Charlotte Observer, The (NC)
1995-05-25
Section: METRO
Edition: ONE - FOUR
Page: 5C

WBTV RELENTS ON INDIAN SHOW

   DEBORAH PARKHILL MULLIS, Staff Writer 

TV/Radio Writer TIM FUNK contributed to this article

WBTV (channel 3) has reconsidered its plan to preempt parts three and four of Kevin Costner's low-rated ``500 Nations'' - in part because of protests from an area Indian group.

The CBS documentary series will air locally during its regularly scheduled time Saturday and Sunday, WBTV station manager Ron Miller said Wednesday. WBTV's reversal delighted Laurie McKnight, spokesperson for American Indians of Metrolina.

``I'm very happy. I'm glad this didn't come down to ratings,'' she said. ``I think parts three and four are important because they focus on eastern Indians. Most of the things shown on TV are about western Indians. They picture half-naked men riding horses with big headdresses on. That's not the way eastern Indians dressed.''

McKnight and other members of the local association of Native Americans had been angered when they discovered on Monday that WBTV wasn't going to run the segments this weekend because the first two parts - which aired April 20-21 - received low ratings.

WBTV's Miller said reaction to the station's earlier ``500 Nations'' decision caused WBTV to rethink its plan.

``You certainly try to respond,'' he said. ``We also got some calls from teachers who said history lessons were being based on this (movie). We didn't get that many calls, but those who did call had some good reasons for us to reconsider.''

Instead of preempting ``500 Nations,'' WBTV will bump a two-part rerun of the movie ``The Intruders,'' on Tuesday and Thursday. In its place, the station will air a syndicated movie one night and a two-hour ``Matlock'' on the other.

WBTV can sell all the commercials when it airs syndicated fare. CBS, which is making ``The Intruders'' and ``500 Nations'' available to its affiliates, gets most of the revenue from ads that air during network shows and movies.