(03-18-2004) FCC Cites Stern, Bono for Indecency -- AP *

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dsmith2904

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FCC Cites Stern, Bono for Indecency

By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Federal regulators continued their crackdown on indecency Thursday, issuing a fine for a broadcast of the Howard Stern radio show and ruling that an expletive uttered by rock singer Bono on NBC violated broadcast standards.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed fining Infinity Broadcasting the maximum $27,500 for a Stern show broadcast on WKRK-FM in Detroit.

The FCC also overruled its staff and said that Bono's expletive during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards program was indecent and profane, but issued no fine.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell had asked his fellow commissioners to overturn the FCC enforcement bureau's finding.

The FCC also proposed fining a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications $55,000 for a broadcast on two Florida radio stations where the host conducted an interview with a couple allegedly having sex.

The fines are the latest in a stepped-up campaign by the FCC to crack down on indecency. Critics have said the commission failed to aggressively enforce rules, leading to a coarsening of the airwaves.

Federal law bars radio stations and over-the-air television channels from airing references to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels or satellite radio.

The FCC received hundreds of complaints about the Golden Globes broadcast after Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock group U2, said, "This is really, really, f------ brilliant."

The enforcement bureau said last October that Bono's comment was not indecent or obscene because he did not use the word to describe a sexual act. "The performer used the word ... as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation," the bureau said.

To avoid a repeat incident, NBC aired this year's Golden Globes broadcast on a 10-second delay. ABC did the same with its telecast of the Academy Awards show.
 
If you'd like to let the FCC know how you feel about this, chairman Michael Powell's e-mail address (found at FCC.gov) is Michael.Powell@fcc.gov. If a few hundred other people got to lodge their complaints over the word, I think the rest of us should be able to say it's not a big deal.
 
I'm a wee bit hesistant to email that FCC guy. Knowing the right-wingers, you'll probably wind up on their "subversive" lists and have the FBI after you. Seems the Republicans want to go back
to those good old days of McCarthy-ism and witch hunts.
Bono made that comment....hmm...what is it 2 years ago?!?
Oh dear....he uttered a 4 letter word. My life is ruined now.
I may never watch tv again, only "Leave It To Beaver" reruns from now on. < sarcasm mode>
 
Mac Phisto said:
There's something really scary going on in America right now. Keep an eye on this FCC buisness.
The whole thing has made me feel a little ill lately...almost rings of censorship, that nasty old C-word.

Otherwise going on about the Golden Globes thing would be almost funny by now.
 
Bush is trying to pander to the ultra-conservative Christian fanatic vote, since he's pretty much alienated every other sane and educated person left in this country.

Melon
 
4 American children have become Muslim extremists thank's to Bono and his verbal antics. We must be vigilant and fight the evil doers by burning U2 records.
 
i just think it's a joke that they're using bono as a model of indecency...of all the people, he certainly is the kind of lewd behavior :rolleyes:
 
hey, i'd just like to point out---tipper gore and joe lieberman-what two things do they have in common? both have fought for censorship in music, movies, and television, and both are DEMOCRATS! republicans are not the only ones to blame for this.
 
dsmith2904 said:
If you'd like to let the FCC know how you feel about this, chairman Michael Powell's e-mail address (found at FCC.gov) is Michael.Powell@fcc.gov. If a few hundred other people got to lodge their complaints over the word, I think the rest of us should be able to say it's not a big deal.

text of letter:
Dear Mr. Powell,

I am writing to you as a college-educated 30 year old, married, with a 5 year old daughter; in short, dead average in the American media-consuming demographic.

I find the recent FCC rulings regarding New York radio personality Howard Stern and Irish musician Bono to be utterly ludicrous. Frankly sir, it is my job as a parent to exercise control over what my child sees or hears; your rulings attempt to make that decision for my spouse and myself and as a conservative I am appalled that the government - at your command - is intruding on my personal choices like this. I am no fool, sir, and I do not need your personal agenda controlling the American broadcast media for me like some incarnation of an Orwellian 'Big Brother'.

Howard Stern has made a career of pushing the envelope, and while I am not a tremendous fan of his radio persona, I must sincerely question the FCC only just now deciding he's too "indecent" for the airwaves. It rings false, sir, that suddenly a racial slur -spoken by a caller, not Stern - was the final straw and called for fines and discontinuation of broadcast, when all of the other over-the-top antics his show has generated over the years somehow passed under the radar.

It is especially laughable that you continue to drag Bono's slip-up back into the spotlight again and again. It has been over a year now - and it was one word - and it's time to just drop it already. Of all of the performers in the music world, he is the last one who should be pilloried for a slip of the tongue or held up as some sort of icon of indecency. To portray him as a foul-mouthed menace to America's airwaves is ludicrously ignorant, and grotesquely petty when your own staff has already let the matter drop with a decision you felt some inexplicable need to override.

Pure and simply, I am disgusted, sir, at these actions. And I vote.

Jai Wolfe
Pepperell, Massachusetts

===============

ps. and no, I did not vote for Bush last time either.
 
:banghead: :scream:...

Why. Are. They. Still. Talking. About. This?!?!

Oh, yeah, I forgot-it's an election year. I mean, this is such an important issue, not the economy or the foreign policy or education or anything like that...

Anywho, I definitely will be writing a letter. This is just insane. I agree with you, Mac Phisto...this is downright scary.

Angela
 
Let's try to keep things in perspective. We're talking about a fine here, not banning Bono from the country or American TV for life.
And the fine is based upon laws that have been in place for a long time.

If you don't like the law, work to change it, but trying to get the FCC to ignore the law and turn a blind eye to obvious violations just because the violations don't happen to offend you personally doesn't make any sense either.

Edit: Moonlit_Angel, just to let you know, this post is not directed to you personally. I'm just talking to everyone, here.
 
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With all due respect, TheFirstBigW, the law was upheld when it was determined that it did not break the FCC laws. They have since changed it to fit their new agenda and to suit their own purpose. I don't know what else you could call it.
 
Truthfuly I'm glad they are doing this because Bono has done this in the past a few times. Bono sometimes seems to think that some rules don't apply to him because of who he is.
 
gherman said:
Truthfuly I'm glad they are doing this because Bono has done this in the past a few times. Bono sometimes seems to think that some rules don't apply to him because of who he is.

Actually he has admitted that he made a mistake. The only other time he did it, in 1994, they didn't raise half as much of a stink about the incident. Good grief, they are carrying on as if he committed a murder.
 
the copy of the letter that i sent to the fcc...

dear mr. powell,

i applaud your decisions regarding the howard stern issue and the bono issue. i feel both decisions were made with the utmost common sense, and your not caving to the pressure from either the left or the right should be celebrated.

the now infamous janet jackson "wardrobe malfunction" has caused a massive over-reaction by both sides of the floor. the right are calling for anything short of sesame street to be banned from the airwaves, and the left is so passive on the issue it's down right scary.

bono's use of the "f" word was a clear violation of FCC law, but it was also clear that it was not intentional and was not meant to cause any harm. therefore i believe your decision to cite nbc and bono, but not fine either, was the proper decision.

as for stern, the use of the "n" word on the airwaves should always be considered a violation and is never "accidental." radio stations have "dump men" who's only purpose is to keep words like this from going out over the airwaves. in this case, the detroit station's "dump man" failed to do his job, and i feel the fine was proper.

i also applaud you for not over-reacting with threats of liscense pulls, etc. etc., like we saw with the over-reaction of the FCC durring the opie and anthony episode.

in closing, i believe you acted in the best interest of the people here. it is clear to me that the extreme right is going way overboard in their censoring, and the extreme left is going way overboard in their leniency for indecent behavior on our airwaves. thank you for finally using some common sense in this difficult situation and not caving in to political pressure from either side of the aisle.

-shannon clancy
kings park, ny
 
(sarcasm alert on)

I'm still waiting for the FCC to cite Diane Keaton for using "the s word" during this year's golden globes.

I mean if they're going to cite Bono, they have to cite her too. Fair is fair people. :rolleyes:

(sarcasm alert off)


I agree with Kariann. Whenever I hear about the FCC bringing this up again, part of the song "Bad" starts going through my head . . .

"Let it gooooooooo . . . "
 
LOL ^^^^.

gherman said:
Truthfuly I'm glad they are doing this because Bono has done this in the past a few times. Bono sometimes seems to think that some rules don't apply to him because of who he is.

I don't think that's the case at all. Bono just has a habit of swearing from time to time-he's admitted that he has a hard time sometimes watching what he says. Besides, he was in such a good mood that night (and, as some have said, was probably a little drunk at the time)...it just slipped out. He never purposely intended to break any laws or offend anybody.

Originally posted by sue4u2
With all due respect, TheFirstBigW, the law was upheld when it was determined that it did not break the FCC laws. They have since changed it to fit their new agenda and to suit their own purpose. I don't know what else you could call it.

Exactly. They need to stick with one story here-either it did violate their laws or it didn't. Bono was not describing anything sexual or any bodily functions, so from what I understand, he did not violate any laws with that word. As for it being indecent and all that...well, that's each person's opinion. We can't have a set definition of what is indecent and offensive, because each person has their own ideas regarding that.

And I realize that it's just a fine...but it's stupid that there's even all this ruckus in the first place. It's a word everybody has heard before, and most people wouldn't even give this whole thing a second thought if groups like the FCC or those parent groups or whatever wouldn't keep making a huge deal out of it.

Angela
 
Moonlit_Angel said:

And I realize that it's just a fine...but it's stupid that there's even all this ruckus in the first place. It's a word everybody has heard before, and most people wouldn't even give this whole thing a second thought if groups like the FCC or those parent groups or whatever wouldn't keep making a huge deal out of it.

Angela

some of us need to go back and re-read the story... the FCC decided NOT to fine Bono. He was cited for using foul language on the air, but no fine was issued against either Bono or NBC, because the FCC felt it was an unintentional slip and was not meant in any offensive manner what-so-ever. In other words... you won. All the lefties, all the Bono can do no wrong guys... you won. Bono was not fined. He was cited, meaning the FCC baisicly said "hey Bono, you said a word you shouldn't have, but we know you didn't mean any harm by it, so we're not gonna fine you, but be careful next time."

This news is GREAT in my mind. They didn't go overboard like the right wanted them to do and toss out million dollar fines and revoking broadcast liscenses and so on... but they didn't go all the way to the left and just let it go without mention. To me this ruling was a perfect middle ground... and if people are still upset by it, they either need to go back and re-read the decision, or they're so far to the left that they simply don't care and have politicized this incident to the point where they can't read it for what it really is... a win for Bono and NBC.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:


some of us need to go back and re-read the story... the FCC decided NOT to fine Bono. He was cited for using foul language on the air, but no fine was issued against either Bono or NBC, because the FCC felt it was an unintentional slip and was not meant in any offensive manner what-so-ever. In other words... you won. All the lefties, all the Bono can do no wrong guys... you won. Bono was not fined. He was cited, meaning the FCC baisicly said "hey Bono, you said a word you shouldn't have, but we know you didn't mean any harm by it, so we're not gonna fine you, but be careful next time."

This news is GREAT in my mind. They didn't go overboard like the right wanted them to do and toss out million dollar fines and revoking broadcast liscenses and so on... but they didn't go all the way to the left and just let it go without mention. To me this ruling was a perfect middle ground... and if people are still upset by it, they either need to go back and re-read the decision, or they're so far to the left that they simply don't care and have politicized this incident to the point where they can't read it for what it really is... a win for Bono and NBC.

AHHHH... Finally a voice of reason. I was beginning to think I was the only one.
 
Can someone explain to me why you can't say the 'f' word on regular television but you can show someone being the victim of a violent crime?

Saying the 'f' is bad, but to me watching anyone shot or stabbed or assaulted or robbed or raped or murdered is offensive.
 
dsmith2904 said:
If you'd like to let the FCC know how you feel about this, chairman Michael Powell's e-mail address (found at FCC.gov) is Michael.Powell@fcc.gov. If a few hundred other people got to lodge their complaints over the word, I think the rest of us should be able to say it's not a big deal.

Thanks for this! Done and sent! And I proudly used that nice pretty four letter word in my email!
 
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