PBS to Deliver Only Edited 'War' Feed on Weekends

[babylonsister]

PBS to Deliver Only Edited War Feed on Weekends

Ken Burns Documentary The War Delivered to PBS Stations in Edited, Unedited Versions
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/24/2007 1:49:00 PM


PBS is looking to avoid airing profanities "in the teeth" of the Federal Communications Commission’s enforcement regime.

While the commission's crackdown on cussing has been called into question by a federal court, PBS is taking no chances, or at least fewer than it could, with Ken Burns’ documentary, The War.

PBS is feeding both an edited and unedited version of The War to stations for each of seven two-hour debut broadcasts over seven evenings, which began Sunday night. It will feed only the edited version -- minus four swear words that crop up in episodes two and five -- to stations for weekend "stacking," when some stations will run all four of the first week's episodes back-to-back, which means that they will start airing in the afternoon or even the morning.

Why? "Because conceivably, a four-year-old could watch it,” PBS spokeswoman Lea Sloan said, "and it would be going right into the teeth of the FCC."

The FCC's teeth have been blunted somewhat by a court decision that could eventually undue its crackdown on fleeting profanities. "The situation is what it is for now," said WGBH Boston director of programming Ron Bachman, but it "may not always be this way."

For now, however, Bachman said his noncommercial station will air the unedited feed for the initial evening debuts of the program, but all subsequent reairings will be of the edited version, including any reairings at night, just so that there is not chance of inadvertently airing one of the unedited versions during the day.

more...

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6481111.html

[TreasonousBastard]

1. This kinda sucks, but...

it's not PBS' fault the FCC is now populated by assholes.

and...

if you really, really, care about this, you can see the unedited version AND support your PBS station by sticking your hand in your pocket and buying it.

[babylonsister]

2. Actually, I'm getting Dad a copy for Christmas. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Great! But I should be...

more careful when I write. I didn't really mean "you" personally.

[Blue Belle]

4. I love the concern over the phrase "Son of a Bitch" or "God-Damned"...

would a four-year-old hear it, but they have no problem letting this same child see the decapitated and half-blown up bodies of soldiers and civilians. Heaven forbifd that the one thing little Suzy or Johnny take from this program is a few s-bombs or "bastards" slipped out. The things the FCC will split hairs over... :eyes: