CBS replaces “Family Law” episodes

CBS has decided not to repeat a number of episodes of Family Law after receiving notice from one of the show’s advertisers, Procter & Gamble, that it deemed them too controversial and would therefore withdraw its commercials, the New York Times reported today. The newspaper cited several unnamed industry executives as calling the network’s action an example of the tastes of a large advertiser being able to influence programming decisions. While advertisers have sometimes pulled their spots from controversial shows in the past, a decision to shelve several episodes to accommodate a single advertiser was regarded as unusual, the Times observed. However, the newspaper commented, inasmuch as Procter & Gamble, which purchases four spots on each episode, is the CBS drama’s biggest ad buyer, their withdrawal would have had “significant economic consequences.”