2 Canadian TV Stations May Drop ‘Dr. Laura’

Two Canadian television stations, CFCF-12 in Montreal and ONtv in Ontario, are expected to drop the new TV show “Dr. Laura” next week.

Gay rights advocates, upset over host Laura Schlessinger’s statements on her syndicated radio program regarding homosexuality, have lobbied advertisers to avoid the talk program.

Since its premiere in September, dozens of advertisers have pulled out of the show in the U.S. and Canada, forcing the distributor, Viacom’s Paramount Television, to sell ad time at reduced rates.

The two Canadian TV stations, both owned by CanWest Global Communications, didn’t return telephone calls seeking comment. Paramount Television had no comment.