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Republicans Lose Big in Election; Meanwhile FCC Approves Swearing on Live News Programs
Labels: Jointblog
If Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum accidently said the F-word live on TV or radio last night after learning he -- and dozens of other Republicans -- lost their election campaigns, it certainly would be understandable.
Santorum got voted out of Congress in yesterday's elections. Meanwhile, the FCC announced earlier yesterday no broadcast company would get fined for swearing slipups on live newscasts anymore.
Senator Santorum -- a leading conversative "family values" advocate against obsence content and language on broadcast media, including a personal agenda against Howard Stern and other radio personalities -- introduced new laws increasing obsensity fines by the FCC against broadcasters tenfold.
Yesterday, just in time for the election, the FCC made a new ruling change, saying it was okay if words like @*%&?#! slip onto news shows, as has happened occasionally when Opie and Anthony pests assault local live reporters delivering their news reports.
Does this give the O&A pests a green light?
The legalities of network TV obscenity have grown more complicated than the old "Seven Dirty Words," and broadcasters have increasingly complained the new rules don't make any sense. But this week, they have some clarity on the rules.
What's not acceptable on TV: "I'd like to thank the @*%&?#! academy." What's acceptable on TV: "That's @*%&?#! ridiculous, Katie Couric." Yesterday's Los Angeles Times has the story.
The commission's website has PDFs of a press release announcing the ruling, the text of the full ruling and a commissioner's statement on the ruling. If you've ever wanted to read a bunch of expletives next to a bunch of federal government legalese, these documents are for you.
posted by Unknown @ Wednesday, November 08, 2006,
