11 Comments Add your own

• 1. Mike Escutia  |  January 28th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

  This brings up something I’ve always wondered about: Why do the affiliates get punished for something the network does?

• 2. some greek guy  |  January 28th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

  depends on what country you from.

• 3. Dan  |  January 28th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

  You mean Why do the affiliates NOT get punished for
  what the network does. The local broadcaster, his transmitter, his antenna, not the network is the one
  that puts it out there. Don’t book stores and grocery
  stores get nicked if they put out adult magazines on
  stands where kids can get at them? Why are
  broadcasters any different? OF course I don’t think
  anyone should be hit here, but why the distinction
  between the network and the station?

  Obviously it’s all political. If the FCC went after 225
  ABC affiliates in the congressman’s individual districts,
  you can imagine how long the FCC chairman would
  keep his position. But go after a big corp, that’s easy.

  Dan

• 4. Anonymous  |  January 28th, 2008 at 8:38 pm

  The buttocks are not a sexual organ. The anus can be. Butt cleavage is no more sexual than breast cleavage. It’s when you see the pink bits that people go insane, as though civilization has been threatened by a body part that everybody has.

• 5. A. Thought  |  January 28th, 2008 at 11:26 pm

  Here’s a question.

  Why does the government have an agency that regulates content over the airwaves? The Syndex laws killed the concept of the “superstation.” The Children’s Act of 1990 killed Saturday morning television. They made broadcast television air more educational programming and yet limited public broadcasting funds. And since nipplegate, they’ve had it in for what “they” deem obscene.

  By “they,” the vocal minority, the Wildmons and Bonzells of the world, that hold the FCC by the stones. By electing weak-minded puritians, that mentality remains the rule.

  The whole “safe harbor” time period doesn’t take into account the whole division of time zones in this country. Just anything after 10 PM everywhere, though in the central time zone, broadcast television ends at 10 (in Canada, I believe the safe harbor begins at 9 PM, which allows more breathing room into airing riskier shows an hour later). The “safe harbor” law essentially handcuffs broadcasters to not break so-called taboos or whatever.

  Another question:

  Why is the FCC issuing fines on a show that aired five years ago? Funds running dry because of the lack of inoffensive shows on broadcast television thanks to the strike? Still fuming they can’t fine basic cable channels yet? Seriously, NYPD Blue ended, what, four years ago?

• 6. Mike Escutia  |  January 29th, 2008 at 12:49 am

  Dan,
  Last I checked, ABC only owned ten stations. Were the other 42 randomly selected for fines?

  A,
  I definitely agree with you about the “safe harbor” time period. It should be adjusted for each time zone; not doing so is, I think, unfair to broadcasters in the Central and Mountain time zones.

• 7. Dan  |  January 29th, 2008 at 8:24 am

  Mike,

  DIdn’t read the story, only the write up. Yeah, 52 would
  include stations other than O&Os. So part of my rant is
  incorrect. This is new. The CBS fines were only for O&Os
  if I recall correctly.

  Dan

• 8. Safran  |  January 29th, 2008 at 8:32 am

  Show my butt and the whole country would fine the network.

• 9. Anonymous  |  January 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am

  Also, a buttock isn’t an organ, period.

• 10. tdc  |  January 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am

  i didn’t watch but i hear there was an ass appearing on tv for over an hour last night.

  do all the networks get fined for that?

• 11. Safran  |  January 29th, 2008 at 11:02 am

  The brain is a sexual organ. I see pieces of it on CSI all the time. Is CBS going to be fined?

  //always thinking of the children.

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