FCC Seeks to Limit F-Word on U.S. Airwaves

[ringmastery]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040114/media_nm/media_indecency_fcc_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) Chairman Michael Powell (news) has proposed barring the F-word from most radio and broadcast television, regardless of the context, sources close to the issue said on Tuesday.

The proposal would overturn an October FCC (news - web sites) staff decision that ruled the word was not indecent when U2 rocker Bono used it while accepting an award during the 2003 live broadcast of the "Golden Globe Awards (news - web sites)" on the NBC television network.

To succeed, Powell will have to garner at least two other votes for the proposal and the four other FCC commissioners are now considering the issue, the sources said.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said in a statement he could not comment on specifics "but I've been pushing for strong action against indecency since I got here."

"I'll know this commission is serious when it starts assessing meaningful fines and having truly filthy broadcasts lead to license revocation hearings," he said.

[Guaranteed]

1. Stupid. nt

[Guaranteed]

9. Is this even a problem???

When was the last time you heard "fuck" on the radio or TV?

For fuck's sake!

[LeahMira]

10. Well...

When was the last time you heard "fuck" on the radio or TV?

Well, I've heard it coming out of someone else's car when I'm stopped at a light and the other car has rap music on so loud that my car vibrates! But other than the noise pollution, I figure that if I hadn't heard it before I wouldn't know what it means.

BTW, I work on a college campus and I've noticed (when I'm having lunch in the student center) that students seem unable to express themselves without fluent use of that one word. Oh well...

But yes, it is a silly issue, except that I wonder why it is that the right-winger would-be censors always put us in the position of defending freedom of speech by making us defend the freedom to say fuck and/or a few other choice gems. When they put us in the position of defending the right to say these things, they also put us up as defending offensive speech. It's their tactic. I certainly don't consider "the F word" to be hate speech, which seems to be what the right wingers are after saying. I know there's a definite difference between "the F word" and" the N word," although legally speaking I don't know what that would be. Maybe intention? I also think that no one is all that wild about the right to say fuck. But damn!... we have the right, and if we give in on this, eventually we will be forbidden to say "freedom

[Spentastic]

2. It's like apocalypse now.

They are willing to show U.S troops shooting dead an Iraqi laying on the ground and cheering but they won't allow people to say fuck on tv because it's obscene.

[arwalden]

3. <Shakes Head In Disbelief>

Simply amazing.

-- Allen

[girl gone mad]

4. sounds like..

a distraction. Be afraid of the F word, ignore the f...ing we're giving you by allowing endless consolidation and deregulation.

[amber dog democrat]

5. What a non issue

I understand the Nazis had broadcasting standards too

[sendero]

6. Michael Powell....

... lightweight nepo-boy strikes again. The apple does not fall far from the tree. I thought that chump was going to resign.

[Anaxamander]

7. Yes. Really fucking stupid (nt)

[iverglas]

8. good grief - that will kill Trailer Park Boys!

You folks to the south are to be getting this (Canadian) best comedy series in the world on BBCAmerica starting in April. The word is that the prime-time airing will be expurgated, but the late-night showing will be pure.

The Boys -- inhabitants of a trailer park in Nova Scotia, and the security guard and cops they do battle with (and prison guards they sell dope to) -- couldn't communicate without "the F-word". As Ricky put it to the judge when he defended himself on charges arising out of the siphoned-gasoline-selling business they started, to fund their Caribbean cruise: how was he supposed to get a fair trial if he couldn't smoke and swear in court?? A clear violation of "The People's Choices and Voices Act"! The judge agreed. Ricky, a latter-day Canadian Lenny Bruce ...

Watch for it, and keep yr fingers crossed that there's anything left of the dialogue. ;)



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