Report: NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade Shops TV Rights, May Exclude Gay Groups In 2016
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade is reportedly seeking a new TV home after its chairman has expressed resistance to allowing gay groups march in the event next year.
WNBC, which has broadcast the parade for several years, has insisted the parade include a gay marching group in 2016, the Irish Voice newspaper reported.
This year, for the first time, an openly gay group, OUT@NBCUniversal, was allowed to march under its own banner in the world's largest St. Patrick's parade. But speaking at a parade lunch in April, Chairman John Dunleavy said gay groups will "have a problem" securing a spot in next year's march, the Irish Voice reported. Dunleavy has said the event is about faith, heritage and culture, and nothing more, WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reported.
Report: NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade Shops TV Rights, May Exclude Gay Groups In 2016
The parade has reportedly approached WNYW and WPIX about broadcasting the event, with WNYW already declining.
Parade organizers would not comment to WCBS 880.
Emmaia Gelman with the group Irish Queers says Dunleavy's reported bid to exclude gay groups is futile.
"He has so not gotten the memo that his attempts to steward this parade without politics has essentially made it the most political and most right-winged parade it could possibly be," she told Murnane.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has boycotted the march. Gelman said he can do more by swaying the police and fire departments and businesses to do the same.
