It appears the folks down at the "Y" have had enough of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC....so they pulled the plug.

The Scranton YMCA made the smart decision last week to ban the channels because “boisterous” political discussion made members uncomfortable, the Dunmore facility’s management said.

“I wish I could say that all members are able to have open and nonthreatening debate around current topics, but that is not the case,” Trish Fisher, the CEO, wrote in a notice posted Tuesday in the building’s main lobby. “There have been several instances in which a member has felt threatened. It is not about bias, or individual views, but rather safety.”

The decision has sparked a vocal backlash from a handful in the facility’s membership, who disagree with the ban’s premise.

“Once you start that precedent, I think it becomes dangerous,” said Paul Williams, 72 of Clarks Green, a longtime YMCA member.

The ban grew from a series of complaints from about five members of the YMCA, who felt that the political arguments had become too charged, Fisher said. The penalty for violating the 24-hour news channel ban was not clear. Other, non-24-hour, news shows are still permitted on YMCA televisions.

“Yes I know they like to have open debate and I think that’s great, that’s part of our rights as Americans, but safety is our No. 1 concern,” Fisher said.

Last week, as Fox News played in the men’s locker room of the Dunmore facility, an argument started between two people over which network is more believable — Fox News or CNN? (insert own joke here)

Williams did not see the argument unfold but came into the locker room shortly after it ended, he said.

The voices elevated and language became “colorful.”

“And that’s the end of the story,” Williams said.

The ban is now in effect. 

H/T Times Tribune