You could hear the coalition of social conservatives and Christian-right figures loud and clear: Big liberal broadcasters air shows offensive to all proper-thinking Americans and muscles must be flexed to get them canceled.

That rallying cry came in 1981, from the crusading pastors Donald Wildmon and Jerry Falwell and the conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, who called for advertisers to boycott some 50 shows aired by the three broadcast networks. The objectionable programs in that case were not the Republican-baiting precincts of late-night television but the social taboo-breaking entertainments of Three’s Company , All in the Family and Knots Landing .

You could hear the coalition of social conservatives and Christian-right figures loud and clear: Big liberal broadcasters

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