The FCC and Broadcast Corps. need to unclench their sphincters (lame rant)

The BBQ Pit
1

Okay, so we all know that thanks in no small part to Janet - I can’t even look at her without seeing Michael’s face on her body - Jackson and her little wardrobe incident last winter, the government has decided to clamp down on all those naughty words and images that might somehow destroy the moral fiber of 'Merka, right? Well, can’t they at least have the decency (since that’s what they apparently are trying to protect) to be consistent and definite about the whole fuck show? I mean, nobody seems to know what they can and can’t say on the radio anymore. Recordings that were perfectly fine a year ago are now verboten, except, not necessarily. Thanks to rules that are apparently vague different companies have different guidelines and you just never know what you will or won’t hear anymore.

A comparison: Last week one evening I was listening to WCKG in Chicago. A music station that’s always billed itself as progressive. Okay, so it hasn’t really been progressive for at least 15 years, but they still play some good music there. On the night in question I heard Pink Floyd’s Money. I was paying attention out of curiosity, and sure enough, when the lyric “same old bullshit” came up, it was edited to “same old bull_.” I wasn’t surprised, even though I’ve heard that complete lyric many times in the past, including on this same station. But, WCKG is a CBS station and I suppose they’re a bit more skitish these days.

Then today, on a different station WDRV, I heard Steve Miller’s Jet Airliner, including the lyric “funky shit going down in the city.” There was no edit.

So, is one song okay and the other not? Is it a question of the time of day, so 11:30 A.M. is safer than 9:00 P.M.? Or is it just that nobody really knows what’s allowed and what’s not, so some of the corporate pinheads are more clenched than others? Whichever it is, something needs to be done. The idea that “we’ll know it when we see it,” as regards indecency just doesn’t work. If the government is really concerned with broadcast standards, they need to set some standards/ that are clear and universal.

So, how about this: You can’t say these words except on pay to watch/listen broadcasts such as cable or satellite radio:

fuck, cunt, shit or any compound words including those 3.

All other words are permitted, although I may be missing a few.

2

There are multiple issues at play here.

First, the owners are probably different. Different owners have different standards. My station won’t let me air any obscene language at all. A local commercial station has been known to play The Who’s “Who Are You” with the line “Who the fuck are you?” intact. Different owners, different standards.

Second, the FCC does have consistent standards WRT language. Had someone complained to them about the Steve Miller song, the FCC would’ve investigated and probably levied a fine against WDRV. For the most part, the FCC doesn’t care about language unless someone complains.

Third, there is such a thing as “safe harbor” hours that allow radio stations to be a bit freer with language. These run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and are going the way of the dodo.

If you don’t like bad language on the radio, complain to the station or the FCC. If you don’t care, don’t worry about it.

Robin

3

I have a solution! Don’t play ANY bad words, including “darn” and “crap”, on the airwaves until 10. Then, at 10PM, all stations will mandatorily play the Mr Bungle tune “Squeeze Me Macaroni” :cool:

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But I want foul language on the radio and I’m completely offended by the mutilation of songs.

Who do I complain to about that?

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Us?

6

Complain to the FCC, or maybe your congressman. The FCC’s policies regarding indecency will change if there’s enough support for it.

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That’s correct. Unfortunately, it also works the other way. It will become stricter if becoming sticter is politically expedient. That’s why gay people can’t get married in Louisiana. I take a lot of flak about my political philosophy, but those of you who champion this majoritarian madness could stand to do at least a bit of self-review.

8

[andy rooney]

you know what bugs me. . .

[/ar]

I heard (and correct me if I’m wrong) that the FCC doesn’t really do any monitoring, but rather responds to complaints of listeners.

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?

Now, a titty during the superbowl halftime show is one thing, but

who the fuck is out there listening to Howard Stern and then calling in and complaining. Please, don’t fucking listen and don’t ruin it for the rest of us. The worst fucking people in the world – bar none – are those who just don’t want others to have fun even though it’s at no expense to themselves. THE WORST, JERRY!

Why don’t I have an adult option on my radio? It’s un-fucking-believable. Well, thanks for satellite radio and thanks again when they start getting better and better programming that the FCC (hopefully) won’t be able to touch.

You don’t want kids hearing it? Pay attention to what your kids are doing. Don’t work to get it shut down.

You know Captain Amazing, I’d get on board with your suggestion if I had anything other that a 0% expectation of it making a difference. Just who is going to introduce the legislation to slacken broadcast decency standards.

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In all seriousness? There are citizens’ groups that “monitor” the airwaves in their cities looking for crap to report. Once it’s reported, the FCC investigates. If the incident has violated FCC standards, the station receives a fine. (FTR, CBS got hit with a $550,000 fine for Janet Jackson.) If not, the complaint gets filed somewhere, but no action is taken. Yeah, I think it’s stupid that Bluenoses for Decency goes out of its way to do that, but it’s their right.

That said, the Federal Communications Commission has the ultimate authority to tighten and relax broadcasting standards. Much of this happens in the normal course of business and not in any spectacular way, so the public generally doesn’t know this is happening.

Robin

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Out of curiosity, is there any situation where you DON’T think libertarianism is a perfect solution?

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I must say, I was a little shocked to hear the term “jerk off” in not one but two TV shows recently. I wonder if it’ll be edited out for reruns.

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The FCC isn’t going to slacken their broadcast decency standards because the people to whom broadcast decency standards matter don’t want the standards slackened. Like **MsRobyn]**d, there are citizens groups that monitor radio broadcasts and complain about them, and you can bet that when the FCC considers relaxing their standards, those groups complain really loudly It’s not even a really large group of people…they’re just the only ones who care enough to comment, so they get listened to.

If you want the FCC to relax their standards, you have to find enough people who care at least as much about relaxing the standards as those groups do about tightening them.

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All of them. I’ve said many times that libertarianism doesn’t solve any problems. Its purpose is to provide a context of peace an honesty so that free men may solve their own.

14

<hijack>

Husband and I were riding in the car when “Jet Airliner” came on. I mentioned how I thought it was amusing that the “shit” line always made it through. He looked at me funny, and said there was no “shit” in the song. I insisted there was, and we waited for the relevant part of the song.

And of course, they said “Kicks”. So I thought that oddly, I had heard it wrong all along.

Until the next time I heard it, without him, and it was “shit”. My introduction to radio-edits. I listen to a classic rock station that goes light on the edits.

Sigh. But then the same radio station that will play that, “Who Are You”, and “Money” edit-free won’t play Staind edit-free. Is there a more lax approach to older songs? And Everlast’s(Clear? I always confuse them) “You Don’t Know What It’s Like.” They friggin bleep out the word “whore” which just annoys the hell out of me.

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How about change the station?

Well holy shit. Just who are these people exactly? The wives of yuppy rich men? How about get a real fucking job and not worry about it?
Just so you know MsRobyn, I’m not cursing at you, I just cannot believe what some people will do for censorship, it makes me sick.

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Liberal: * I’ve said many times that libertarianism doesn’t solve any problems. Its purpose is to provide a context of peace an honesty so that free men may solve their own.*

Well, that’s the purpose of our current representative-democracy-plus-civil-rights too, of course. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to think of any system of governance that wouldn’t be happy to describe its fundamental purpose in those terms;* it’s a nice bit of rhetoric but not really very informative.

I suppose it’s easier to be loftily critical about the failings of other people’s solutions to problems than to come up with any specific alternative solutions.

  • Except perhaps the Borg. :slight_smile:
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No offense taken.

Many of these groups are church-related “decency” groups who think it’s their mission in life to force their moral standards on the rest of us. (Note: I’m not trying to paint all Christians as narrow-minded ninnies. Just pointing out a fact.) I’d love nothing more than to see these people do something more helpful and constructive with their time, like feeding the hungry or something.

As much as I’d love the FCC to ignore organized groups, it ain’t gonna happen. They’ve got the same right to complain as anyone else has.

Robin

18

The FCC’s job is not to create the rules, but to enforce the rules. Congress tells them what to do, and the FCC figures out how to do it. Certainly, they have some leeway, but if you want more obscenity and vulgarity on the radio, calling the FCC won’t help a bit. You’ll have to talk to your elected representatives and get a bill introduced.

Good luck.

19

It will, though, because the Communications Act just says something like, “The FCC may impose fines for the broadcast obscene or vulgar material.” It’s the Commission who decides what “obscene” and “vulgar” means. So, for them to change their standards doesn’t require prior congressional approval.

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Oh, bullshit. Laws against prostitution, gambling, and drugs. Powers of eminent domain, asset forfeiture, and enemy combattant. Legislation that favors those with enough lobbying clout. The actual ability to amend the very foundation of law to prohibit gay marriage. What despicable hubris you demonstrate by representing such a system either providing a context of peace and honesty or having free men that live in it.