May 01, 2013 - 11:38 AM
SALT LAKE CITY - A Mormon church-owned NBC affiliate in Utah has pulled the "Hannibal" TV show because of its graphic violence.
KSL-TV vice-president of marketing Tami Ostmark says the show's first three episodes were "extremely gory" and drew complaints from many viewers. She says it wasn't the type of show the station wanted leading into its 10 p.m. news cast.
Utah residents still will be able to watch the show: The ABC affiliate is picking it up and will air it late Saturday.
This isn't the first time KSL-TV has opted not to air a popular NBC show. In the fall of 2012, the station announced it wouldn't air "The New Normal," a sitcom about a gay couple who invites a surrogate mother into their home.
The station is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013