TLC took its sweet time before they decided to cancel “19 Kids and Counting” when Josh Duggar apologized following reports that, as a teenager, he allegedly molested five underage girls, including some of his sisters.
Duggar’s confession came in May, but the network didn’t officially cancel the reality series until July. As the network’s highest-rated show, no doubt finances were a concern. The Wrap reports that TLC’s parent company, Discovery Communications, lost about $19 million when they said goodbye to the Duggar family.
During a post-earnings conference call on Wednesday, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Andrew Warren revealed Discovery had lost a total of $24 million during the second quarter, listing “higher restructuring and other charges this year of $19 million, primarily due to content impairment charges of canceling TLC’s ’19 Kids and Counting,'” as the reason.
Still, TLC hasn’t completely cut ties with the Duggars. At the same time that it announced the series’ cancellation, it also revealed their new partnership with child-protection organizations, Darkness to Light and RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), as part of a new campaign to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.
“TLC will work closely with both groups and with the Duggar family on a one-hour documentary that will include Jill and Jessa and other survivors and families that have been affected by abuse,” the network said in its statement.
Source: Huffington Post
