Good Morning America Is at Pikes Peak Today…but Denver’s Left in the Dark

Good Morning America broadcast live from the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak at sunrise today, around 6:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time, giving the nation a stunning view of the Centennial State.

This was the 38th stop in GMA‘s “America the Beautiful, 50 States in 50 Weeks” series. The ABC crew is visiting a state a week in the order that they joined the Union; the series will end right before the big celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary on July 4.

Colorado became the 38th state on August 1, 1876; it’s celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

Pikes Peak was a natural stop for the ABC show; it’s a Colorado classic. Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write “America the Beautiful” after visiting the summit in 1893, and it remains a major tourist attraction.

Hundreds of Coloradans made the trip up the mountain this morning in order to appear as extras on the ABC segment. Most of them had to register in advance (the spaces filled up fast) and then start the twisting drive up Pikes Peak before 4 a.m.

We’re sure the segment was stunning, but there was one catch: If you live in Colorado’s capital city and rely on Xfinity, you couldn’t see it.

That’s because Comcast/Xfinity and E.W. Scripps, which owns KMGH, the ABC affiliate in Denver, are in a contract dispute.

Right now, when you try to watch Denver 7 News, you see only this note from Comcast: “This channel is unavailable. Our contract with Scripps, the owner of this channel, has expired. Scripps has refused our reasonable offers, and their demands would significantly increase the price you pay. Thank you for your patience as we work to keep your channels affordable.”

And when will that be? We’re still in the dark.