifically, it's about network programming.

This month, many CBS viewers were saddened by word from the Tiffany Network that the program "Jericho" was being cancelled. In case you haven't been one of the fortunate ones who has found the show, its a fictional tale about a small city in the midwest cut off from the rest of the world when the United States is attacked with nuclear weapons. Not only is there a good story line, but character development continues through out each episode. The program actually began last fall and had built quite a following. Then the network pulled the program for several weeks. That was a fatal move on the part of CBS. Even though there seems to be a continued audience from hard core viewers, ratings show the program never fully recovered. The show, however, continued to bring viewers espsodes every week that built the storyline on the week before. Then came word from CBS a couple of weeks ago that the show was indeed being nixed. To bring closure (if that's what you call it) writers even killed off one of the main characters in the final episode.

At first, there was a lot of sadness about Jericho's cancellation, then anger. There has been so much of an outcry that a website was started in an effort to send CBS the message that many viewers were outraged at the program's demise. The website is called Jericholives.com. You can find that website at the following link:

                                 http://www.jericholives.com/petition.htm

I went there to see what others thought about the show's cancellation and was surprised to find out that an online petition had been set up. Actually, one of my colleagues here at News Channel 6 pointed out the website to me and urged me to sign the petition. I did and noticed that as of Tuesday, May 22nd, almost 66,000 people had signed. I started looking for my fellow worker's name and in 20 minutes since he signed... over 100 people had added their names to the petition. I left the webpage up and kept hitting the refresh button and more and more people's names kept appearing.

If you liked Jericho, go online to the above link and add your name. There is a rumor circulating in the broadcast world that CBS is meeting next week and one of the topics up for discussion is whether to continue the show. I believe the petition will be forwarded, to give network brass an idea that maybe they shouldn't have acted so hastily in cancelling the show.

Who knows, maybe when all of us gang up, we can make a difference.