Laff Joins ABC Canceling Its Reruns of 'Roseanne'

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Digital network Laff found nothing funny about Roseanne Barr’s latest statement and on Tuesday pulled reruns of the original version of her show Roseanne from its lineup.

The move followed the cancellation of the high-rated revival of the classic sitcom by ABC.

“While we believe viewers have always distinguished the personal behavior of the actress Roseanne Barr from the television character Roseanne Connor, we are disgusted by Barr’s comments this week,” the network said in a statement. “Therefore, we are removing the original Roseanne series from the Laff schedule for the time being, effective immediately.”

Related: Cancellation a Blow to ABC at Upfront Time

Laff, a digital broadcast network dedicated to comedy, acquired the rights to Roseanne reruns in 2016. When Roseanne was revived by ABC, Laff cross-promoted the show with a week of specials hosted by stars of the program introducing their favorite episodes.

According to iSpot.TV, Roseanne reruns generated $1.3 million in ad revenue for Laff.

Laff is part of Katz Broadcasting, which was acquired by the E.W. Scripps Co.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.