xuberance has yielded to caution and even frustration as the ABC television network appears to be postponing an episode of its popular Reality TV show, "Wife Swap.

   The program features wives from diverse families trading places as moms and home keepers while the cameras roll, providing millions of TV viewers with a voyeuristic glimpse into the newly-disrupted households. After tracking down prospective Atheist families, the network filmed a segment originally slated to air on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 featuring Amber Finley, co-host of the infidelguy.com internet radio program along with her husband Reginald Finley. An announcement was posted on the network's web site (http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap/)stating: "A God-fearing pastor's wife from Michigan swaps places with the godless wife of an atheist (sic) from Georgia."

   The situation changed dramatically sometime late yesterday, when it was learned that the segment featuring Amber Finley had been pre-empted by another completed installment of "Wife Swap." The ABC site was altered, and under the heading of "Next Episode" listed new families ("Cedarquist/Oeth") and a description of the replacement program.

   "A low-tech, stay-at-home mom who lives off the electric grid in an isolated tree house swaps places with a high-powered, plugged-in career mom who's wired in suburbia."    A press release from the ABC television network was also distributed and posted at the company web site. It announced the new installment of "Wife Swap" for the time originally scheduled for the Finley/Stonerock episode and included an advisory in the second paragraph:

"Editors please note: This episode replaces 'Stonerock/Finley' which had been scheduled to air at this time."

   There were no further details, or an explanation as to why the segment with the Atheist family had been suddenly bumped in favor of the new episode.

   In an interview earlier today, ABC Media Relations head Mozell Miley told AANEWS that the Finley program had been fully edited and was ready for airing, but was simply replaced due to unidentified network re-scheduling. When asked if the Finley episode would eventually be carried, Miley said "Yes, you can quote me on that."

   She would not give a specific date, however, and then mentioned that subsequent episodes of the "Wife Swap" program, including the one featuring Amber Finley might well be postponed and pre-empted by new programming coming down the ABC production pipeline.

   The turn-about at ABC has prompted speculation about why the network seems on the verge of possibly canceling or censoring the "Wife Swap" segment that happens to include an Atheist. This development is even more puzzling in light of the effort ABC and the production company behind "Wife Swap," a firm known as RDF Media, went to in order to find suitable Atheist families.

   According to Michigan American Atheists State Director Arlene-Marie, Heather Walsh of ABC contacted her for help in filming some of the segments of the upcoming "Wife Swap" program which was to feature an Atheist.

   ABC informed her and other Michigan Atheists "they would do a show swapping wives; one wife of a religious family and one wife of an Atheist family." The producers also wanted a discussion meeting on the topic of "Religion v. Reason" which later took place at a conference center in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and featured the prospective family members along with representatives from groups like Michigan Atheists and the Greater Flint Atheists and Humanists.

   "It was an amazing experience," declared Arlene Marie. "The show's producers and camera crew treated us with kindness and respect at all times and we had a lot of fun behind the scenes, too." She added that among the duties for those taking part in the "Wife Swap" experience were to provide "two days of home schooling centered on evolution, for (Pastor Jeff Stonerock's) children."

   There was no indication of problems during this period; and it appeared that a segment of "Wife Swap" was in the pipeline at ABC and would air nationwide in the coming weeks.

   Along the statement made earlier today by Mozell Miley, the ABC Media Relations official, there are also reports that "problems with editing" may be behind the cancelation -- temporary or permanent -- of Ms. Finley's "Wife Swap" episode.

   Arlene Marie told AANEWS that she had been in touch with the New York offices of Heather Walsh, a producer with the RDF Media Group. An assistant stated that to the best of her knowledge, the segment was bumped from the ABC programming schedule due to unspecified editing difficulties.

   Whatever the problem, it is hoped that ABC will still give Atheists "equal time" on this program.

   Meanwhile, American Atheists President Ellen Johnson urged that concerned Atheists contact ABC with polite letters inquiring about the fate of the Finley program.

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