We all know about Stern, who suddenly gets dropped by Clear Channel just after he turns on Bush (because, you know, they SUDDENLY found him too raunchy, after ten years of rauchier stuff than he does these days)
Seems like yet another in a growing list of radio personalities that have been canned with suspicious rapidity just as soon as they expose major Republican scandals or criticize the President. And these aren’t left-wingers: these are people whom the right has trumpeted as conservatives and big supporters of Bush who have turned on him. And, as we know, those who are disloyal to the administration or it’s friends pay the price.
While I don’t think radio stations should have to air anything the owners don’t want, it’s a little disconcerting to see what seems to be a stripping away of certian viewpoints from the radio meduim, which can occur because of the large sectors of a market that each company can control. While nothing can or should be done, it’s definately worth identifying as a troubling trend in political discourse.
What’s that got to do with anything, John? Or is censorship okay with you as long as it quiets the folks disturbing your little delusions?
It shouldn’t matter what side of the political aisle you sit on, folks getting punished for expressing their views is un-American any way you slice it.
Oh, I see - pile ons are cool if it’s you, Airman, Sam Stone and John Mace doing the piling. Otherwise, it’s just…so…unfair. Boo fucking hoo. You guys sure whine a lot.
In all seriousness, I think seeing a conspiracy here is, well … conspiracy seeking.
Vandenbroek’s case seems to have some questionable things going on; but I think I’d want to read more before I made any judgements. We’re obviously only getting one side of the story.
Goyette seems to have gotten on the wrong side of his audience. If he ever thought that AM talk radio was “search for the truth,” he’s either lying or an idiot. It’s partisan polemic; which can still be fair, but is not objective. If you paint yourself as a true-blue conservative, and then go against a GOP president on the most important policy choice in years, you risk you followers turning on you.
Clear Channel wants to make money; AM talk radio liberals have never really done so. But if Al Franken can consitiently beat Sean Hannity, they’ll sign him in a heatbeat.
The number one talk station in Orlando is run by Clear Channel. It’s one of the ones that dropped Stern, in fact. While its not a political format, when they address social issues (abortion, gay rights, drug laws), they’re pretty consistiently liberal in their outlook; and the one show that consistiently does address political issues is vehemently liberal (and is syndicated), to the point of personally attacking Christian callers for their religious beliefs. If Limbaugh said some of this stuff, we’d hear no end of how he was inciting hatred and being divisive.
Now I don’t particularly like the rancor from any of them; I can listen to Jim Philips because it’s not all rancor all the time, and because he’s wittier than Limbaugh. But the point is so long as they’re not saying words that get them in trouble with the FCC and they keep getting good ratings, Clear Channel isn’t going to touch them.
I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you can enlighten me?
In regards to this thread, I don’t think that Clear Channel exercising a policy meant to protect itself from the Janet Jackson-Super Bowl backlash and throwing Howard Stern off a grand total of six stations is censorship. Howard Stern should be able to say whatever the hell he feels like saying. That said, it doesn’t mean that everyone should be compelled to allow him to do it with their equipment.
Again, this was not a vast corporate conspiracy. This was six stations, nationwide. Small change, guys.
Stern’s replacements in the morning are no more family oriented than he is, nor are they Bush lovers. The other day I heard one of the “Monsters” talking about how he had just discovered James Carville on Crossfire, and how he thought he was so in touch with all things political. I’ve also noticed that ClearChannel has pulled Ron Diaz, a Bush kisser-asser, off of Thunder. Now he is doing AM on a station that doesn’t come in here. I’ve been driving to work in silence ever since.
I don’t know anything about all of your circle jerk discussions but I’ll talk about censorship.
It’s funny, because just a month or so ago,I posted in my livejournal that all the politics of the world had never had any direct, noticeable effect on my middle class white girl, college educated life.
And then the shit hit the fan with Janet Jackson, and all of the sudden, talking about POOP is bleeped off the air, and my favorite talk radio station in Chicago (the one that houses Stern) is stepping on eggshells, censoring EVERYTHING and questioning every story.
As someone who is IN entertainment, and enjoys entertainment of a ‘raunchy’ or ‘adult’ nature, i’m getting freaked out. Who are these people to tell us what we want to listen to? Who are these people who aren’t satisfied with simply turning the channel, but wanting to make sure everything in the world is safe for a Christian Nine Year Old?
When the FCC/Censorship/Fines Bill went through the house within about 4 minutes of it being written, I couldn’t believe it. And the senate will vote on it, I think as early as next week.
After that, get ready for all Paul Harvey All the Time, because the fines will be so hefty that NO ONE will be able to say or do anything without whipping out their pocket book…
and all it takes is ONE FUCKING COMPLAINT to the radio station. What’s next? Internet?
I can’t believe what I’m living through…a complete turn around and active restriction of freedoms.
As I find jarbabyj’s hijack far more interesting than the main thread I’m going to respond to that.
It’s all about people giving up personal responsibility. Yes every statement blaiming all sorts of problems on a single source is incorrect, but this one is less incorrect than most.
As people have pointed out before, here and elsewhere, parents are no longer concerned with doing the work required to be a parent. i understand that it can be hard to make sure a kid is watching only decent programing 24 hours a day. There are TV ratings, modified TVs and the like to help parents out with this. In this regard I can see the outraged side’s point of view in the Janet Jackson thing, the Superbowl shouldn’t have that kind of surprise. It is a sporting event that has viewers with a huge diversity of beliefs. The official half time program is going to have to be “bland” to avoid this kind of trouble. People who want other entertainment can watch any one of the hundreds of alternative half time programing aired that day.
That said there should be no problem with any degree of adult entertainment being shown with appropriate warnings and in venues where it is not just going to appear by surprise. If people don’t like it they don’t have to watch it. That simple. “My kid might surf to it.” is not a valid excuse. You can stop it. If you can’t stop it your kid is going to be exposed to things you don’t want them to be no matter what. Once the industry has conceded rating systems, lumping together things by appropriateness and technology to block offensive material the parents are responsible. Complaining that something offends you is assanine when it is something like a shock jock’s show. Of course your offended, the fucker’s job is to be offensive.
Right now we are swinging through a phase with a “No, you take care of it!” mentality. Eventually we will start swinging back towards a “Suck up a deal.” phase. On this side of the swing things get irritating for those who like things that are easy targets for censorship. People can only take so much whinning from their fellows, and that’s what calls for censorship are. Eventually people will think enough is enough and drown out the voices of people who get irrationally offended by human anatomy.
What I find most disturbing about this entire hurrah about what is and isn’t decent is the fact that no one wants to take personal responsibility for themselves and/or their children. All of these people want the government (filling a nanny position) to censor what is seen and heard on TV and radio in the chance that someone might be offended. Well, the last time I checked, the Bill of Rights does not include a subsection for the freedom of speech that says “you can say what you please as long as it does not offend anyone”.
You People* do not have the right to be protected from stuff that might offend you or someone else. If you don’t like it, turn it off or change the channel… plain and simple. If you don’t want “Little Johnny” to watch “offensive and indecent” programming, pay attention to what he is watching on TV. Try interacting with your child instead of letting the TV and internet baby-sit him for you.
I think that by letting the government decide what you see on TV and listen to on the radio is the start down a slippery slope of censorship that could lead to much larger things. For example, people complain about books being “offensive” due to racist and derogatory language (Huck Finn etc…) so then what? The government says “Yes that book offends people… pull it out of schools, off bookstore shelves and out of libraries” to keep people from being “offended” what’s next after that??? Book burning??
This government “crackdown” on so called indecent and offensive material is turning America into the Fourth Reich, IMO. And yes I believe that the government is trying to put people off the airwaves (through excessive fines and/or fear of excessive fines) who disagree with the government or the “perceived popular opinion”. Yes, I may be a slight conspiricay theorist and a bit if a twit, but I dont want the government telling me what I will or won"t be seeing and listening to.
*in reference to all the whiney ass bitchers who want the government to control everything that is seen and heard and not at any dopers
My fear is…how long does the “No, you take care of it!” phase have to last until people realize we’re turning the country into a fundamentalist sanitary operating room, completely sterile, ‘unoffensive’ and ‘safe’ for everyone? I’ve seen this change going on for YEARS. YEARS! what’s it going to take to get to the Suck up and Deal?
We certainly have no guarantee that John Kerry will be any better.
