Kerry says stations have the right to pull Stern

[JoFerret]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3803786,00.html

I have to agree with Kerry's reasoning on this one.

[eaprez]

1. Of Course He's Right

Radio controls theirr line up just as TV does.

[Kahuna]

2. They don't?

:shrug:

[blm]

3. "doesn't mean he can't go out and say it somewhere else."

EXACTLY. Clear Channel is the one who will lose profits. This could be an opportunity for money to be made for smaller syndicates.


``If you are working for somebody and they have a set of rules, that's the deal,'' Kerry said. ``And it doesn't mean he can't go out and say it somewhere if somebody else wants to have him say that.''

[ablbodyed]

4. As long as it was just smut....

they were all for him, but when he starts criticizing the rethugs, he gets pulled. Or am I misunderstanding this?

[sendero]

5. No, you are not...

... missing anything. The "vulgarity" charge is horsepuckey. That call was no worse than stuff they do every single day. It is anything but coincidence that on the very day Stern turns against Bush*, he gets pulled. What are the odds?

But this is a sticky situation IMHO. If CC *did* in fact have concise standards that were suddenly violated, then they would have the legal and moral right to suspend the broadcast. As it is they merely have the legal right.

Fact is, they did not have such standards. They may be cobbling them together as a result of the big boob flash brouhaha, but they won't last - except for Stern or until after the election.

But there is a bright side to this - Stern listeners are PISSED, especially the ones in the affected markets. Once again Bush* and his clueless pack of drooling morons are shooting themselves in the ass.

[otohara]

6. Right, If For The RIGHT Reasons

Stern was set up so CC could look special to the senators during the up coming senate hearings. Make him stop bashing their boy Bush too.

This is temporary and as soon as Bubba & Stern sign contracts saying they'll behave themselves a tad more, bada bing - they are back on the air - feeling up girls with fake boobs.

(although Stern may not bend & Viacom has plenty of stations to fill the void left by CC pull)

Any broadcaster has the right to do what every they want, right Senator Kerry - Viacom refused MoveOn.org money. It was their Right!

[eyesroll]

7. Technically, as a private entity, Clear Channel can do what they want

for whatever reason, re: programming and personnel. There is no constitutionally protected freedom to retain one's job.

"Freedom of speech" just means the government can't arrest or censor you for speaking your mind. (Whether they actually do is a subject for another thread.)

Not that I like Stern, but this is one of the reasons media consolidation needs to stop. If we've got three corporations controlling everything, we'll only hear what the corporations say we can hear.