ABC - ABC TO AIR 9/11 MINISERIES SANS ADS

ABC TO AIR 9/11 MINISERIES SANS ADS

ABC has decided its miniseries The Path to 9/11 is so controversial and sensitive that it plans to air it next week without commercials, Daily Variety reported today (Tuesday), citing ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson. The trade publication said that the network had considered airing it with limited commercial interruption, as it did with Saving Private Ryan, which was presented by Ford. "The creative [content] was so limiting," McPherson said, that "in the end we didn't think it was appropriate." He said that the five-hour program will also be available for free downloading via Apple's iTunes Music Store and via streaming video on ABC.com. "We spent $30 million on this and we're putting it on without commercials. How important we think this is speaks for itself."

05/09/2006