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A&E Now Says It Will Not Air KKK Docuseries

A E Now Says It Will Not Air KKK Docuseries
Date Posted: Saturday, December 24th, 2016

A&E announced that the network will no longer be airing its controversial docuseries about the Ku Klux Klan.

Seventeen days ahead of the intended Jan. 10 premiere, A&E released a statement regarding the cancellation, noting how producers paid some of its subjects.

“A&E learned last night from the third-party producers who made the documentary that cash payments — which we currently understand to be nominal — were made in the field to some participants in order to facilitate access,” the statement read.

“While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary. We had previously provided assurances to the public and to our core partners – including the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change – that no payment was made to hate group members, and we believed that to be the case at the time. We have now decided not to move forward with airing this project.”


The decision to scrap the eight one-hour episodes, titled Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America, comes just one day after A&E announced a new title change and partnership with African-American civil rights group Color of Change to collaborate on in-show educational content in light of intense backlash. It was formerly called Generation KKK.

Escaping the KKK, which was first announced by A&E on Dec. 12, followed several families within the Ku Klux Klan, some members attempting to get out, and the activists working to break the cycle of hate. The eight-minute first-look trailer was recently taken down from YouTube by the network.

Read the full statement from A&E below:

“The documentary Escaping the KKK was intended to serve as a close look at anti-hate extractors focused on helping people leave the Ku Klux Klan — the racist hate group with a long history of violence against African Americans and others. Our goal with this series has been to expose and combat racism and hatred in all its forms.

However, A&E learned last night from the third-party producers who made the documentary that cash payments — which we currently understand to be nominal — were made in the field to some participants in order to facilitate access. While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary. We had previously provided assurances to the public and to our core partners – including the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change – that no payment was made to hate group members, and we believed that to be the case at the time. We have now decided not to move forward with airing this project.

A&E takes the authenticity of its documentary programming and the subject of racism, hatred and violence very seriously. Just because this particular show goes away, the issues of hate in America do not. We will seek to fight hate in American through on-air programming including town halls and documentary programs produced in partnership with civil rights organizations, as well as continue to work with the civil rights community to facilitate a deeper dialogue on ending hate through comprehensive educational and outreach campaigns.”

Source: people.com

Date Posted: Saturday, December 24th, 2016 , Total Page Views: 1665

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