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A television screen inside the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center in Ann Arbor is tuned to Fox News on Jan. 7, 2015.

(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News)

Fox News program hosts responded Friday morning to the controversy in Ann Arbor over a public recreation center showing Fox News on its TV screens.

During a segment on the morning show "Fox & Friends," co-host Steve Doocy stated that a local couple seems to be throwing a "hissy fit" and a "tantrum."

"What they're trying to do, if you think about it ... is really they want it off of all the televisions," he said. "They're trying to censor Fox News. They don't want us there."

The story about the controversy at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center on Washtenaw Avenue appeared first in The Ann Arbor News on Wednesday and now has gone national. The story also was picked up by Fark.com.

Dave and Sue Weber, who joined the gym last fall, said a county-run facility is no place to be showing what they consider offensive, right-wing political propaganda.

Though there's no volume on the TVs, they said, they're tired of offensive closed-caption blocks with remarks such as "Young women aren't capable of voting" and "We have enough illegals here, we don't need more."

They said attempts to get the center to show MSNBC to provide some balance have been unsuccessful, and now they've drafted a petition requesting the removal of Fox News and any other partisan political news programming from the center.

County officials responded this week by saying they're working on a new policy for what types of programming should be shown at the center.

For now, Fox News remains on one of the 13 screens inside the center. The Webers claim it was on as many as four screens at one point.

Doocy falsely stated on air Friday morning that the Webers asked Fox News to be turned off and replaced with MSNBC. The Webers actually requested that if Fox News was going to be shown, then MSNBC should be shown for balance.

"If they hadn't censored MSNBC, none of this would have happened," Dave Weber told The Ann Arbor News.

Doocy also falsely stated on air that the Webers are arguing MSNBC is a "fair and balanced" news network, which he called "funny."

Here's what Dave Weber actually has stated:

"The opposing viewpoint of a Republican channel would be a Democratic channel," he said. "MSNBC is the closest thing that comes to mind."

Dave Weber added that he just wants to "see some sanity, fairness and balance restored" since it's a taxpayer-funded facility.

"Or better yet, eliminate all political programming. This isn't the place for politics. It's inappropriate," he said.

"Fox & Friends" interviewed local residents Chuck and Jeanette Hescheles, users of the recreation center in Ann Arbor, via video feed on Friday, Jan.16, 2015. They said they have no problem with Fox News, and if someone doesn't like it, they don't have to watch it.

Doocy interviewed local residents Chuck and Jeanette Hescheles, users of the center in Ann Arbor, via video feed Friday morning. They said they have no problem with Fox News, and if someone doesn't like it, they don't have to watch it.

"There's no sound unless you bring your own earphones and you plug it into the machine that you're working on," Chuck Hescheles said. "And there are enough TVs that you can just turn your head and look at whatever you'd like to look at."

"Exactly," Doocy responded. "If the Webers don't like the Fox News channel, don't look at it. It's that simple."

Commenting on the fact that Fox News at one point might have been on as many as four screens, Doocy stated: "Clearly, if so many televisions are set to the Fox News channel, somebody there ... must want to watch it."

Jeanette Hescheles noted that was during election season last year and she doesn't think that will ever happen again.

"Well, probably not after the Webers have thrown this hissy fit," Doocy responded, going on to ask, "Why do you think they've thrown this tantrum?"

Doocy ended the segment with a call to action: "For folks who are watching right now from any rec center or any workout room, please try to put the Fox News channel on as many televisions as you can right now, and then email us."

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com or 734-623-2529 or follow him on Twitter.