The highly-acclaimed show about the slave experience may no longer air on the network.
Dollars and cents could be the reason WGN American loses its highest rated show, Underground.
The network that also owns Outsiders in currently transitioning to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in a $3.9 billion acquisition deal that includes complete control over programming.
As reported by Variety, there’s been speculation about Sinclair trying to launch a conservative-leaning news channel in WGN America’s place — given the talent available from the Fox News shakeup of the past year — but that would be a big investment for a company that is already taking on a big debt load with the deal.
One has to wonder who are the forces at hand when conservative program is being considered over an majority-Black show about the Underground Railroad.
“The ratings WGN America (delivers) doesn’t justify the type of spending they do on the original programming side,” Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Chris Ripley said. “The channel could be run much more profitably on a fraction of what they spend on programming.”
Meanwhile on Twitter, fans of Underground are hoping Oprah Winfrey takes the show to her OWN Network which current has Greenleaf and Queen Sugar under its umbrella.
In its second season, the show that stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge and Alano Miller has been highly praised for its intimate portrayal of the American slave experience.
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[MUSIC] Ok so Rosalee, throughout this whole season is far too popping for words. She is the boss of. The first three episodes. She's my hero, to be honest. Running through the woods. The fact that she's a fictional character really makes me angry, because I really want to tie her to someone in history, like I want her to be an actual person that we can learn about. I really wonder like who. Her character is based on like [CROSSTALK] I dont know. She had to be based on somebody. Somebody. There has to be a woman like her in history that we just don't know she's an unsung hidden figure. Yes. [SOUND] (pop) and shes like pregnant, swimming around. [CROSSTALK] She is pregnant. .Running in the woods. Yeah. Had leeches on her body. Leeches. She- I think- She put a gun up to her body and fired it, so that the heat from the gun could close her wound. If that's not some OG bull [BLEEP] Mad- I don't know what is. Doesn't make sense. Yeah, and then she lead the other two slaves to freedom. Yes. And that was so sweet. She stayed behind to continue being a boss. Listen to me, you got two choices. You got life, you got death. You got to trust your instincts right now. I think I would have just went with him to be honest. Listen black Rose -, I've done what I can. This is stressing me out. She's pregnant. Yeah. Go have your baby in the North and be good. And what's the woman's name that's coming after her? The slave catcher? I don't know, but she's so annoying. She's so annoying. You remember Holes? The movie? Yes. [LAUGH] She reminds me of- I thought that too. Somewhere- That's who she is. We should probably IMDb to make we're right. No, it's not [UNKNOWN] cuz the woman in holes was like Susan Sarandon or something ridiculous. [MUSIC] But the parts are very like Very much like she is could be in Holes. Might as well. Somebody please check that for us. See if this woman was maybe an extra in Holes. [BLANK_AUDIO] It's a quality TV movie if you haven't seen it. Shout out to Shia LaBeouf. Always [SOUND] I love Shia LaBeouf. Please don't. That's a whole different episode. [MUSIC] [SOUND] [MUSIC]
