This is how bad it has gotten for Nexstar’s WCIA (Champaign, IL)….

FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you about the uproar by viewers against Nexstar’s WCIA (Champaign, IL) for the way they reported on a police-involved shooting.

One officer was shot and killed, another wounded when they responded to a domestic disturbance call of a man beating a woman. The WCIA report focused on the suspect (who was also killed) and offered up little for the fallen officer.

The community blowback against the station has been fierce. A number of advertisers have pulled their spots and now this.

WCIA designates a week to small towns in East Central Illinois each summer, highlighting festivals, businesses and the culture of the community.WCIA calls the segment “our town.”

The station was going to focus an “Our Town” segment on the small town of St. Joseph.

But, the town is pushing back against the station. The St. Joesph board voted to pull the Village from WCIA’s “Our Town” spotlight.

The board received over 50 emails saying that community members did not want to be associated with WCIA after the station ran a story on Darion Marquise Lafayette, 24, of Champaign, who shot and killed Champaign Police Department officer Chris Oberheim on May 19.  Officer Jeffrey Creel was also shot and injured by Lafayette.

Officer Matt Silver spoke to the board Tuesday night. 

“It is going to be a hard no,” Silver said. “If anyone doesn’t vote no, shame on you.” 

“They (WCIA) are not welcome in this community and they shouldn’t be ever again. Chris was a hero and he died a hero. He was a great mentor for me personally and shame on WCIA for piss-poor judgment.”

Several other community members spoke, stating that St. Joseph is a community that loves and supports law enforcement. 

Abby McDonald, the wife of a law enforcement officer, said that her husband leaves their family to make sure that others in the community are protected. 

“I know that this may seem like a small thing from people on the outside, but our law enforcement families feel like we’ve been under attack for a long time. For our community to stand up for us in such a small way, it means so much that we are in a place where we’re supported.”

Although the Village board did not vote to have WCIA cover their town in “Our Town” during August, the board voted to tell the news organization not to come. 

The motion passed unanimously.

WCIA did not comment.

In other words, an entire town voted not to have a TV station come out and offer up glowing highlights of the village and fawning coverage.

This is just how bad things have gotten for WCIA.

Wow!

H/T St. Joseph Daily