Freedom Of Speech Wins The Day. Duck Commander Reinstated. Was It All About Bucks?

A&E's 'Duck' Reversal Revives $480 Million, Advertising-Merchandising Dynasty

Saturday, 28 Dec 2013 12:41 PM

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A&E Television Networks LLC lifted the suspension of “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson and said it will resume production of the popular cable television series.A&E, which suspended Robertson earlier this month for his remarks about homosexuality in GQ magazine, will air a national public-service campaign promoting “unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people,” according to an e-mailed statement from the New York-based network.

“He and his family have publicly stated they regret the ‘coarse language’ he used and the misinterpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article,” A&E said. “He also made it clear he would ‘never incite or encourage hate.’”
The decision allows A&E and the Robertson family to move ahead with one of cable television’s most-watched shows, a program seen by an average of 14.6 million people an episode, according to Nielsen data. The series produced almost $80 million of ad revenue for A&E this year, according to Kantar Media, and about $400 million in merchandise sales, Forbes said.
“By defining the ‘undefined suspension,’ A&E has created a win-win solution to a potentially fatal decision which could have meant the end of ‘Duck Dynasty’ and would have been a lose- lose proposition for all involved,” Porter Bibb, a managing partner at Mediatech Capital Partners, a New York-based merchant bank, said in an e-mail.
Network Comment
Robertson, the 67-year-old head of a Louisiana family that makes duck-hunting gear, was suspended indefinitely by A&E on Dec. 18 after telling GQ magazine that homosexuals were akin to adulterers, the greedy, drunkards and swindlers and would not “inherit the kingdom of God.” A&E is co-owned by Walt Disney Co. and closely held Hearst Corp.
The network again disavowed Robertson’s comments, saying its values are “centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect.” A&E, in announcing its decision to stay with the show, also said many episodes of the program “reflect and pray for unity, tolerance and forgiveness.”
Michael Feeney, an A&E spokesman, declined to comment beyond the statement. The Robertson family didn’t respond to a request for comment left with the office of Willie Robertson, a cast member and chief executive officer of the Duck Commander business.
“It’s been a win-win for everyone but those who care about minority rights, and I don’t mean just gay rights,” said David Craig, a professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles and a former A&E executive.
Media Activist
Craig, also a media activist focused on gay rights, cited remarks about pre-civil rights era blacks that Robertson made in GQ. He described the Robertsons’ subsequent statements as “a regret in terms of language, not a regret in terms of meaning.”
The Robertson family started their TV career producing hunting videos and appeared on The Outdoor Channel in 2009 in a show called “Benelli Presents Duck Commander,” according to IMDB.com. The family sent a highlight reel around to TV networks that drew A&E’s interest.
The family, including the co-stars, said Dec. 19 on their website duckcommander.com that they couldn’t imagine “Duck Dynasty” going forward without their patriarch and that they were in talks with A&E about the show’s future.
The parties had time to work out the solution. A&E has recorded enough shows for the season that is scheduled to begin next month, the New York Times reported on Dec. 20. Shooting for episodes after that wouldnC