Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Yeah, I'm there
Posts: 3312

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The FCC has levied massive fines against Clear Channel Communications for three “indecent” incidents on a single episode of the Howard Stern Show, based on ONE listener complain. In a first for the FCC, EACH “indecent” utterance was treated as a separate incident and Clear Channel was fined for EVERY station that aired the show, not just the one that generated the ONE complaint.

Six stations – 3 incidents per station – the maximum $27,500 fine for each violation -- $495,000 in all.

Clear Channel, which had “suspended” Stern right before its executives were scheduled to testify before a Congressional subcommittee in another "indecency" matter, has now permanently removed the Stern show from its lineup. Not surprising, given that pending legislation would raise the maximum fine from $27,500 to $500,000 per station per incident – and authorizing fines against on-air talent like Stern in addition to fines against stations. If enacted, this ONE incident could have resulted in a fine of $9 MILLION against the Clear Channel, with similar fines levied against Stern. No wonder they caved to the pressure and stopped carrying his show.

Stern thinks the FCC has set their sights on him because of his criticism of President Bush.
"If we allow government the power to censor 'indecency', even indirectly through intimidation and fines, it won’t be long before “indecent” political views get censored as well."

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Not that I particularly like Stern, but chances are Mancow (who I do like) will be next...


/me slaps the fake nose off of Janet Jackson

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10477

The show I like in the mornings here played medley of our songs in 1996 and bleeped almost every word (including dick in Grandma's Got a Dick). Until Janet's boob fell out they were recently saying dick all the time. All of a sudden dick, pussy, etc were all over morning radio.

It seems they were gonna push until the FCC pushed back. And now they have. The FCC should have clearer rules though.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9478

There is a great thread in PDM about this issue. This kind of legislation is pretty straightforward unconstitutional it seems to me. This is clearly an issue that the free market ought to be able to sort out. If people are bothered by it, stop tuning in. When viewers drop, then programmers can assess the market value of the acts. But if people are watching and lsitening, why is the government saying that content providers can't provide the content their listeners want?

I'm never 100% certain about anything, but this seems to be a situation where we are likely to suffer as a result. Be it the limiting of access to political spectrum views or just a general trend towards generic programming, we become a less vibrant, stimulating, and productive culture.

As much at Janet and Justin were a catalyst, they don't deserve blame. Reprimand, yes, but it isn't their fault that the FCC over-reacted/ took advantage of an opportunity. The citizenry also bears responsibility for not defending freedom of speech to a greater degree.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Boston, MA, Center of the Universe
Posts: 4539

Umm...This is Janet Jackson's fault?

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35962

It is important that no one should make sexual or excretory references in public. Because sex and excretion are things that everyone does (even pj) and so thus it is completely understandable that people should be offended by references to them.

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Registered: Nov 2003
Location: armpit, wv
Posts: 1217

Oprah's done shows on what happens when you type in certain text into search engines and showing (though blurred for television) some of the links. I wish I could've been in the audience when she showed what sites you could find if you were wanting to find more about "watersport" activities. Those housewives and old ladies saw more raunchy material in less than a minute than listening to an entire episode of Stern.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Cwesting
Posts: 9241

Stern's not far off in surmising that the moment he stopped supporting Bush and spoke against him, ears pricked up in Washington and he caught some deferred attention.
Fuck, they're after him for something from 3 years ago.
He got Goergie's stink finger up his ass.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9478

In the thread that I linked to that PaintCHiPs started in PDM discusses an incident where Stern wasn't able to play a tape of an Oprah show where they talked about anal and oral sex, including "salad tossing." I think he eventually played the tape but they bleeped out much of the content. It seemed to be a pretty clear example of how different standards were applied to Stern.

He argues that the real problems didn't begin until he started lambasting the current administration. As soon as his content had political impact (contrary to the powers that be), the hurt got put on. I highly advise everyone interested in this to read that thread. link

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9478

I loaded this thread this morning but just replied. Rokkr's post wasn't there when I loaded it, hence my duplication of what he said.

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Registered: Nov 2003
Location: SE Pennsylvania
Posts: 423

http://www.tshirthell.com/hell.shtml

Some funny shirts there but they have a "Save Stern: Censorship is Obscene" T-shirts for 5 bucks.

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