speech wont be free

alphajerk · 28th February 2005

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...ion=6.0.11.847

When the Federal Communications Commission fined Clear Channel Communications $27,500 last year for each of eighteen incidents of "indecent material" spouted by shock jock Howard Stern, it sure seemed like a lot of money. But in retrospect those fines look like chump change. On February 16th, the Bush administration won House approval for a bill that would raise the maximum FCC fine to $500,000 per violation. Under the new measure, Clear Channel -- and Stern himself -- could each have been fined a total of $9 million.

"Free expression and First Amendment rights are the real target of this legislation," declared Rep. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vt.) during the debate over the bill. "This is not what America is about."

A review of fines levied by other federal agencies suggests that the government may be taking swear words a bit too seriously. If the bill passes the Senate, Bono saying "****ing brilliant" on the air would carry the exact same penalty as illegally testing pesticides on human subjects. And for the price of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl, you could cause the wrongful death of an elderly patient in a nursing home and still have enough money left to create dangerous mishaps at two nuclear reactors. (Actually, you might be able to afford four "nuke malfunctions": The biggest fine levied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year was only $60,000.)

If Bush has his way, Howard Stern may soon have a tough choice to make: Tell a sex joke on the air, or dump toxic waste in New York's drinking water while willfully placing an employee at risk of injury or death? No wonder the foul-mouthed host is moving to satellite radio, which falls outside the authority of the FCC.

mizzle · 1st March 2005

Of course the real question is who or what defines
"indecent material"? Censorship is ridiculous. Somebody should put Richard Pryor (well, one can dream can't he?) in charge of the FCC.
-Craig

M.Wilson · 1st March 2005

And here I thought that there wasn't any room left in my life for more outrage. Thank you Mr. President, you've proven me wrong once again.fuuck dfegad

28th February 2005	#1
alphajerk There is only one Joined: Jun 2002 Location: asheville NC Posts: 5,260 Thread Starter	speech wont be free http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...ion=6.0.11.847 When the Federal Communications Commission fined Clear Channel Communications $27,500 last year for each of eighteen incidents of "indecent material" spouted by shock jock Howard Stern, it sure seemed like a lot of money. But in retrospect those fines look like chump change. On February 16th, the Bush administration won House approval for a bill that would raise the maximum FCC fine to $500,000 per violation. Under the new measure, Clear Channel -- and Stern himself -- could each have been fined a total of $9 million. "Free expression and First Amendment rights are the real target of this legislation," declared Rep. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vt.) during the debate over the bill. "This is not what America is about." A review of fines levied by other federal agencies suggests that the government may be taking swear words a bit too seriously. If the bill passes the Senate, Bono saying "***ing brilliant" on the air would carry the exact same penalty as illegally testing pesticides on human subjects. And for the price of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl, you could cause the wrongful death of an elderly patient in a nursing home and still have enough money left to create dangerous mishaps at two nuclear reactors. (Actually, you might be able to afford four "nuke malfunctions": The biggest fine levied by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year was only $60,000.) If Bush has his way, Howard Stern may soon have a tough choice to make: Tell a sex joke on the air, or dump toxic waste in New York's drinking water while willfully placing an employee at risk of injury or death? No wonder the foul-mouthed host is moving to satellite radio, which falls outside the authority of the FCC. __________________ "i must invent my own systems or else be enslaved by other men's'" william blake* __________________________ email: barrett [at] alphajerk [dot] com

1st March 2005	#2
mizzle Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 781	Of course the real question is who or what defines "indecent material"? Censorship is ridiculous. Somebody should put Richard Pryor (well, one can dream can't he?) in charge of the FCC. -Craig __________________ "Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once"

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1st March 2005	#3
M.Wilson Gear Head Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 38	And here I thought that there wasn't any room left in my life for more outrage. Thank you Mr. President, you've proven me wrong once again.fuuck dfegad